FDA forced to look at 4- inch regulation immediately !!

[klorentz]

I ran across this post on the Kingsake law forum . To say the
least it makes me nervous . Please forgive any cross posting as I am
alerting as many groups as I can .

Kevin



FDA forced look at 4-inch turtle regulation immediately!

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Posted by Ivory Tortoise on February 25, 2003 at 20:18:52:

Salmonella and your privilege to keep reptiles to be reviewed by the
FDA

On Aug. 11, 1998 I proposed an amendment (by Citizen Petition) to
the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration to allow the
sale and distribution of turtles less than 4-inches.

President Bush has just signed House Joint Resolution 2, which is
titled "Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003" which will
force the FDA to immediately review my petition and respond to the
committee by March 1, 2003 (one week).

Pandora's box is open! The FDA will not only review my petition to
allow the sale and distribution of turtles less than 4-inches but in
all likelihood will review the whole issue of keeping reptiles as
pets and their risk of Salmonella.

The technology has been in place to produce 100% Salmonella free
turtles as well as a product to keep them Salmonella free. Please
petition your congressmen to direct the FDA to
abandon "21CFR1240.62, Turtles intrastate and interstate
requirements" which are outdated and no longer relevant due to
advancements over the past 28-years in turtle husbandry.

For more information and a link to your Congressman go to:

http://personal.riverusers.com/~richardfife/page20.html



My Responce :






Re: FDA forced look at 4-inch turtle regulation immediately!

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Posted by KLorentz on February 26, 2003 at 08:32:25:

In Reply to: FDA forced look at 4-inch turtle regulation
immediately! posted by Ivory Tortoise on February 25, 2003 at
20:18:52:

My privledge to keep reptiles as pets .? Please Forgive me but that
sounds rather ominous . I can understand reviewing the four inch law
but why reviewing keeping reptiles ? Do you have any details on
that ? The only thing that does make me uneasy about getting rid of
the four inch law is this : rescues have been getting RES and other
turtles and tortoises by the hundreds , this may cause further a
flood of baby turtles that have grown to big and become unwanted
because their owners can no longer keep them .

I would say proceed with caution on this and if this law is to be
repeald then rescues , societies and herpers better get on the move
NOW and start handing out care sheets to alert potential turtle
owners how big an RES or other large turtles and torts get .
Education is the key to at least keep numbers of unwanted herps
down . It may not totally eleminate the problem but can reduce it .



National Amphibian and Reptile Owners Alliance
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[Billybob]

Is it only illegal to sell small turtles, or to give them away too? I remember that I was at a town fair around a year ago, and I think they had a carnival game where you could win baby turtles. I didnt participate, and im not sure that I like the idea either [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] .
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[klorentz]

Well Billy its supposed to be illegal to do ether . However many will pleed not knowing the law or sell them under the for education only loop hole . The law has slowd down the sale of hatchlings but not stopped it . I am glad you did not go in for that carny give away game . I find it very disturbing that such " give aways " at these events still go on , The animals wind up sick and die or if not sick they soon will be because care info is ( real care info) not given . Such events need to be discouraged from having such give aways . It also causes more unwanted reptiles if they live long enough .


Kevin
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