St. Cloud, Fla. — The operator of a St. Cloud company that supplies the anti-venom industry with raw materials says he is worried a new Florida law regulating venomous reptiles will hurt his business.
Jack Facente runs AGRITOXINS, a company that extracts venom from snakes like the native coral snake and then sells it to pharmaceutical companies that use it to make anti-venom, as an ingredient in medicines like blood thinners, or for studies into other uses.
Facente says he has been in the business for decades, and says the new law may threaten his industry and discourage others from getting into the business of venomous reptiles.
What You Need To Know
- House Bill 1161 increases the seriousness of the illegal sale or transfer of venomous reptiles from a misdemeanor offense to a felony
- Under the law, violations could result in prison sentences of up to five years, probation or a $5,000 fine
- One Florida venom producer says he is concerned the legislation will hurt his industry
The law also makes it a felony to knowingly release a “reptile of concern,” or allow one to escape due to “gross negligence.”
Facente says he’s worried that the increased punishments will have a chilling effect on the people who provide his company with venomous snakes, saying it will create “a supply problem.”
Florida Rep. Shane Abbott, who sponsored House Bill 1161, said Florida businesses in the anti-venom industry have nothing to worry about.
“That’s just misinformation,” he said. “The bill doesn’t address those folks that are using venomous reptiles and already have the proper permitting with the (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission).”
Abbott said the new law only goes after the illegal trade and sale of venomous reptiles — something he says is a growing problem in Florida.
“This is only for the unlicensed folks that are trading and buying,” he said.
The new law goes into effect on July 1.