I'm looking to write a letter to my governor giving her a piece of my mind about the carpet ban on exotic pets, that bans completely harmless animals such as macaws, many fish, including piranhas and completely harmless rodents. I'm focusing this letter on piranhas, because that's what really bugs me, I'm not about to throw down for a macaw or cheetah any time soon. I've been looking around for hard facts with unquestionable sources to state in my letter supporting the legality of piranhas. I've had no luck. So the baseline is, do any of you have links or facts that I can put in my letter that would support my cause of lifting the ban on piranhas?
Hard facts supporting aquarium piranhas?
- Thread starter Kengel
- Start date
ok fact here for you, only the really rare ones tend to NIP at you when your in the tank. but ive kept some for many years and never been bit. pm me for more info
The concept of the law is what bugs me, doesn't stop me, but somebody has to stand up and give the government a piece of their mind or they'll think they're running things well.
Why not put the burden of proof on them? Ask them why a piranha is illegal in the first place. Most states that outlaw them do so to insure they wont be released into the wild and screw up the ecosystem. What state are you in? is there a winter? I can see why Florida has made them illegal as piranha, peacock bass, and oscars have taken over their ecosystems. you wouldnt have these problems in new england, or washington state...In my experience dont expect too much, normally when I write one of my politicians it is about an actual political topic and they still send you a blow off form letter.
I live in Connecticut and this is somewhat of a political problem, though they'll live in our rivers for all of 30 seconds. This is a big issue, because some lady's chimp ripped somebody's face off and hence Connecticut banned all exotic pets.
jp80911;3471932; said:
It was used in commercials and movies when it was younger, if you've ever seen a chimp playing a role in a commercial or movie, it was that chimp, however it got tempered in its old age.
Making that point, I'll post my unrevised letter up in an hour or so, having a professional editor run over it before I mail it out.
I know there may be some grammatical problems, I'll smooth them over with the editor tomorrow. Any feedback and suggestions are more than welcome.
Dear Governor Rell,
Im writing this letter to you to express my extreme discontent as a resident of Roxbury, Connecticut, with the current carpet ban on exotic pets, particularly the Red Bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus natteren). The state statute 26-55-1 states The importation or possession of piranha of the subfamily: Serrasalminae, genera Serrasalmus, Serrasalmo, Pygocentrus, Teddyella, Roosevetiella, and Pygopristus is prohibited - discretionary permit issued by Commissioner. This statute bars fish enthusiasts from enjoying a captivating breed of fish which cause no harm to fish owners or the eco-system.
Should, for any reason, Red Bellied Piranhas make it into the Connecticut waterways, they wouldnt survive for long enough to pose as a threat, as they have very specific living conditions that wouldnt be met in cold New England waters. To survive, Red Bellied Piranhas need a consistent water temperature of near 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which would rarely, if never be obtained in the hottest days of summer, and couldnt possibly be up kept year round. A species cant thrive if it can only sustain itself for a few days over the summer. Furthermore, according to Piranha-info.com, for Piranhas to reproduce, the water conditions need to be absolutely perfect, such as their natural habitat, the waterways of South America. These conditions would be nigh impossible to achieve in Connecticut.
Unlike some exotic pets that should be banned, Red Bellied Piranhas pose little or no threat to their owners. Piranhas in aquariums are very docile some owners are disappointed in their skittishness. Also, Piranha owners have very little reason to put their hands in the tank, aside from occasional water changes, which can be done with ones hands outside of the water. I was told from an anonymous Piranha owner that "For the 5 years I have kept Red Belly Piranhas I have never seen aggression to the extent people express. They tend to be extremely skittish and spend most time hiding. Even during feeding they show extreme caution in attacks and generally take several minuets to eat the food." Many other sources, including long time Red Belly owners from leading online websites such as MonsterFishKeepers and Piranha-cove.com report their Piranhas to be more aggressive only when they havent been fed for multiple days and are incredibly hungry. However the worst injury my previously quoted 5 year Piranha veteran correspondent has suffered were playful nibbles. Also in a poll on Piranha-fury.com, over 1000 users agreed the most aggressive Piranha is a hungry one, so if fish Piranha users keep their fish fed, they will be in even less danger. Aggressiveness due to lack of food isnt unique to Piranhas either, my cat or dog would try to find their own food if I starved them.
I hope youll be able to see now how the ban on Red Bellied Piranhas is a needless part of a necessary ban on some animals. Ill be tirelessly awaiting your reply to this plea for a change in statute.
Your Best,
Kevin Engel
Dear Governor Rell,
Im writing this letter to you to express my extreme discontent as a resident of Roxbury, Connecticut, with the current carpet ban on exotic pets, particularly the Red Bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus natteren). The state statute 26-55-1 states The importation or possession of piranha of the subfamily: Serrasalminae, genera Serrasalmus, Serrasalmo, Pygocentrus, Teddyella, Roosevetiella, and Pygopristus is prohibited - discretionary permit issued by Commissioner. This statute bars fish enthusiasts from enjoying a captivating breed of fish which cause no harm to fish owners or the eco-system.
Should, for any reason, Red Bellied Piranhas make it into the Connecticut waterways, they wouldnt survive for long enough to pose as a threat, as they have very specific living conditions that wouldnt be met in cold New England waters. To survive, Red Bellied Piranhas need a consistent water temperature of near 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which would rarely, if never be obtained in the hottest days of summer, and couldnt possibly be up kept year round. A species cant thrive if it can only sustain itself for a few days over the summer. Furthermore, according to Piranha-info.com, for Piranhas to reproduce, the water conditions need to be absolutely perfect, such as their natural habitat, the waterways of South America. These conditions would be nigh impossible to achieve in Connecticut.
Unlike some exotic pets that should be banned, Red Bellied Piranhas pose little or no threat to their owners. Piranhas in aquariums are very docile some owners are disappointed in their skittishness. Also, Piranha owners have very little reason to put their hands in the tank, aside from occasional water changes, which can be done with ones hands outside of the water. I was told from an anonymous Piranha owner that "For the 5 years I have kept Red Belly Piranhas I have never seen aggression to the extent people express. They tend to be extremely skittish and spend most time hiding. Even during feeding they show extreme caution in attacks and generally take several minuets to eat the food." Many other sources, including long time Red Belly owners from leading online websites such as MonsterFishKeepers and Piranha-cove.com report their Piranhas to be more aggressive only when they havent been fed for multiple days and are incredibly hungry. However the worst injury my previously quoted 5 year Piranha veteran correspondent has suffered were playful nibbles. Also in a poll on Piranha-fury.com, over 1000 users agreed the most aggressive Piranha is a hungry one, so if fish Piranha users keep their fish fed, they will be in even less danger. Aggressiveness due to lack of food isnt unique to Piranhas either, my cat or dog would try to find their own food if I starved them.
I hope youll be able to see now how the ban on Red Bellied Piranhas is a needless part of a necessary ban on some animals. Ill be tirelessly awaiting your reply to this plea for a change in statute.
Your Best,
Kevin Engel