Collecting in Florida

[Neil Jones]

In message <34DF5AEC.5171 at aa6g.org> aa6g at AA6G.ORG writes:
> Daniel Glaeske wrote:
> > 
> > I don't know what the legal situation is but virtually the same thing
> > happened to me last summer.  Very embarassing since we had company from
> > Canada down at the time.  The park officials compared having butterfly
> > nets in the park to having unregistered hunting rifles.  (oddly enough,
> > at this park,anyway, hunting with rifles for game animals in season <is>
> > legal, but simply possessing lepidoptera paraphenalia is <not> legal).
> 
> It seems they think catching butterflies is the same as shooting vertebrate
> animals?

Why the distinction? Or is it that "All animals are equal but some are more 
equal than others"

 This sounds like environmentalism run amok. Why do ignorant laws
> like this get enacted?

What is ignorant about realising that butterflies are proper animals worthy
of conservation?

This is the first step in getting people to conserve habitats.
While the reaction of the authorities may seem to be heavy handed
It actually is the start of enlightenment.

 I thought the reason we *had* parks was for the public's
> use. You can get a hunting license, a fishing license and even though I think
> it's unnecessary, I wouldn't be against a butterfly catching license.
> 

Actually you can. Permits have been diascussed many times here. 


> So Florida wants to throw you in jail for catching a butterfly in a park but
> they have no problem with the suburbs chewing up habitat year after year.
> This really makes a lot of sense...  

Until you get them to realise that butterflies are proper animals worthy of 
conservation you will not get habitat protection to work.


> Chuck Vaughn  <aa6g at aa6g.org>
> 

-- 
Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.nwjones.demon.co.uk/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve