regulation of collecting in Spain???

[P. Stadel Nielsen]

"Norbert Kondla" <NKONDLA at MFOR01.FOR.GOV.BC.CA> wrote:

>I would appreciate the current status of the regulation of butterfly
>collecting in Spain. 1)are permits required and if so who does one contact,
>2)has it been completely banned, and if so when did this happen, 3)is it
>completely unregulated??? many thx for any infomation

Yes, collecting _anything_ (really! even fleas and mosquitos) in Spain
is for some years completely forbidden without special permission.
Naturally it is permitted to hunt mammals and birds, build highways,
houses etc. but insects definitely not.
After no restrictions at all, this legislation was introduced I think
in 1994 and several European collectors were caught as they did not
know about it. 3 Swedish collectors had all equipment (3 generators
etc.) confiscated together with specimens collected. The Spanish
administration fined them 15.000 Swedish kroners (approx US$ 2500)
each. How and if the case has ended I do not know. The Spanish paper
SHILAP also told about a Spanish collector who was fined some US$ 5000
for taking 4 specimens of a common butterfly on Tenerife. Several more
cases has been reported!
So it is not recommended to collect anything without a written
permission even the chance of getting caught is rather small. You may
end up even worse than Mr. Theobaldelli !
The problem is, that you must write and ask for permission long time
ahead (half a year) and also you must ask the local administration for
each part of Spain. Often you get no answer, but I am told, that no
answer in Spain means yes, as they have some legislation saying that
if you get no answer from administration within some time, it is to be
regarded as accetance!
If you ask for permission, you must specify which species and which
number you want to catch! And then you may get a permission to take 2
males and 2 females each species as one of my friends got. Sick!
You should try to contact the Spanish Lepidopterists society SHILAP at
the address
Apartado correos 331,
E - 28080 Madrid,
Spain,
Email avives at mad.servicom.es.
They have in their paper published a list of address where to apply
for permission, if I find it, I will make it available to the
newsgroup later.
No wonder no one goes collecting in Spain any more, poor Spanish
fauna, but off course, now they can destroy habitats without anyone
knowing it.

Per Stadel Nielsen
<fdki at _post2.tele.dk> (omit underscore, get tons of spam!)
Skovskellet 35 A
DK - 2840 Holte
Denmark
--------
"All butterflies must have happy homes"
(L.G. Higgins)

Per Stadel Nielsen
Skovskellet 35 A
DK-2840 Holte
Denmark
fdki at post2.tele.dk
---------------------------
"All butterflies must have happy homes"
(L. G. Higgins)
fdki at post2.tele.dk