DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND LAND MANAGEMENT POLICY STATEMENT NO.22 TAKING, KEEPING AND DISPLAY OF LIVE REPTILES NOVEMBER 1992 1. BACKGROUND Western Australia has a diverse reptile fauna numbering in excess of 400 species in three turtle families, seven snake families and the crocodile family. All indigenous reptiles are protected fauna under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950. It is an offence to take (defined to include kill, capture, molest, hunt or attempt to do so) or possess reptiles except in accordance with a licence. The only exceptions are the taking of certain venomous land snakes and sea snakes when they constitute an immediate danger to human life, farm stock or domestic animals (open season notice in Government Gazette No. 41 of 22 June 1984); secondly, the temporary care of sick or injured fauna in accordance with Wildlife Conservation Regulation 28(2) and thirdly, the taking of reptiles by Aborigines in accordance with Section 23(1) of the Wildlife Conservation Act. The Department's objective is to protect and conserve all species of reptiles in the wild throughout Western Australia. Experience has shown that, in order to facilitate this, it is necessary to restrict and control the taking, keeping and display of reptiles. However, a small number of well controlled and well managed collections and displays can play a positive role in conservation through public information and education, and through the contributions of professionally qualified and some amateur herpetologists (i.e. persons who may have no formal scientific qualifications or association with scientific institutions, but have a strong affinity with, and desire to study, reptiles and demonstrated reptile handling experience) to our understanding of the biology and ecology of reptiles. There is also a demand for a small number of collections to be maintained for venom supply purposes. The need for a strict policy regarding the keeping of reptiles in captivity is based on experience in Western Australia, interstate and overseas. The practise of keeping snakes and some other reptiles for hobby purposes can ultimately have the potential to threaten the survival of wild populations, particularly of species favoured by collectors. There has been limited demand to date in Western Australia by members of the public to keep snakes and other reptiles in captivity. It is, however, a well established hobby in some other States and countries. It would probably become so here if there were a liberal policy for the taking and keeping of reptiles. Western Australia has a number of reptile species, particularly rarer species and pythons, which are greatly sought after by collectors, both within and outside Australia, and are therefore of high value. An increase in taking from the wild could adversely affect the conservation status of the scarcer varieties. Liberalisation of policy covering taking and Policy Statement No. 22 Page 10 keeping would inevitably increase rates of collection from wild populations and disturbance of animals and their habitats. Snakes and lizards, in particular, present special problems with respect to administration and inspection of animal collections. They can be difficult and, in some cases, dangerous to handle and difficult to identify to species level. On the other hand, experienced handlers find them easy to catch from the wild, conceal and transport. Many species will breed in captivity, creating uncertainty as to the origin of individuals. In addition, captive reptiles which escape or are intentionally released into areas other than those which they originate from, can have a adverse effect on wild populations. There is considerable illegal collection and trading of reptiles in Australia as well as smuggling of reptiles out of Australia. A liberal policy towards the taking, holding and display of reptiles would increase law enforcement problems, as illegal activities could be facilitated by the "cover" that would be provided. The costs of administration and inspection in the case of liberal policy would be high. To allow imports, involving the keeping of reptiles for private purposes, even with the use of transponder chip implants for identification and DNA fingerprinting technology to check breeding claims, would prove costly to administer and enforce and pose a threat of wild establishment of species exotic to the location of keeping. The Minister has discretionary power to issue licences to take and keep reptiles for purposes prescribed in the Wildlife Conservation Regulations. Reptiles are protected fauna and the overriding consideration in licensing decisions is the conservation of reptiles in the wild, which is the Department's statutory responsibility. The granting of a licence is therefore a privilege and not a right. 2. OBJECTIVE To assist in the protection and conservation of reptiles in the wild throughout Western Australia by restricting and controlling their taking, keeping and display. 