WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — State wildlife officers have seized 16 illegally trafficked invasive newts from a Whatcom County man after learning the animals may be carrying a potentially deadly pathogen that could threaten native amphibians.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said its police division referred charges to the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office last week after seizing Anatolia and marbled newts from an Everson man.
WDFW said state law prohibits Anatolia newts and marbled newts from being possessed, introduced, or trafficked without authorization in Washington.
The two species are classified as prohibited Level 3 invasive species, a category for non-native aquatic animals that pose a moderate-to-high risk to the environment and require management to prevent their spread.
The investigation began late last year, when WDFW said it learned of a potentially transmissible disease affecting amphibians in the U.S. pet trade. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a Boston amphibian dealer and breeder had been unlawfully acquiring federally prohibited species carrying an unknown pathogen or virus from Europe.
Research suggests the pathogens can spread through direct contact and contaminated environments, with significant mortality rates and risk to native species.
WDFW said the Boston trafficker’s facility held between 300 and 500 amphibians and reptiles that were exposed to the potentially deadly pathogen, which WDFW said had not been found in the United States. The agency said the trafficker sold and shipped amphibians across the country to other breeders and buyers, including a recipient in Washington state.
USFWS worked with the state of Massachusetts to address the trafficker and quarantine the facility affiliated with the University of Massachusetts. WDFW Police then identified the Washington buyer and obtained multiple search warrants for shipment records, which WDFW said helped determine where the illegal, prohibited newts were located.
WDFW said the newt breeder was charged with two counts of unlawful use of invasive species in the second degree, a gross misdemeanor. If convicted, WDFW said, the charges carry a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and/or a fine of not more than $5,000 for each count.
