Pythons Smuggled Into Guam
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 6th, 2009
Good morning all! I hope that the weekend went well!
This article this morning is for you. Hafa Adai Peter, Alison, Anna, and all of you Guamanians out there. You have been posting some pretty interesting articles about Guam, so I thought that I would throw one in. Maybe you have heard (?), or maybe not.
Pythons Smuggled Into Guam
Written by Mana Silva Taijeron, Pacific News Center – Guam, Saipan, CNMI, Asia-Pacific
Tuesday, 24 March 2009 16:07 
Guam-The fight against brown tree snakes seems to be an endless battle, and the US Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the local Department of Agriculture have their hands full trying just about everything to control and eradicate the pesky reptiles, but another problem could surface involving another type of reptile, and if the officials don’t get a handle on it quickly… Guam could have a new snake species to deal with..
We did ask if the Department of Agriculture would be sending the snakes off island, however the Chief of Aquatics and Wildlife, Tino Aguon did not know yet how the matter would be handled. He also did not want to comment further on the investigation.
What I don’t get, is these snakes are from Africa and have no business being on Guam. Why would any body smuggle them in? I’m obviously being facetious here. I know exactly why people smuggle in exotics…all for the cold hard green, with no repect to the one that is brought to an unfamiliar place to live in an environment that he may or may not take well to. In this case, the Ball Python.
I used to travel to Indonesia where there used to be many species of exotic birds and animals. Unfortunately many have been captured and sold to anyone willing to pay the price. And sadly, it has lead to the extinction of many. I just wish people would respect the lifestyle and habitat of these amazing creatures and let them live their lives as they were meant to live. But if people aren’t going to have the attitude ‘live and let live’ in regards to humans, do you think they would feel any different towards those not human?
Oh….I get the feeling my topics this week are going to be about the little creatures in this world that I love. I think I’m on a roll….but we’ll see.
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Hi AMORA: Sorry, I didn’t see your comment a few days ago in regards to Sweteno. I read the entire article and the comments and it felt so long ago….it was only last February – oh how times changes so drastically theses days. Reading made me miss Azza and her crew even more. Those felt like the good ‘ol days. Hmm…I too look forward to exploring this expanding Universe. Maybe we will do it together :)
Hi Zen Lill: I got your VM. We were in thhe middle of preping dinner etc. I made a wonderful lemon ice cream from our Meyer lemon tree. Yum. Anyway, I am working a full 9-5 day today so I won’t be able to catch up today. Maybe tomorrow.
Happy Monday everyone! I hope the beginning of the week leads to something fab.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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April 6th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Your such a tease and I get no love : ) busy making Meyers Lemon ice, (tease) and I get none (no love) hahaha send the recipe please my neighbor just told me I can raid his tree anytime I want.
I recently found a kitty or did he find me – anyway, he states deeply into my eyes fir long periods of time, I call him lil’ Loverboy and sometimes precious one. He may be somewhat feral but he likes his affection (and liver)!
It’s gorgie here and it’s also spring break, running to do hangtime with my girl, catch you later!
Luv, Zen Lill
April 6th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Michelle you are wonderful. Thank you for taking on the tasks of Guam.
Hafa adai
April 6th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
CLONED FOOD IS FRANKENSTEIN FOOD
I was shocked when I read, in January of this year, that an FDA report says that food products from cloned cows, goats and pigs are as safe as those from traditionally bred animals, basically paving the way for their milk and meat to enter our food supply. Not only did the FDA say products from cloned animals or their offspring are as safe as others, they also stated that, because the products are “virtually” the same, cloned-animal products wouldn’t require special labels to identify them as such. Weird, right? It’s exactly how I felt. But I thought perhaps I was missing something so I decided to learn more about the cloning process. It didn’t make me feel reassured at all. Here’s what I found out…
CLONING BASICS
The cloning process sounds straightforward: You remove the nucleus from an egg cell, replace it with a nucleus with DNA from the animal to be cloned, give this new cell a tiny electric shock to kick-start it into dividing, and then implant it into a surrogate mother who will carry the clone embryo. The end result is supposed to be a genetic replica of the original DNA donor animal — beneficial for farmers or ranchers who want to reproduce a particularly high-yield milk cow or beef steer. The process seems like an easy way to ensure product quality, right?