3. POLICY The Department will permit the taking and keeping of reptiles for public information and education, scientific research, limited private study and venom supply purposes subject to the objective in Section 2 above and the policies and conditions set out below. Commercial trading in reptiles will not be permitted. 4. TAKING OF REPTILES FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND MUSEUM COLLECTIONS Policy Statement No. 22 Page 10 4.1 Comment There is a need to provide for scientific research on reptiles by bona fide researchers employed by, or formally associated with, recognised scientific institutions. This can be achieved by licensing the taking and keeping of reptiles for scientific purposes. (Private study by approved amateur herpetologists is to be provided for under education/public purposes licences.) Some amateur herpetologists wish to conduct private expeditions to photograph and study reptiles. In these circumstances, they may locate possible new species or specimen of species poorly represented in museum collections. Where such private field trips are endorses by the WA Museum, it is appropriate for licences to be issued for limited collection of unusual specimens and poorly represented species, provided all specimens are deposited with the WA Museum. 4.2 Policy The taking of reptiles from the wild, and their keeping, may be permitted in the case of research to be conducted by persons with recognised scientific qualifications and/or experience and an association with recognised scientific institutions. 4.3 Implementation 4.3.1 Regulation 17 licences (Licence to Take Fauna for Scientific Purposes) may be issued to bona fide researchers with recognised scientific qualifications and/or experience and an association with recognised scientific institutions. 4.3.2 Application involving species declared pursuant to Section 14(2)(ba) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 to be "fauna which is likely to become extinct, or is rare" will be approved only in special cases and where there is a conservation benefit. Applications involving species declared to be "fauna which is otherwise in need of special protection" will be considered on a case by case basis. 4.3.3 Regulation 17 licences will not generally be issued to amateur herpetologists, unless they meet the requirements of paragraph 4.3.1 above, by working on behalf of a recognised scientific institution. 4.3.4 Amateur herpetologists may also be issued with Regulation 15 licences providing for the taking of limited numbers of museum specimens when embarking on private field trips, if they can demonstrate, by a written endorsement, that they have support of the WA Museum. 5. PRIVATE KEEPING OF REPTILES 5.1 COMMENT People who wish to keep reptiles in a private capacity fall into four broad categories: (i) Those who handle reptiles in the course of their occupation and who wish to continue their activities at home; (ii) Those (including amateur herpetologists) who have a very strong affinity with reptiles and who use their knowledge, or wish to do so, to serve the community in various ways, e.g.: Policy Statement No. 22 Page 10 - supply of snake venom to hospitals and research institutions; - public education; - provision of a reptile removal service and depository for injured reptiles; - private study; (iii) Schools or local groups who wish to keep reptiles for interest; and (iv) Hobbyists who wish to keep reptiles as pets for their own interest. The second group can perform a useful service by dealing with injured reptiles and removing dangerous reptiles from private homes and gardens. While some carry out private study/research, it is not generally the primary function or interest of amateur herpetologists. There is, however, scope for some dedicated and experienced amateur herpetologists to contribute to our knowledge of reptiles through basic biological and `herpetocultural` study. In so doing they can provide a `public benefit`. The licensing of amateur herpetologists will inflict a cost to CALM in terms of licence issue and monitoring of the keeping, breeding and disposal of reptiles. There are however potential conservation benefits from the increased knowledge of reptiles that a limited system of private keeping and study can provide. While some reptile species can be raised and kept in captivity on artificial diets, it is common for species to prefer and in some cases require live prey, including live species of protected fauna. Many snake species, for instance, are dependant on a natural diet of small lizards and frogs. It is unacceptable to allow the proliferation of the taking of protected fauna for food purposes for captive snakes and as such the private keeping of snakes which require a live fauna diet needs to be strictly controlled. 5.2 Policy 5.2.1 The taking and keeping of reptiles as pets or for private hobby purposes will not be permitted. 5.2.2 Reptiles may be permitted to be kept in a private collection for educational or public purposes where at least one of the following criteria is met. a) snakes may be kept in a private collection for educational or public purposes under a Regulation 16 Licence: (i) where it can be shown that there is a need for a collection of snakes to be available for education (e.g.