Miguel, your comment about using a sling vs an atomic weapon is spot on. To me, the sling is the law. It's simple. Don't keep illegal animals. People with respect and common sense will follow.
As for the proper person keeping them, it's been my experience the opposite is true. The first thing I know as a fact about a black market animal keeper is they are willing to break the law. That says alot about the person. Why would I trust someone willing to break the law to follow permit regs after they already broke the law once? Chances are also that person is doing it for profit (and probably ducking taxes while selling illegal product).
Another comment was made by Mr. Allgood claiming intelligence making you better than the law. Hardly. That isn't how the law in the US works. You can't just follow ones you want to. In fact, most of the time someone who thinks they are smarter than the law really aren't. The animal restrictions aren't "punishing everyone because of a few idiots". Remember the laws aren't just there for the people. The law is protecting the animals you guys are claiming to care about. The invasive species comment is so far off I laughed. Lionfish are still all over in stores. Yet, I can't think of the last time I went diving in FL and DIDN'T see one. In fact, on the 16th of this month, FL started to instate a law banning all species of lionfish from being sold in the state. In fact, if fish aren't legal to have, fewer people without proper care knowledge would be able to buy them - and less would be turned loose for lack of a better known option by the owners.
That being said, another thing to consider is that it's not just guys/gals like us buying animals for sale. 90% of people who buy fish from a store have no clue what they are getting into. Can you imagine if FW rays were for sale all over the South. How many would die or get turned loose? Hundreds? Thousands? Is it better to restrict the sales of them to prevent animals from suffering in the hands of those who don't know how to care for them? What if they get loose in areas where they can thrive (more or less the Southern US)? Have you seen the damage lionfish have done in the past ten years? Can you imagine how much damage FW rays could do to our ecosystem?
Big picture.
Permitting is a WHOLE new group of issues. As someone who deals with permitting, do you as a ray owner really want to deal with cost and what it REALLY takes to moniter the animals on the permit. We're talking thousands of dollars (US). You'd be allowing agents to come into you home at any time 24/7 - 365 days a year to check to make sure you are holding up the regulations. You'd have to keep detailed daily records of daily husbandry to prove you level of care.
or gars. California sucks. is there anything we have that someone else doesn't?
