why are piranhas illegal in NY?

[mattyfishes123]

hi yall..does anybody know why piranhas are illegal in NY?And does anybody know how to go about getting a permit to keep piranhas.Years ago i had a group of super red bellies and they where very unlike their reputations. i never understood why these fish are illegal in ny if someone could enlighten me that would be cool..peace

 

[meegosh]

I'm not 100% sure but I bet it has something to do with them being released back into the wild when people grow tired of caring for them.

Permits:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/25024.html

 

[mattyfishes123]

i understand some people grow tired of fish and release them. And in the southern states that would be a problem but here in NY they cannot survive its too cold.

 

[Vircomore]

You may want to check historical laws in the state, or check with the state wildlife commission. Most of the time - animals are illegal to keep as pets in certain states because of an uncontrolled release into the wild that caused damage to an ecosystem.

The problem is that these laws have no expiration and no one cares enough to repeal them, so they usually stay even after it's no longer a threat.

The same thing happened with Hedgehogs here in PA. Some careless owner released a viable population into the wild in the 70s, and the game commission passed a law making PA the only state to outright ban the trade and ownership of Hedgehogs, and it's never had enough voice to get repealed.

 

[mattyfishes123]

Thats a good call. i gotta contact the wildlife commision cause its pretty strange considering right aross the river in new jersey they are perfectly legal

 

[dkpate]

I wonder if it's something like people not being able to take care of them or house them properly. When people can't take care of something, they tend to just leave it, even when they move.
I don't know the answer, I am just throwing stuff out there.