What if it is a gravid wild caught female?
It is currently breeding season for tons of locals, so if anyone had to go collect now, they might find a burrow full of slings along with the female. Morals unfortunately come into it again. And there are not many people on here that I trust when it comes to morals.

As for the collecting of species to supply to the local market, it was discussed at the Nat Con meeting that a few people would get permits to minimize the initial loss of wild spiders (Not that there are many local species that are threatened because of low numbers anyway).
I personally have quite a few locals that I could try breed at a drop of a hat that would not require me to collect from the wild. I know there are others that also have stock that they could easily breed or arrange breeding loans with.

Like I said the whole thing is definately hypocritical, but if done correctly with people that can be trusted, the local permit thing could definately work.
OOPS, seems I have gotten off the point of importing exotics.

Still see tons of exotics escaping if we were to bring even more spiders in.

That is snakes and poison dart frogs and some lizards.

This is because the Reptile hobby has been fighting tooth and nail to get this right, and it has taken them years to do it and get it right, and then some things they are not allowed to import if it is on Cities.
And they have to be put into curtain, so now if we import tarantulas they will first be put into curtain and you have to look after them for so many months will they there, and then you have to still pay for there stay!

But the main thing is They can keep local snakes,as they get permits to keep them!

cascade wrote: And they have to be put into curtain, so now if we import tarantulas they will first be put into curtain and you have to look after them for so many months will they there, and then you have to still pay for there stay!

But the main thing is They can keep local snakes,as they get permits to keep them!

Assuming you mean quarantine?

I have never applied for a snake permit, but heard that you need to be part of a herpetelogical society for a certain amount of time before you get a permit? Is this true?
Wish we could get some feedback about local permits, but i know it was quite a fight with local snakes, so could take a few years still for it to be finalized.

I've met a few people that have permits for local reptiles... it shouldn't be that hard. Just a question about the local permits you mentioned cerat, would the OBT be included in these permits? Or is it strictly Ts from South Africa?

So it seems that the only reason why importing in large quantities actually wouldn't work is because we can't actually trust the keepers not to let them escape into the wild...

The permit system protects all genera that are found in SA, so it protects P.murinus too.

Yes, people can't be trusted.
And I'll admit, I have had a spider or 2 escape as well, but managed to find them luckily. They were locals though anyway.

Brachypelma, I think it is maybe your age, so no offense, but you really don't have a clue what is going on in the arachnid hobby in sa and what has happened over the last 20 years.
I thought that this thread may have been in response to an email sent to the spider club by someone, but then found out that you were the one who sent the mail.
Maybe just have a look at the bigger picture. Its not just about the tarantula hobbyists. There is a whole lot more going on than you think.
This is why I feel it is very important that people attend functions like the Nat Con talk that we had a few months ago to hear both sides of the story. Maybe then you would understand the complexities and implications of allowing imports.