Collecting in Florida

[Mark Walker]

>Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX wrote:
>>
>> WOW ! your use of the word 'harassed' is mild. is it now illegal to have
>> nets and envelopes in ones vehicle?? sounds like you were the subject of
>> criminal theft, pure and simple. listers with knowledge of USA legal
>> system plse comment, i would be interested in advice on how to deal with
>> this kind of situation in the event that i work up the courage to cross
>> the 49th parallel with net and envelopes in my vehicle


I agree with Daniel Glaeske who wrote:

>I think that most park officials, etc. are about as ignorant about the
>legal standing as we are but we are simply a lot safer to harrass then
>some burly guy in military fatigues and a semiautomatic 0.303 slung over
>his shoulder.


Southern Florida is one of the few places where there are enough wildlife
management officials on hand to provide us with a peak under the kimono.
The only reason we don't have more encounters like the one Kirk (?)
describes is because in most places there aren't very many enforcers on hand
(save for countless _citizen_arrests_).  It creates a real quandary for
those of us who love what we do, and KNOW that we are part of the solution
and not the problem.  It's too bad, too, because there are a lot of
migrations of tropical species that are quite common but are not found
anywhere else IN THE US.

I suppose the whole problem south of Homestead was caused by the purported
_overcollecting_ of the Schaus Swallowtail after the turn of the century.
Funny how catastrophic hurricanes and the development and destruction of
hardwood hammocks are often listed 2nd and 3rd.  Ironic that it was a
collector who discovered the existence of the sub-species alive and well on
Key Largo.  Sad that collectors will always be viewed by non-collecting
co-environmentalists as greedy, evil wrong-doers.  Bigoted and shallowminded
that all hunters of wildlife are automatically considered enemies of the
environment.

It's certainly true that this species-diverse area is fragile and
susceptible to eco-damage by the uneducated and unsympathetic.  However, of
the millions of tourists who are enticed and encouraged to visit the area
each year, the handful of whom are collectors are definitely not of this
category.

The moral of this story has already been voiced:  Stay away from the
parklands of southern Florida if you are prone to chasing after butterflies
with a net.

Mark Walker
Castleton, VT