A few years back, the public was treated to a widely published photo showing the icky results of a python's ill-advised attempt to eat a 6-foot alligator in the Florida Everglades.
A few days ago came the alarming news that the venomous lionfish is tearing through the native Caribbean fish population like it was a Chinese buffet.
These critters all have something in common: They don't belong here.
The blame lies not only with irresponsible pet owners and breeders, though they deserve a lot of it, but with lawmakers who have failed to adequately deal with the problem. A bill introduced in Congress would take a fairly obvious step toward solving the problem by assessing the potential dangers of exotic species before they are allowed to enter the country rather than waiting until the problem already is established. With its warm climate, Florida is an ideal breeding ground for exotic species. Lawmakers need to deal with the problem before another unwanted bio-invader becomes part of the landscape. - The Orlando (Fla. )
Sentinel
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