Not even close. While easy to describe, cloning is hard to do successfully. At present, 90% or more of cloning attempts fail. And then at least 50% of those that do survive suffer from what’s called “large-offspring syndrome,” which is exactly what it sounds like — the babies are unusually large, and may also have bigger-than-normal organs. These newborns can suffer from a host of ailments, from enlarged tongues and brain abnormalities to immune diseases and diabetes. Though some cloned animals can lead “normal” lives, the gestation and birth process is extremely stressful (occasionally even fatal) for the mother as well as the clone. “This isn’t just a food safety issue,” says Rebecca Spector, west coast director of The Center for Food Safety. “It’s an animal welfare issue.”
RISKS WE DON’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT…
However, the biggest concern, by far, lies in what we don’t know about the safety of foods from cloned animals — mostly because we don’t know what we don’t know.
Michael Hansen, PhD, a senior scientist with Consumers Union, has publicly voiced concern that it’s possible that food from cloned offspring will have safety problems that haven’t yet been considered. With the implantation of a cell nucleus into another cell, for example, it is conceivable that cells in clones contain mitochondria from two different animals — a condition known as heteroplasmy. This doesn’t occur in traditionally bred animals. Also, given that cloning costs $15,000 or so per animal, it’s actually the offspring of the clones that are likely to make it to market as meat. Dr. Hansen has noted that little study has been done on these next generation clones. Who knows whether they are safe for human consumption?
There are definitely reasons to be concerned about cloned foods for the simple fact that they haven’t been studied enough to be deemed safe. The long-term implications are unknown. And, really, who’s asking for clones? Not consumers — we’re not facing a meat or milk shortage. A Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology survey found that 64% of people are uncomfortable with animal cloning. Not likely many ranchers either — why would they be eager to pay large sums for genetically questionable animals? I suspect that biotech firms are pushing to advance this technology — which is not who I want in control of my food.
WE NEED LABELS, AT LEAST
So, the question becomes: What do we do about it? First off, let’s push for labeling. Though the FDA’s report has essentially stated that it’s unnecessary, at least nine states have introduced bills that would require some sort of labeling for foods from clones. I urge everyone who reads Daily Health News to contact their state representatives about this issue — ask what they’re doing about the labeling of cloned food. E-mail this story to make them aware of the potential problems. Granted, it’s a long shot — the labeling issue seems to be on the back burner in even the states looking at the issue — but it’s a start.
Beyond that, one good thing to know is that foods labeled as “organic” aren’t allowed to contain any products from cloned animals. Small, local farmers are unlikely to use clones — by supporting them, you’re eating healthier while supporting a local business.
Source(s): ?
Rebecca Spector, West Coast Director, The Center for Food Safety, San Francisco.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Hafa adai
Thanks Michelle for your article on Guam.
Those of you thinking of returning home. You should know that it is getting more expensive to live on the island. I have enclosed the latest article on the subject.
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Guam CPI: Up 4.5% In First Quarter Of ’09
Written by Kevin Kerrigan
Monday, 06 April 2009 10:37
Guam
Guam – Its getting more expense to live on Guam. The cost of living numbers for the first quarter of 2009 show a 4.5% increase over the first quarter of last year.
The numbers were released Monday morning by the Bureau of Statistics and Plans. Their report shows food prices surged 12.9% from the 1st quarter 2008 and housing prices lept 7.9 %.
One of the few bright spots is that prices showed a slight decrease in the first quarter over the last quarter of 2008, down just .5% from the last 3 months of 2008.
Read the Report
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Peter