By SHINICHI SEKINE/ Staff Writer
January 12, 2022 at 18:25 JST
A red-eared slider turtle at Yonago Waterbirds Sanctuary in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, in July 2012 (Provided by Yonago Waterbirds Sanctuary)
Pet owners who have a red swamp crayfish or red-eared slider turtle can breathe a sigh of relief, as they can continue keeping them under a proposed change to the law on invasive species.
However, both species won't be allowed to be imported into Japan and can't be released into the wild.
The Environment Ministry’s advisory body on Jan. 11 recommended banning the release of red swamp crayfish and red-eared sliders into the wild and the import of both species.
Both popular pets are native to the United States and can severely damage the local ecosystem.
In its recommendations to the environment minister and the minister of the agriculture, forestry and fisheries, the Central Environment Council also proposed allowing people to continue keeping those species they caught themselves as pets.
The council called for new measures to prohibit the release of red swamp crayfish and red-eared sliders into the wild as well as the breeding and import of those species for sale or giveaways without imposing a uniform ban on keeping the species.
In response, the government will submit a bill to the ordinary Diet session that starts on Jan. 17 to revise the invasive alien species law.
It will make an exception to rules that prohibit the release of designated invasive alien species into the wild and the breeding of such species without permission.
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