The Department of Environment is calling on exotic-pet owners in the Cayman Islands to register their animals immediately as the deadline for permits draws near.
Permits that allow exceptions to the new Prohibited Species Regulations, for exotic pets already here legally, may be applied for by 31 Dec. 2023, according to the National Conservation Council website.
The DoE, in a post on its official Facebook page Monday, said that prohibited species, which are animals and plants that are not native to the Cayman Islands and which pose serious enough threats to the island’s ecosystems, “must be kept under very strict control or prevented from ever getting here”.
“That’s why many animals, like exotic snakes, ferrets and monk parakeets, that are kept as pets in other countries may not be imported into the Cayman Islands,” it added.
DoE officials said the advisory post was not connected to any recent incident, but more so part of its ongoing educational exercise.
Under the National Conservation (Alien Species) Regulations 2022, prohibited species have strict regulations for keeping as pets or “as ornamental plants, breeding, import, export, purchase or sale, and stiff penalties for infractions,” the conservation council said on its website.
“Prohibited species found in contravention of the Regulations, may be seized and subject to sterilisation, export or euthanasia,” it said.
Prohibited animals include parakeets, non-native snakes, primates and non-native reptiles, among others.
The regulations, which took effect last December, introduced a prohibited species list, and outlined the distinctions between domestic and feral animals.
The prohibited species list outlined in the regulations was, in part, informed by a regional British Overseas Territories invasive species workshop hosted by the Cayman Islands in 2018, the conservation council said. At that workshop, scientists and stakeholders worked to identify various species and activities which threaten native flora, fauna and environments across the region.
“Local scientists considered what species were both the biggest risk to our local species and also the most likely to be requested for import when drafting the new regulations to address known and anticipated threats. Invasive species have long been recognized as a significant environmental problem internationally as well as locally and work has been ongoing for several years leading to the passage of these new Regulations by the Cabinet,” the conservation council said.
To apply for a permit or learn more about the process, including how to turn in or report any prohibited species without fear of prosecution, email [email protected].
Related Videos
