A Hervey Bay business has been issued a warning after it illegally caught a highly venomous sea snake and kept it as a pet in its store.
In May, Queensland's Department of Environment and Science received a tip-off from a member of the public about an olive sea snake that had been illegally captured in the Great Sandy Marine Park.
During its time in captivity, the animal gave birth to a live baby sea snake.
Wildlife officer Chris Heckathorn said the situation was unique.
"I have never dealt with the illegal possession of a sea snake in my eight years working with the department," he said.
"It is rare for wild-caught animals to be released again, as there is an increased risk that they will introduce disease into wild populations.
"Thankfully in this case, the time since capture and the method of keeping the snakes minimised these risks."
No relevant permit
A Department of Environment and Science spokesman said the business worker was unaware that a permit they held did not include the capture of olive sea snakes.
Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, capturing native animals from the wild without a relevant permit is prohibited.
Mr Heckathorn said it was also an offence to keep an animal that has been illegally caught, even if you were not the one who initially captured it.
"People can keep native animals, but they must obtain a relevant permit and must purchase the animal from a legal source such as another licence holder or a pet store," he said.
"The Department of Environment and Science would like to thank the person who provided the information about the snakes.
"Wildlife officers have zero tolerance for people who break the rules and unlawfully take native animals from the wild, and many people in our community feel the same way.
"A lot of our compliance activity is based on tip-offs from members of the public, and we get a surprising number of reports about people unlawfully capturing native wildlife without a relevant permit.
