A Judge temporarily halts a California law banning the sale of alligator products in the Golden State, a law officials say would devastate gator conservation efforts in the Bayou State.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries General Counsel Cole Garrett says it’s good news because the California fashion industry buys a lot of gator products, which pays for conservation efforts.
“Working with the industry and having an economic value to these animals actually provides a reason to continue to have good conservation practices in place,” says Garrett.
The new rule was the result of a California law passed in the 60s that was set to take effect on January 1st, 2020.
The gator population is thriving in Louisiana, with over two million in the wild, and 800,000 on farms, and Garrett says the ruling buys Louisiana time to save them.
“The restraining order is going to be in place until late April, and then at that point, the courts will take up the case on the merits,” says Garrett.
The General Counsel adds a ban would also harm coastal restoration efforts tied to alligator conservation.
Garrett says they plan to pitch to the courts that not only would a ban harm conservation efforts, but it would also create a messy regulatory precedent.
“Alligators are one of the most highly regulated species in the world, and the federal government has already taken it upon themselves to regulate the species, and you don’t want this patchwork regulatory system being implemented state by state,” says Garrett.
