Imagine my surprise when I opened my monthly edition of "Outdoor Alabama",
the official publication of the state conservation department, and found a
picture of a beautiful American Blackbelly ram (labeled as a Corsican ram)
in an article about banned exotic species in Alabama! I immediately
contacted the Alabama department of conservation and natural resources
(ADCNR) and requested additional information. What I learned is that the
Alabama legislature passed a law several years ago that prohibits the
import, possession, sale or transportation of just about any animal that was
not historically native to Alabama (and some that were). The list of animals
is specific for some animals (species level) and general for others (family
level) and includes animals of the family Bovidae (except bison). The law
was apparently aimed and halting the spread of "pay to hunt exotic animal"
operations, importation of turkey and whitetail deer, and exotic pet trading
where the release (intentional or accidental) could result in that exotic
species or disease becoming established in the state.
ADCNR recognizes that some animals, American Blackbelly sheep and some
Suidae (pigs) included, may be "dual status", that is considered as both
domestic farm animals and exotic species. So I asked, how do we, especially
the conservation enforcement officers, tell the difference between a "banned
exotic animal" and a "domestic animal". The answer I received was two fold:
first it depended on the "end use of the animal". If the animal was to be
hunted it was illegal. This was subsequently clarified to mean hunted in
Alabama or other state were the hunting of the animal was illegal; secondly,
since my operation is recognized as a "farm" by virtue of the premise ID
issued by the state Ag department, participation in the USDA scrapie program
(flock identification number) and the animals are all tagged, my animals are
considered domestic - unless I offer them for sale for the purposes of
hunting (see rule #1). The law provides exceptions for existing game
breeders and operations that registered with the state before May 2006.
It was odd that I received a telephone inquiry, about two weeks after
communicating with ADCNR, from someone wanting to buy sheep for a pay to
hunt operation in Alabama. Coincidence, perhaps.
John Carlton
Double J Farms
Spanish Fort, Alabama
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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