Virginia Proposal to limit possession of pen raised ducks

[Sabireley]

Snip from
VA.R Doc. No. N/A - Proposed
DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES
Regulation 4VAC15-30. Definitions and Miscellaneous: Importation, Possession, Sale, Etc., of Animals.

Underlined sections are the proposed changes....

A. Under the authority of §29.1-103 and §29.1-521 of the Code of Virginia it shall be unlawful to take, possess, import, cause to be imported, export, cause to be exported, buy, sell, offer for sale, or liberate within the Commonwealth any wild animal, including captive reared waterfowl, unless otherwise specifically permitted by law or regulation.

B. Furthermore, it shall be unlawful to release any captive-reared mallards in Virginia except during permitted field trials, on licensed shooting preserves permitted for tower shoots and on a valid licensed mallard release area permitted to do so prior to July 1, 2007.

I heard there is a public hearing on Monday September 10th, but do not see it on the VDGIF calendar.

You can comment on the regulation here


http://www.dgif.state.va.us/regulati...sp?VAC=030-010

We need to make sure this does not pass, otherwise it will be illegal to possess captive raised mallards for training.

Steve

[Sabireley]

In addition, this quote is from the "AN EVALUATION OF CAPTIVE-REARED MALLARD RELEASES IN VIRGINIA" paper also on the VDGIF website.

"In addition, mallards that are used in tower shoots and for field trials/dog training are released in greater numbers than needed for those purposes and once these birds are released they remain free-ranging."

I disagree with this statement. Rarely, if ever, do ducks get away during a retriever field trial. Excess ducks are sold for training or returned to the duck man. I have no knowledge of tower shoots with ducks.

Steve