Green Tree Python Import NSW

[mark_halliday]

Hi - I am just wondering if anyone has been asked by NSW Office of Environment (National Parks) to prove from the seller that the python that your are purchasing is from Australia?

This is what the email said:

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal][FONT=Calibri,sans-serif]I refer to your application to import a green python (Morelia viridis) from Victoria.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal][FONT=Calibri,sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri,sans-serif][FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal, Segoe UI, Segoe WP, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif]Due to restrictions on green pythons it will be necessary for you to provide documentation from your supplier to prove that the python is of Australian provenance origins and not international.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal, Segoe UI, Segoe WP, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif]Any feedback [/FONT]would[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal, Segoe UI, Segoe WP, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif] be great.

Cheers Mark[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[pythoninfinite]

I posted a similar question here a couple of months ago, and it didn't draw much of a response. I emailed the Dept about this also, but got no response.

There are couple of glaring problems with this "edict" or new policy from the Dept - for a start, NSW and all states except WA are awash with "international" GTPs, and have been for two decades; and what does 'documentation" actually mean? if you import a yellow baby, it may be 12 months before you know what you've ended up with, and even then you may never know the origins of your animal if it has the "looks" of an Aussie . I've bred some animals from my original stock (unknown origins because Aussies were not available in the early days) which were indistinguishable from Aussie GTPs when they coloured up. A seller can basically make whatever declaration ("documentation?") they like in another state when sending the animal/s, and the NSW authorities will have no power to prosecute individuals in another jurisdiction if they misrepresent the goods they are selling.

If you import a yellow baby, is the Dept going to do a check every six months to see how it colours up? And will they confiscate the animal if it doesn't meet their criteria for what constitutes an "Aussie" GTP.

Jamie

 

[Waterrat]

Jamie, the point is - you can't just import a yellow baby without NSW import permit and to get that permit, you have to satisfy the NSW Dep that the GTP is an Aussie native. I have no idea what's the purpose of this stupid regulation, nor I have any idea what kind of proof (that would be acceptable) can any breeder provide as to the animals provenance. I also wrote to the NSW authorities abut a months ago and got no answer.
I know the NSW mob want to see the "schedules" on Qld licences, which again, doesn't make sense; e.g. I have both native and international GTPs but the natives are not "specified" (anyone can keep 2 on basic licence and unlimited on advanced licence) in the schedules, only the international, but hat doesn't mean I don't have any natives. Go figure!

cheers
Michael

 

[pythoninfinite]

Jamie, the point is - you can't just import a yellow baby without NSW import permit and to get that permit, you have to satisfy the NSW Dep that the GTP is an Aussie native. I have no idea what's the purpose of this stupid regulation, nor I have any idea what kind of proof (that would be acceptable) can any breeder provide as to the animals provenance. I also wrote to the NSW authorities abut a months ago and got no answer.
I know the NSW mob want to see the "schedules" on Qld licences, which again, doesn't make sense; e.g. I have both native and international GTPs but the natives are not "specified" (anyone can keep 2 on basic licence and unlimited on advanced licence) in the schedules, only the international, but hat doesn't mean I don't have any natives. Go figure!

cheers
Michael

Yeah Michael, I understand the import permit issue, but what i don't get is the criteria the NSW Dept will use to verify what the interstate supplier says is true (I believe Qld is the only jurisdiction that distinguishes between animals of different provenance in their licensing system), what followup the Dept has in mind to verify the legitimacy of the import declaration from states other than Qld, and what penalties the NSW bureaucrats think they can impose if the supplier fibs on the declaration... they have no jurisdiction to penalise sellers in other states. The only option would be to punish the importer, who may be operating in good faith.

It's quite possible that we're all becoming a bit complacent about the workings of our wildlife bureaucracies now that the heat has gone out of the market in the last few years. Who knows what they have in store for us into the future.

In any event, this silly new requirement will be impossible to police, and won't reduce the breedings of non-Aussie animals anywhere in the country. Pointless...

Jamie

 

[Waterrat]

I totally agree Jamie, it's not going to work, it will only hinder and frustrate NSW buyers. How can they police anything if they're unable or not willing to answer correspondence? My letter of enquiry was simple, logical and to the point, requiring simple and to the point answer ...... I guess that scared them.

Looking at the bigger picture - what is this going to do for conservation of species; supposedly the prime objective and function of wildlife Departments (any of them)? Bureaucracy gone crazy!

