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.A Hervey Bay business has been issues with a warning after an illegally captured olive sea snake was found on its premisesThe maximum penalty for unlawfully keeping an olive sea snake is $13,785
"The fact that the snake gave birth whilst in captivity added further intrigue to our investigation, and we were able to successfully release them at the location where the adult was caught. 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.
"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.