2 February 2002
Having opened with an optimistic note in the last Saurian Editorial, I feel it is time to sound the alarm in the first one of this year.
This is not due to increased activity from Animal Aid or CAPS, although those two groups are certainly still active and looking for easy targets to enforce their largely minority views upon. Rather it is the new proposal for an Animal Welfare Bill from the new giant ministry DEFRA (Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs).
I use the word "alarm" advisedly for two reasons. Firstly, Mr Elliott Morley, the Animal Welfare Minister, is or was formerly an honorary vice president of the RSPCA (N Lincolnshire) and thus a member of a body known for its currently somewhat ambivalent, if not hostile, attitude towards "exotics" (mainly reptiles and amphibians). Secondly, a look at the DEFRA consultation paper shows an alarming imbalance of bodies consulted in favour of the animal rights lobby. Animal Aid, CAPS, International Fund for Animal Welfare, the World Society for Protection of Animals and the Political Fund for Animal have all been consulted, whereas on the herpetological society only the British Herpetological Society and the Association for the Study of Reptiles and Amphibians were invited. These are both fine bodies but are mainly of an academic bent and do not represent the majority of the large number of private keepers who have joined either the International Herpetological Society or the Federation of British Herpetologists. It beggars belief that neither of these grass-roots organisations were invited.
Interestingly, Mr Morley had his assistant Jane Springford paid for by the Political Animal Lobby in 1993 and 1994, and a trip to Prince Edward Island to see seals paid in March 1994. Mr Morley has declared these in his register of MPs' interests, and nobody is suggesting any form of impropriety: nevertheless his links with animal welfare and -rights groups may be alarming to people disturbed by the current agenda of AR groups.
A number of possible legislative proposals are aired in the consultation paper, including some which would be seen as a threat to the liberty of any group of people with a particular hobby to pursue. For example, it asks whether there should be greater restrictions on the holding of pet fairs on public or private property, and also whether there should be an offence of "likely to cause suffering". This last could be seized upon by any group of cranks or extremists and used to drag any group of people through the courts. While these are not yet being offered as likely legislative proposals, their mere inclusion ought to sound warning bells in people's heads.
What can you do? The first step is to get informed. The Reptilian website has a section dedicated to the DEFRA proposals and consultations, including the full text of the paper, and offers suggestions as to what laws might be reasonable and what emphatically would not. The second step is to write to the officer concerned, in your own words, expressing your feelings about possible legislation, what you think would be reasonable and what would not. The third is to join one of the herpetological organisations: the IHS, FBH or BHS. If you believe that in a democratic and free society the individual has a right to pursue a non-harmful hobby, no matter how strange or controversial it may appear to some of his or her fellow-citizens, then you should act as soon as possible.
On a more cheerful note, while there is still some filling out to be done, we have largely sewn up our guide to the monitor lizards, Family Varanidae, although new information will of course be added as received. The Family Lacertidae are the next on our list to be completed, although it may again take a little while to fully flesh out some of the entries as data on some of the species is rather thin. In any event it is worth reiterating that these are guides, not exhaustive accounts of every species, although we have tried to add as much useful detail as possible. There will also be more gecko information and hopefully some more accounts of the different skinks, although again the vastness of the family Scincidae makes this a long haul. As far as snakes are concerned we may be able to put in pages on the boas and on Pine, Gopher and Bull Snakes, and for the chelonians possibly some taxonomic information on tortoises and turtles. There are hopes to do similar for the anurans (frogs and toads), but not just yet.
Thanks again to everyone who has sent us E-mails recently. If for any reason I haven't replied to you, please let us know and I will try to do so again.
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