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Australian import laws

Q

Quidam

New member
Hey,

I'm not too sure if this post is on the right discussion board, but it seemed the best place to put it!
My fiance and I are planning on moving to Australia in a few years time (assuming we get enough points for the immigration application!), but I was wondering what the laws are on importing animals, in particular, cornsnakes. I know they are very strict and have heard they do not allow fauna that is not found naturally in Australia - which would include cornsnakes! We currently have one snake who we would like, if possible, to take with us.
Does anyone know what the regulations are regarding this, or where I can find out more?

Thanks in advance,

Quidam
 
not legal

Here is an article that i found that should answer your question.



THE AUSTRALIAN (Sydney, Australia) 15 March 06 Man fined $4000 for illegal snakes
A Victorian man who kept four exotic North American snakes which could have had "catastrophic environmental consequences" if they escaped, has been fined $4000.
Peter Bauden-Distel, 36, of Churchill, near Warrnambool, appeared in Moe Magistrates Court yesterday charged with possessing a corn snake and three king snakes.
Bauden-Distel pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of an illegal imported specimen under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
It is illegal to keep exotic reptiles, with licences required to keep native reptiles.
The charges followed a year-long Department of Sustainability and Environment investigation code-named Operation Husky.
DSE wildlife officer Anthony Ball said outside court that corn snakes were prolific breeders.
"Corn snakes could establish viable breeding populations in Victoria if they were to escape from captivity, or to be intentionally released into the wild," he said.
If established in the wild, they could prey on ground-dwelling Australia marsupials and small birds.
"Such predation would not only adversely impact upon the marsupials and birds they eat, but it would also provide direct competition for food to Australia's native reptiles."
King snakes were voracious predators with the ability to kill and eat other snakes, even highly venomous ones, he said.
But king snakes could also introduce and spread exotic disease to both wild native snakes and legitimate captive collections, Mr Ball said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18472193^29277,00.html

AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COPORATION 14 August 06 Man fined over exotic snakes
A Gippsland man has been fined for the possession of illegal, exotic snakes.
In Moe Magistrates Court, Peter Bowden Distel, 36, pleaded guilty to the possession of a north american corn snake and three king snakes.
The court heard Bowden Distel met two men outside the Morwell KFC in October 2004.
One of the men was an undercover policeman known as Paul. Bowden Distel sold the snakes to the men for $1,400.
The snakes were hidden in an esky in his car.
The court heard the snakes carried a disease called IVD, which is fatal to native snakes.
Bowden Distel has been fined $4,000.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1591233.htm
 
I don't think they are referring to kangaroos and wallabies, but there are many species of marsupials in Australia and the smaller ones probably would be about the right size meal for a corn or king snake. I hate to think of not being allowed to have a corn but you have to respect the fact that the country is trying to protect its native animals. That fine sounds pretty hefty so I wouldn't risk owning a corn down there.
 
I think Australia is very touchy about these things, considering what rabbits have done. Hawaii has laws against possessing snakes and just look at the brown tree snakes' invasion of Guam.

Australia has plenty of native reptile species you can probably own. As much as I love my corns, I could get into other snakes for the sake of the law and preventing a predatory nightmare should non-native species take hold. I already have a Children's python and they're native to Australia. Check it out before you go.

Good luck on your journey!
 
Joejr14 said:
Lol yeah, a corn snake is going to eat a small marsupial. What a bunch of 'tards.
Click to expand...

Australia has plenty of small marsupials, some as small as mice and rats. So it is very possible that the snakes would eat them. I would worry more about the bird species, as they have a lot of ground nesting species over there, with no defenses for snakes such as corn snakes or king snakes.

I spent about 8 months in Australia and it has its share of non-native species problems. One of their biggest problems is the introduction of foxes and what has already been mentioned, rabbits. I spent some time on an island off of Tasmania, and the rabbit problem was very obvious. The mainland is trying very hard to get rid of the foxes as well. So I can totally see why Australia is so strict in their laws, and I think that people should respect that, and understand their reasons for doing so.
 
Cornsnakes in Australia

The laws in Australia are very tough but you would be suprised how easy it is to purchase a cornsnake on the black market here.

They are very much illegal but I guess as long as you are very careful with your snakes and who you tell about them you could get away with owning them here. I have an uhcle who has owned three pet cornsnakes for ten years and has never had an inspection.

You definately wouldnt be able to bring your snake with you unfortunately.

Whereabouts are you looking at moving to downunder? :wavey:
 
It is difficult, near impossible to import animals to Oz. My husband is an Australian, and I was a transplant for a few years. Even domestic animals (cats/dogs) go through a strict 6 month quarrantine (no Rabies in Oz). Ditto to to the previous comment about rabbits and foxes! The rabbits there have reached plague proportions in the past--all due to the fact that the settlers wanted something to hunt. They were fruitful and multiplied like.....well, rabbits.....
As for indigenous species, again it is VERY difficult to legally posess even wild caught reptile species. I recently learned at a Morelia conference that to legally purchase a Chondropython (found in Cape York, Aus) is about $5000 plus a headache of paperwork. If you DO get a permit, you are very limited to the number and variety of species you can keep in captivity.
Good luck with your immigration process!! It is a beautiful country--We lived mainly in Queensland, but traveled throughout the country. When you get there, you will definitely have to check out Iron Range, Whitsunday Islands and Cooper Peedy (opal mines). If you would like to talk more about it...feel free to e-mail me :)
 
things that have completely destroyed australia:
rabbits
dingos (sp?)
cane beetle
cane toads
european rats/mice (forget which one)
european fox
feral horse
feral pig
feral water buffalo
feral camel (although argued that they don't make any negative impacts)

basically they kept importing animals thinking it'll get rid of something and they end up getting out of hand. IE importing toads to eat cane beetles but instead eating everything else.

i dunno i think they would be pretty strict about that stuff considering everytime it's happened it's been a disaster.
 
Of course - if it's illegal for exotic reptiles to be imported then we wouldn't do it (esp. remembering what happened with the regulated release of bullfrogs in Australis); hence why we were finding out first; though it's pretty gutting though that we'll have to leave one of our pets behind.
Thanks for replying - you've been really helpful!
 
Hmmm, as much as I love cornsnakes, I wouldn't risk buying on the black market; regardless of how safe it may seem. I guess you can never really guarantee that you wouldn't have an accidental escape no matter how safe you try and be!
We're still unsure about where we want to move; we still need to finish our degrees and get some work experience before applying. But I know that Queensland has a really reknowned zoo which I would like to be near - maybe even work there as my degree is in zoology... may be a way to vicariously 'own' reptiles that way!
 
Good luck with your immigration process!! It is a beautiful country--We lived mainly in Queensland, but traveled throughout the country. When you get there, you will definitely have to check out Iron Range, Whitsunday Islands and Cooper Peedy (opal mines). If you would like to talk more about it...feel free to e-mail me :)[/QUOTE]

Thanks. We're not planning on applying for a good few years yet. But we wanted to know the laws on repties beforehand. We're unsure whereabouts we'd like to move to, as Australia is pretty immense compared to Britain, and we don't really know a great deal about the geography; I may take you up on the email offer if that's ok?
 
just think of all the amazing snakes native to australia you could keep though! aren't womas native to australia? OH and carpet pythons.. woo
 
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