Against the Law in Maine

[ladyoutlaw50]

the bf and I just stopped at one of the lfs and asked about fresh water snails and we were told that they were illegal.

[Lady Hobbs]

Must be they get no plants from outside the state! Never heard of such a thing.

[ladyoutlaw50]

again it is the same lfs that when I asked what kind of african cichlid they had in the tank I was told typical/regular african cichlid.

I am in the process of doing some research on that --

[Lady Hobbs]

Who gets arrested......the snail for being AWOL?

[ladyoutlaw50]

I am having trouble figuring out where to go to research this -- any suggestions???
thanks

[angelcakes]

Who gets arrested......the snail for being AWOL?
:hmm3grin2orange:
ladyoutlaw would the libary help?

[toddnbecka]

Try the Maine DNR website, they should have a list of restricted species for your state somewhere.

[ladyoutlaw50]

Try the Maine DNR website, they should have a list of restricted species for your state somewhere.

thanks -- the following is what I found:

Unrestricted Fish and Wildlife Species
Last Updated 5/12/2004

Listed Species: The following species of wildlife, including tropical fish, aquatics and invertebrates do not require an importation permit, and can be traded by commercial pet shops, pursuant to Title 12 MRSA 7237, and 7377 and Regulations Chapter 2.3 and 7.60:
“Acceptable species of tropical fish and wildlife that may be imported without an importation permit shall be designated by the Commissioner, a list of which shall be maintained and made available by the Department. The acceptability of such species to be imported or possessed shall be based on an informed determination by the Commissioner that the species will not cause an unreasonable risk to indigenous species, or their habitats, or pose other dangers to the natural community, in captivity or if accidentally or intentionally released into the wild.”

Reminder: A Wildlife or Fish Importation permit is STILL required for any species that is not listed herein as Unrestricted by the Commissioner. The list is updated annually on January 1st. Please check for species that may be added or deleted from the list.

Added this year: Degu- Octodon degu

Deleted this year: Jack Dempsy Cichlid (Cichlisoma octopasciatum) because it is a leading invasive pest. Also there are some name corrections.

Addition of Species: Any species of fish or wildlife can be considered for addition to this list by submitting a request with sufficient documentation to the Warden Service Permit Office by September for the next annual publication.

Many species have already been considered and rejected. Among these are tarantulas and snails. Tarantulas - All are restricted, but certain species may be approved under a special importation permit for individuals (not for pet shop trade). Snails - Because they serve as intermediate host for a wide range of aquatic parasites and other pathogens, all snails (Gastropoda) are restricted and can be imported only by a special importation permit with specific health certifications, therefore snails cannot be traded by commercial pet shops.

Captive Breeding: The Department is moving towards a requirement that all stock for pet shops be captive bred. If a listed species is not available as captive bred, an exception can be considered if requested (see heading “Addition of Species” above). This is necessary because of high tick loads and health issues, and other considerations in many wild caught specimens.

Maine Law prohibits the commercial trading of native Maine snakes and turtles taken from the wild.


So I guess this particular lfs knows the laws just nothing about cichlids!!!

[toddnbecka]

Jack Dempsy Cichlid (Cichlisoma octopasciatum) because it is a leading invasive pest.
Hmm, I had no idea Jack Dempsey's had become an established invasive species in Maine. By golly, I'll bet they're worse than the snakeheads here in MD.

The Department is moving towards a requirement that all stock for pet shops be captive bred. If a listed species is not available as captive bred, an exception can be considered if requested (see heading “Addition of Species” above). This is necessary because of high tick loads and health issues, and other considerations in many wild caught specimens.

It must be awful trying to control ticks on wild-caught fish. Restricting available species to captive-bred will certainly reduce the problem, along with the number of pet shops able to stay in business.
Your tax dollars hard at work... :hmm3grin2orange:

[KingFisher]

With Maine winters being so cold, I'm very surprised they are so concerned with invasive tropicals becoming established there. Then again, maybe they are just preparing for when global warming really starts to kick in.:hmm3grin2orange: