An expert panel of pet-keeping professionals discuss the worrying proposals to introduce positive list legislation.

Positive lists are also known as whitelists, approved lists, or permitted lists, but they all do the same thing – ban thousands of suitable pet species kept by knowledgeable and responsible keepers.

Campaigns to introduce positive lists, like the Don’t Pet Me campaign in Scotland, have been picked up by political parties such as the Scottish Greens and Scottish Labour.

We urge our viewers to make their feelings known.

We do not support a ban on keeping pets, and we will not support any organisation that does.

In this podcast, the expert panel discusses how positive lists harm animal welfare, increase illegal wildlife trade, undermine conservation projects, and damage the health and wellbeing of millions of dedicated pet keepers.

Evidence from around the world has demonstrated that positive lists cause enormous problems, and there is no evidence that positive lists deliver measurable benefits.

Here are just some of the issues a positive list will create:

• All current positive lists have failed

• Positive lists are unenforceable

• Positive lists curtail science

• Positive lists make the dispersal of husbandry and welfare best practices impossible

• Positive lists send pet keeping underground

• Positive lists curtail conservation efforts

• Positive lists fuel illegal wildlife trade

• Positive lists are incompatible with existing legislation

• Positive lists are unnecessary due to existing laws

• Positive lists are unnecessary as there is no evidence of a significant problem

• Positive lists create poor welfare, eliminating access to vets and expertise

• Positive lists will also cause poor welfare by initiating a rehoming crisis

• Positive lists cause more pets to be released into the wild

• Positive lists cause harm to keepers’ mental health

• Positive lists cause harm to the economy, here and in other countries

• Positive lists are plagued by expensive legal challenges

• Positive lists raise political risks

• Positive lists are an unjustified curtailment of rights

• Positive lists are disproportionate and unfair.

Panel experts:

Ruth McDonald

• Tropical Fish Keeping UK

• Companion Animals Sector Council

Dr Matt Bond

• @ornamentalaquatictradeasso7827

• Companion Animal Sector Council

• Sustainable Users’ Network

• CITES Sustainable Users’ Group

• Visiting fellowship – University of Essex

• Sustainable Users’ Network

• IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group

Tony Wigley

• Responsible Reptile Keeping

• Reptile and Exotic Pet Trade Association

• The Pet Charity

• Companion Animal Sector Council

• Sustainable Users’ Network

• @federacionFAUNA

• Pets Canada

• CITES Sustainable Users’ Group

.

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#PositiveList #WhiteList #PositiveListsDontWork #ResponsibleReptileKeeping #OrnamentalAquaticTradeAssociation #TropicalFishKeepingUK

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