|
Time
running out for snakehead pets
Chicago Tribune -
9/11
Though Ald. Jesse
Granato (1st) loves his pet snakehead fish Chamuco, whom he
purchased at a North Side pet shop earlier this summer, he
successfully ushered through an ordinance at a City Council
committee hearing Tuesday banning the sale of any more Chamucos in
Chicago.
Fearing the
ravenous, carnivorous, land-walking fish could escape from their
owners or be deliberately released into Illinois
waterways--wreaking havoc with the local ecosystem--the city's
Health and Environment Committees met in joint session Tuesday and
approved Granato's ordinance.
If passed by the
City Council in October, the ordinance would allow people who
already own snakeheads to keep them for zoological, educational,
medical or scientific purposes. But anyone caught selling the fish
or releasing it into local waters would be subject to a fine of up
to $1,000 and 6 months in jail.
"Hopefully,
what we've done is brought some public awareness about how
delicate the ecosystem is," Granato said. "You cannot be
dropping any exotic species in our local waters."
The native Asian
fish is practically indestructible, with no natural predators and
a knack for eating every other fish it encounters. It has caused a
nationwide uproar this summer upon being captured in waterways
from Maryland to Hawaii. It has been banned in at least 14 states,
and a federal ban is pending.
Several pet
stores sell snakeheads locally, but the fish has not yet been
found in Illinois waters. Granato wants to keep it that way.
He first brought
attention to the issue at a committee hearing in July after
purchasing Chamuco--which is Mexican slang for
"devil"--at a North Side pet store. Several local fish
and wildlife experts testified that introduction of the exotic
species would cause major damage to the local ecosystem as did
other non-native creatures like the Sea Lamprey.
"Exotic
species of any kind can really cause an incredibly bad situation
for indigenous animals," said Bert Vescolani, vice president
for aquatic collections and education at the Shedd Aquarium.
Granato said
aquarium officials rebuffed his suggestion to have owners who can
no longer handle the creatures take them to the aquarium for
display or disposal. "To euthanize these animals is not a big
deal," he said. "Just throw them in the freezer and
they'll slowly die."
Vescolani
demurred.
"We're in
the business of keeping animals alive as opposed to not,"
Vescolani said.
NOTICE: In accordance with Title
17 U.S.C., section 107, some material is provided without
permission from the copyright owner, only for purposes of
criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair
use" provisions of federal copyright laws. These materials
may not be distributed further, except for "fair use,"
without permission of the copyright owner.
|