Rare butterfly (do your research)

Pavulaan at aol.com Pavulaan at aol.com
Sun Aug 9 19:06:16 EDT 1998


Regarding the advertisement for Leudorfia chinensis in an e-mail post from
China, Mark Jackson wrote: "So go get him, and shut up!"  

I could not have said it better myself!  Thanks Mark.  

Has anyone considered that this entire arguement is MOOT, and everyone is
wasting their keyboard strokes, because Leuhdorfia chinensis is apparently not
listed in the CITES appendices?!  Thus, the person offering the butterfly for
sale, is not breaking any laws, providing he obtains all necessary collecting
and export permits, and that the purchasing party obtains the required import
permit.  Just because a butterfly is described as "RARE", does not mean it is
protected.  Cabbage Whites may be "rare" on Captree Island, N.Y., but that is
no reason for it to be listed under CITES.

I could be wrong, but I checked the CITES list on:

www.wcmc.org.uk/CITES/English/fauna.htm

and anyone commenting ought to check this site out first.  It lists protected
species by taxonomic category and by country. 

To the dismay of some, until we have yet MORE laws and regulations (that do
nothing to save species) it is STILL legal to buy, sell, import and export
butterfly specimens, provided that the required permits are in place.  Note
that Birdwings, the most legendary CITES-listed butterflies, are readily
obtainable from dealers and breeders, within the prescribed laws.

Stop beating your keyboard to death.  If you are bothered by the sale of
"rare" butterflies, there is always your legislator to contact.  But note:
butterfly collectors have been writing, calling, e-mailing, and speaking with
their representatives about regulatory overkill in this country, to little
avail.  

If you are bothered by people selling butterflies on Leps-L, just ignore the
messages.  They will do it anyway, and I have no objection.  Free speech
prevails in this country.  

Any more comments, check the CITES site, and read up on the law first.

Harry Pavulaan


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