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FWC steps up enforcement of mallard
duck rule
February 2, 2007
Contact: Tony Young (850) 488-7867
Did you know you need a special permit when
buying a mallard duck in Florida? Retail outlets, such as
feed-and-seed stores and flea market vendors, also are required
to have permits to sell these ducks, and by law, they cannot
sell mallards to anyone who does not have the proper permit.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) law enforcement officers will be making routine
visits to sellers of ducks, educating retailers on the rule and
making sure of compliance.
"This is not a new law, but we are making an
effort to make sure businesses selling mallard ducks are aware
of it and its importance,” said Lt. Col. Michael Wiwi, FWC’s
deputy director of law enforcement.
The rule, which also makes it unlawful to
release captive-reared mallards into the wild, was passed by the
FWC in 2004 to help protect the existence of the state’s native
mottled duck – a unique subspecies found only in peninsular
Florida.
The problem is, these pet mallards do not
migrate and once released, become established, year-round
residents of our state. When they mate with wild mottled ducks,
it pushes Florida’s mottled duck population closer to
extinction.
"Domesticated or feral mallards are
crossbreeding with our mottled duck, producing hybrid
offspring,” FWC biologist and waterfowl management program
coordinator Diane Eggeman said. "This is a serious concern and
if not stopped, this hybridization could result in the
extinction of Florida’s mottled ducks.”
For more information on this rule or to learn
how you can help protect Florida’s mottled duck, contact the FWC
waterfowl office at (850) 488-5878, or visit
MyFWC.com/duck. |
