4VAC15-30-40. Definitions and Miscellaneous: Importation, Possession, Sale, etc., of Animals. Importation requirements, possession, and sale of nonnative (exotic) animals.
Summary
The proposals are to remove requirements for reporting of harvested northern snakehead fish and authorizations for allowing the possession of prairie dogs in certain circumstances.
Proposed Language
Note: In the “Proposed Language” document, underlined text denotes proposed new language, while text with a strikethrough denotes language that is proposed to be deleted.
Rationale
- Remove reporting requirements associated with northern snakehead: At the time that this amendment was originally made to the regulation, the DWR was using reporting of northern snakeheads as a means of monitoring the potential spread of the species into other waterbodies in Virginia and possibly eradicating local new populations/animals. At present, the species is well established in many waters of the state and outreach campaigns have raised awareness about reporting northern snakehead where anglers may first encounter them. As such, the reporting requirement is no longer needed as a surveillance tool.
- Removal of exception for prairie dogs: At the time that this amendment was made to the regulation, the DWR recognized that prairie dogs had been a species relatively common in the pet trade. As such, the agency accommodated the needs of individuals who owned those animals at the time of enactment to continue possessing those animals until those animals died. The average lifespan of a prairie dog in captivity is seven (7) years. While the designation of prairie dogs as predatory and undesirable species remains, this particular amendment was enacted 21 years ago and is no longer needed as the elapsed time greatly exceeds the lifespan of this species.