Is it ethical to overcollect an invasive species?

[stevetastic]

They should collect the pythons, and re-sell them for money to put towards the everglades.

so even more people have big snakes that they can't take proper care of and end of releasing in different areas?

 

[Lucas339]

now in florida you have to have special permiting in order to buy/sell/breed them. FWC comes out to your house (or is supposed to) to make sure you have proper caging ect.

 

[Jilly1337]

This can be a pretty tricky question in certain cases. What if you have a predatory species which is endangered in its home range that has been introduced to an ecosystem heavily affected by man that now lacks a predator? Now say that species cannot be shown to have any detrimental effects on the ecosystem. Now lets assume they are naturally contained by habitat or climate and can't spread beyond a certain area.

What then?

I'm not saying this is the situation with the Florida pythons but it could certainly happen. What if, for example, the american alligator hadn't recovered from all the damage we caused and did actually go extinct back in the 80's. Would it then be ethical to let some other introduced species of gator/cayman/croc habitate in the Everglades?

They brought in Texas cougars to diversify the gene pool of the dwindling Florida Panther population in the mid-90's. I can't remember if they are different species or variations of the same. The Texas cats are larger than the native Florida ones. It has helped the population grow since then. I actually had one cross the street in front of me when I was driving through a forest preserve in a remote area for work.

 

[barabootom]

The problem with not regulating the collecting of Burmese pythons is that, many people collect other things as well. If the government allows just anyone to go in shooting pythons, collecting pyhons or killing pythons, the ecosystem as a whole could suffer more damage than the pythons are causing. Overcollecting them under permit shouldn't be an issue.

 

[pitbulllady]

The problem with not regulating the collecting of Burmese pythons is that, many people collect other things as well. If the government allows just anyone to go in shooting pythons, collecting pyhons or killing pythons, the ecosystem as a whole could suffer more damage than the pythons are causing. Overcollecting them under permit shouldn't be an issue.

That's a good point, there. The real issues that concern ME isn't the "overcollecting" of something that's not supposed to be there in the first place, but the effects on the native animals. Anyone who has much experience with snakes will tell you that most people are totally clueless when it comes to snakes. They can't tell the difference between a Yellow Rat Snake and an Eastern Diamondback. When these people get permits to hunt Burms, EVERY snake they see is going to be a Burmese Python, just like every snake they see everywhere else is either a "rattlesnake" or a "water mocassin". They're just going to go about slaughtering snakes, a "kill e'm all, let God sort 'em out" process. AND, you have a lot more emotions behind the killing of snakes than of game animals like deer, wild turkeys, etc. Deer hunters aren't scared of deer. Deer hunters don't HATE deer. While there are those who are slobs, who are careless, by far and away the majority of deer hunters do not want to see an animal suffer, and make every effort to ensure as quick a death as possible, and I count myself among that number. The same can't be said of people who kill snakes. Most people who kill snakes do so out of pure hatred that is the direct result of fear, and many such people take delight and even feel some sort of religious obligation to see those animals suffer. There is something about the sight of a snake that brings out the very worse in many people, and they'll do things to a snake that that if someone else did the same to a cat or dog, they'd be outraged.

pitbulllady

 

[Lucas339]

That's a good point, there. The real issues that concern ME isn't the "overcollecting" of something that's not supposed to be there in the first place, but the effects on the native animals. Anyone who has much experience with snakes will tell you that most people are totally clueless when it comes to snakes. They can't tell the difference between a Yellow Rat Snake and an Eastern Diamondback. When these people get permits to hunt Burms, EVERY snake they see is going to be a Burmese Python, just like every snake they see everywhere else is either a "rattlesnake" or a "water mocassin". They're just going to go about slaughtering snakes, a "kill e'm all, let God sort 'em out" process. AND, you have a lot more emotions behind the killing of snakes than of game animals like deer, wild turkeys, etc. Deer hunters aren't scared of deer. Deer hunters don't HATE deer. While there are those who are slobs, who are careless, by far and away the majority of deer hunters do not want to see an animal suffer, and make every effort to ensure as quick a death as possible, and I count myself among that number. The same can't be said of people who kill snakes. Most people who kill snakes do so out of pure hatred that is the direct result of fear, and many such people take delight and even feel some sort of religious obligation to see those animals suffer. There is something about the sight of a snake that brings out the very worse in many people, and they'll do things to a snake that that if someone else did the same to a cat or dog, they'd be outraged.

pitbulllady

i can tell you that only a select number of permits are being handed out and those hunting them are given a run down on what they are after. Greg Graziani is big into this and he had a permit last year and i am sure he has one this year. im not exactly sure of the specifics but i am sure Greg is educating those hunting on what to take and not take. he is kinda the snake expert for them.