Invasive Species

Summary: This collection of statutes provides that the title of all wild birds and mammals rests with the state. A new section in 2011 vests the Department of Natural Resources with the ability to control the possession and release of species deemed exotic or invasive. Other sections concern the possession of certain wild birds and animals. Possession of any listed wild bird or its parts (including the eagle) is illegal under the statute, except for the bona fide scientific or zoological exhibition.

Summary: These Florida laws concern the keeping and taking of captive wildlife. Places where wildlife is held in captivity are subject to inspection by the officers of the state commission at any time. The commission shall promulgate rules defining Class I, Class II, and Class III types of wildlife. A companion statutory& section provides that, in order to assure humane treatment of captive wildlife, no person, firm, corporation or association shall be in possession of captive wildlife for public display unless a permit has been obtained. The cost of the permit depends on whether the species fall into Class I, II, or III).

Summary: These Florida statutes define endangered and threatened species and provide the State's intent to protect these species. Under statute, the intentional killing or wounding of a listed species incurs a third degree felony. Interestingly, the state has a reward program for the arrest and conviction of those who violate state endangered species laws.

Summary:

Nutria are large, semi-aquatic rodents that are native to South America and have invaded the marshland of certain U.S. states.  There are no natural predators to control nutria, no market for their fur, and private trappers have failed to keep pace with the animals' ability to reproduce.  P.L. 108-16 of 2003  and P.L. 105-322 of 1998 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to the States of Maryland and Louisiana for a program to implement measures to: (1)eradicate nutria in Maryland; (2)eradicate or control nutria in Louisiana and other States; and (3) restore marshland damaged by nutria.

Summary: The Act focuses on all aquatics, including aquatic plants. The Act created the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, which is an intergovernmental organization, administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, committed to preventing and controlling aquatic nuisance species and implementing the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act. The Task Force coordinates Federal governmental efforts dealing with aquatic nuisance species with those of state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector.

Summary: These provisions make it unlawful to take any wild pig in California without first procuring a license tag authorizing the taking. These sections outline the requirements for licenses and require plans for the management of wild pigs. Under these plans, the status and trend of wild pig populations are determined and management units shall be designated within the state.

Summary:

This brief summary introduces the concept of invasive species and the federal and state laws that address their control. It also briefly explores the potential animal welfare issues that arise in dealing with invasive species.

Summary:

This overview discusses state and federal laws that control the spread of invasive species. It also touches upon the tension between eradication methods and potential animal welfare concerns.

Summary: This paper introduces the concept of invasive species and give examples of how they threaten the economy and ecosystem and human health. It then examines the federal laws that address invasive species, as well as examples of state responses to invasive species. The methods of control and eradication of invasive species are explained. Finally, the paper discusses the impact that these laws and methods have on animal welfare.

Summary:

In the man-made channels connecting the Mississippi, Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers to Lake Michigan lurk fish with the potential to dramatically and permanently alter the biomass of the Great Lakes. Asian carp have been found in the Chicago Area Waterway System, and the effort to keep this injurious species out of Lake Michigan has sparked a multi-state legal battle, resurrecting an 81-year old Supreme Court case and a new request that the System’s locks be closed. At stake is the $70 million shipping industry that relies on the locks, the $7 billion fishing industry that relies on the lakes and the invaluable ecosystem and natural resources that comprise world’s largest freshwater lake system.