Amen
M

 

[pythoninfinite]

I totally agree Jamie, it's not going to work, it will only hinder and frustrate NSW buyers. How can they police anything if they're unable or not willing to answer correspondence? My letter of enquiry was simple, logical and to the point, requiring simple and to the point answer ...... I guess that scared them.

Looking at the bigger picture - what is this going to do for conservation of species; supposedly the prime objective and function of wildlife Departments (any of them)? Bureaucracy gone crazy!

Amen
M

It'll stop all those naughty New Guinea pythons crawling from NSW to Cape York and contaminating the Aussie gene pool! Frankly, all it will lead to is a lot of fudged paperwork and animals collected from sellers personally rather than by normal freight methods which could possibly be checked on arrival (happens in WA...). It's an easy drive to Qld or Victoria if you want pick an animal up yourself. Unless the NSW Dept can check and verify photographically every animal, every year, as long as the numbers add up for this single species genus, they could never know what's coming and going in people's collections. Not wishing to be subversive here, however, just saying...

Jamie

 

[Waterrat]

I don't think the department is going to check anything at all they will just make it harder to issue import permits. So far, they didn't specify, and no one has any idea what kind of proof they want from the breeder.
It won't make any difference whether NSW buyers will personally collect the snake(s) or have it delivered, to get the import it is the issue. At least that's how I see it.

This is from NSW Parks to a NSW buyer: "You need to supply an actual copy of the green python’s supplier’s licence because there are schedules on the licence that show the categories that they hold."
The irony is, Qld rec. licence does not have a category (in the schedules) for native GTPs, so what good is it to them?

 

[Lost_in_the_Jungle]

Complacency is a real threat at the moment, and viridis for the most part are simple. Queensland's review will give a definite insight into the tone for the future of the hobby and not listening may be a key trait. I guess the impact statement will answer this.

I queried Eipper in regards to the submissions other keepers made to the Queensland review. I must apologies for not following up, but I am not sure we are interpreting the objective in the same way as the Dept/s.

The ability to verify an individual's origin, is the Dept/s current weakness. But if you go for a bit of a dig through scientific literature you will discover they are aware and looking to address this issue. Giving them the scientific rigour they need to swing at you w their stick.

In regards to jurisdiction, I may be wrong but I thought there were throwaway lines which basically said you won't break the laws of other states.

 

[Kurto]

After a short hiatus from the hobby over the last few years, I find myself a bit clueless. Can someone give me the low down on the 'Queensland review' and to what this is referring?

Also is the NSW Parks now knocking back applications for GTP's with out linage info from WC?

 

[Waterrat]

Giving them the scientific rigour they need to swing at you w their stick.

Assuming you're referring to DNA profiling, I doubt it will be of much use. Many GTP keepers saw it fit to cross pure Aussie natives with other races, which effectively contaminated the progeny's DNA rendering it impossible to determine it's provenance. Even if there was a way to somehow separate natives from exotic, what would the Department do then? Confiscate all the non-natives? Had some measures been put in place 10 years ago, it would have been possible to manage the flood of smuggled GTPs from OS but now it's too late, the horse has bolted.

What puzzles me - there are thousands of non-native GTPs in NSW collections and more are being bred each year. It's a huge resource pool right within the State, so why would anyone need to import? It seems to be a bureaucratic bundle rather than pragmatic solution ...... but solution to what?

cheers
M

 

[mark_halliday]

Thank you everyone for replying - still waiting for someone from NSW national parks to contact me back to advise what I need to provide as proof. I imported from VIC as the person I wanted to buy off is one of the best well I think anyway, I already have 2 other GTP's one from VIC and the other NSW but they were purchased last year and was not asked to provide anything

 

[Waterrat]

still waiting for someone from NSW national parks to contact me back to advise what I need to provide as proof.

Good luck! This was sent to me 8/9/2016 and I am still waiting.
"The OEH Wildlife Team is currently receiving a very high volume of enquiries and as a result, we regret that our response time will be delayed by up to 2 weeks."

 

[mark_halliday]

Its bit of a joke isn't it - they are happy to charge you for the permit though

Good luck! This was sent to me 8/9/2016 and I am still waiting.
"The OEH Wildlife Team is currently receiving a very high volume of enquiries and as a result, we regret that our response time will be delayed by up to 2 weeks."