Live beetles intercepted at LAX

[Chuck]

https://www.breitbart.com/local/2025/02 ... packs-lax/

“CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Cheryl M. Davies said the beetles may appear harmless but pose a threat to agricultural resources.”

I’d like her to name one instance of damage due to large Dynastes and Eupatorus. Swamp creature.

[kevinkk]

d like her to name one instance of damage due to large Dynastes and Eupatorus. Swamp creature.

Makes for alarming reading for uninformed persons. As if anyone who goes to the trouble to get these animals into the country is going to take them to Florida, or Hawaii to release them. Aren't snakes dangerous? I think there is a problem with snakehead fish, actual snakes and certain specific mammals that are much more of a danger to America than a few pet beetles. Click bait for activists, and eye roll for common sense.

[Jshuey]

The agents are always on the look out for invasive species that could damage our economy.Just like you can't ID every insect you see, neither can they.

https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/10/cocon ... alm-trees/ . The coconut palm beetle has now been fond in Mexico, likely working it's way northward towards the US.

I get it, your rights to rear potential damaging species certainly outweighs the conservative judgment call made to protect our economy.

John

[Chuck]

The agents are always on the look out for invasive species that could damage our economy.Just like you can't ID every insect you see, neither can they.

I get it, your rights to rear potential damaging species certainly outweighs the conservative judgment call made to protect our economy.

John

The concern is the blanket statement published: "“CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles Cheryl M. Davies said the beetles may appear harmless but pose a threat to agricultural resources.”"

Not "beetles", "the beetles" referring to those seized. Paraphrased, "the beetles seized pose a threat to agricultural resources." There is no evidence of that.

It's a broad statement that's not based on fact so much as job retention. Like cops who size a KG of cocaine and say it's valued at $2M, or LEO who seize a "gun armory" with 20 or whatever "machine guns", and anyone who has a clue can tell from the photo that at least a bunch are BB guns and airsoft. It's fabrication at best, really a lie.

That the coconut beetle, a known pest, is now in North America isn't the fault of collectors or breeders. It was inevitable, given global trade- if CBP or USFWS has been working to prevent that, instead of focusing on a few hobby imports, maybe it could have been delayed. Historically, no pest insect has been introduced to North America by collectors or breeders; rather, far more catastrophes have been introduced by the government agencies themselves. It makes more sense to address the root causes of serious problems than bandaid and hype picayune anecdotes.

[Chuck]

there is a problem with snakehead fish, actual snakes and certain specific mammals that are much more of a danger to America than a few pet beetles. Click bait for activists, and eye roll for common sense.

The reptile and aquarium trades have long got a pass for imports, while live insects have been blanket-banned or tightly controlled. The reason is that the reptile trade is 1000x that of insects and the aquarium industry is 1,000,000x that of insects.

We now know- via experience- that some "pet" reptile and fish species have become serious environmental problems. In reaction, USFWS has banned or restricted further imports (but the domestic breeding continues.) However, when USFWS tried to more-or-less throttle the entire exotic fish importation, pushback from the people (really, the monied industry) was able to get that largely pushed back. It's all about who has the money.

Given that live insect importation is effectively banned, the only option hobbyists have is to do it illegally, meaning imports are totally unmonitored. Ultimately, this is counterproductive. If it were legal, people would go that route, and government could monitor, restrict, and evaluate what's being imported. But there are too many jobs now dependent on outright bans of stuff.

[kevinkk]

Exactly Chuck,
exaggeration is the norm, the amounts that items are valued at are usually ludicrous, I've experienced it , never put your weed in glass jars. They are very heavy. But, then, that's all legal now.
The import thing is something we all have to live with, I think it's unlikely to ever change, there's not much of a reason to do so.

[Chuck]

exaggeration is the norm, the amounts that items are valued at are usually ludicrous,

That's nothing. If you ever analyzed the value of publicly held companies, and even worse if you had inside knowledge, you'd be shocked at how much stocks are inflated with rubbish valuation. Of course, there are CPA companies that sign off on valuation reports (audits), but they are (1) incompetent and (2) complicit- they want the $$ to do the audit next year too.

We hear about stock market "corrections" and they have been long overdue. But at this time in my life I have to shut my mouth and pray the charade continues.

But I do hope that some day the government agencies get a haircut and focus on their real goals.