stig rune rostad

I am relaying this for a friend of me her in Norway:

"Dear Group
I am sorry for cross posting this over various mailing lists, forums and
bothering you with off topic threads.
The below text is a description of the legislation around herptiles in
Norway and the implications of getting caught with illegal animals.

As You may know, herptiles are illegal to keep, breed, import and export in
Norway.
Norway is 1 out of 2-3 countries in the world where herptiles are illegal.
For what reasons?
In Hawaii herptiles are illegal (as far as I understand) because animals who
escape from private collections are likely to reproduce and may cause a
potential threat to native flora and fauna. This is in my opinion a
reasonable reason for banning herptiles in Hawaii.

In Norway the situation is totally different, here the winter is long, cold
and there are extremely few herptile species that can survive the harsh
climatic condition of the Norway.
Why reptiles are illegal in my country? Your guess is as good as mine,
probably due to prejudice against herptiles from the part of politicians
uneducated on the matter.

Animals confiscated by the Norwegian government are put to death (perhaps
with very rare exceptions in the cases of extremely rare and endangered
species).

Thursday the police came knocking on my door and all my animals are now
considered confiscated. My house is sealed off with police tape and no one
is allowed to go into it.
On Monday the police will return to my house with the district veterinary to
confiscate my animals. At a near point in the future my animals will most
likely be put to death and there is little I can do about it except hiring a
lawyer and hoping for a miracle.

This is not a call for help for my part, but on behalf of herptiles and
herpetoculturists in my country.
I have started a roll call and hope to gather as many signatures as possible
as a peaceful protest protest against the Norwegian government's persecution
of herpetoculturists in Norway.
I believe that the legislation in my country is wrong and that all herptile
species are not unjustifiable to keep as captives.
The Norwegian herpetological association has struggled for 12 years to lift
the ban on herpetoculture in my country without success so far. We can't
seem to put enough pressure on our government to make things happen.
The roll call I have initiated is also a protest and sharp criticism against
animals being confiscated and put to death as a consequence of the Norwegian
legislation.

If you agree that governments shouldn't be so restrictive as to bann all
herpetoculture within a country, please take the time to visit the below
link and sign the roll call.
http://www.opprop.no/opprop.php?id=befrireptiler

Please feel free to pass this post onto other relevant mailinglists and
forums so that as as many people as possible may sign this role call if they
wish.

Again I am sorry to occupy your time with this kind of inquiery, have a nice
day.
Best regards
Vålen Gånev (obeligz)
Committee member of the Norwegian Herpetological Association
e-mail/msn: obeligz@c2i.net

hammer

I never thought herptiles were illegal in Norway, and Norway is considered a
country with very high living standards.

In Hawaii and Australia the reasons for banning non-native herptiles may be
marginally acceptable, but in Norway? I doubt there are good justifications
for this, if any, and you ought to fight this as hard as you possibly can.
In Australia I believe it took 20 or so years to get things changed as far
as herptiles go, as me and a friend both live in Australia at the present
time and we are both aware of what happened and what sort of pressures it
took to bring about change.

Good heavens, are they sending this person to prison? Are there fines? Or is
it just a conviscation of illegal herptiles?

Here's hoping that this case brings pressures upon the government to change
their unfair stance. And may I wish you and your fellow Norweigans a fast
and total victory.


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