You know it’s probably a bad idea for Florida when the National Rifle Association, Unified Sportsmen Florida, the Humane Society, wildlife veterinarians, conservationists, and environmentalists are against it. After postponing a vote in June, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is meeting again in September to vote on the prohibition of cervid (deer) importation in Florida.
According to the June 2013 FWC draft rule to prohibit the importation of captive cervid (deer) draft rule:
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proposing to prohibit the importation of live cervids (deer, elk and other members of the family Cervidae) with an exception that zoos could continue to move cervids by FWC permit. The primary purpose is to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease (CWD) entering Florida. A prohibition on the importation of cervids could also help minimize the introduction of new strains of other diseases that affect native and captive deer such as epizootic hemorrhagic disease or blue tongue.
Bringing whole carcasses of any species of the family Cervidae (e.g. deer, elk and moose) into Florida from 22 states (Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming) and two Canadian provinces where CWD has been detected is prohibited. Only de-boned meat, as well as finished taxidermy mounts, hides, skulls, antlers and teeth with all soft tissue removed may be brought into Florida from these areas. Whole, bone-in carcasses and parts may be brought into Florida if they were from animals harvested from states and provinces where CWD has not been detected.
Live cervids (e.g., mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk) may not be imported into Florida unless they come from a captive facility certified by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) where no CWD-positive animals have been found for 5 years.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced new regulations regarding the movement of captive deer in 2012. These regulations still allows interstate movement of cervids. Visit the United States Department of Agriculture’s Web site for more information and state-by-state CWD reports.
According to The Gun Writer Blog at the Herald Tribune, The National Rifle Association and Unified Sportsmen of Florida support closing Florida’s borders to the importation of deer into the state to stop the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease. According the USF’s press release:
“We are extremely disappointed over the flood of disinformation circulated prior to the June 13, 2013, meeting and the subsequent failure of the Commission to take action to close Florida’s borders to the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
Unfortunately, the huge gap in time until the September 4th & 5th meeting provides the opportunity for self-interested parties to take advantage of the extra time in order to import large numbers of captive deer and/or other cervids into Florida. This poses a great risk to Florida’s native deer population as well as the deer farm industry itself.
We urge the Commission to consider calling a special meeting to impose a moratorium on the importation of deer into Florida until this issue is settled.
Attached is NRA’s position paper and a CWD Fact Sheet that was prepared by our staff — working with experts at the national and state levels. We hope you will take the time to review this information and take the fastest possible action to protect Florida from CWD.” Here’s NRA/USF’s position paper and fact sheet on CWD.
Diseased Florida Deer
The Humane Society also opposes the live importation of cervids into Florida. In a recent action alert email, they stated:
Last June, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission postponed a vote on a good proposal to prohibit the live importation of deer, elk, and other cervids into Florida. The captive hunting industry wants to keep importing deer so they can shoot them behind fences for trophies, but animals from other states could be carrying deadly diseases that puts our native wildlife at serious risk.
The FWC is meeting again in September to vote on this rule, and having the support of state legislators is important.
Florida Politic is opposed to the very bad idea of allowing cervid importation into Florida for captive hunting and I am very concerned about the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease to native deer populations.
The best way to protect Florida’s native deer population for sportsmen and nature lovers is to support common sense legislation to conserve their natural habitat. Florida is overdeveloped and our continued addiction to growth is destroying the natural habitat of deer as well as other wildlife. I am a 5th generation native of Florida from a family steeped in the hunting tradition. I prefer fishing over hunting but I do not oppose hunting if it is done in a sustainable manner without harming native wildlife populations.
Florida Politic has taken a position in support of an amendment to the Florida Constitution by Florida’s Water and Land Legacy Campaign. The amendment will preserve Florida’s land and wildlife for future generations to enjoy, without raising taxes. Click here to learn more about the amendment and download the petition to mail.
The Humane Society of The United States has created a letter to urge Florida lawmakers to oppose cervid importation. Please sign it.
Please contact you representative in Tallahassee and tell them to protect Florida’s native deer population by supporting the prohibition of importing live cervid into our state. Click here to find your representative and contact them about this important issue.
By: Jim Weeks
Florida Politic Archive 