Collecting, etc.

[Neil Jones]

In message <35361213.34dfd5ef at aol.com> Pavulaan at aol.com writes:
> 
> Now, if only the feds and some state beauracracies would hire some rocket
> scientists to figure the following out:

Scienc provide answers but not the ones you think.


> 
> 1) The best way to protect endangered species from those busloads of
> collectors is to allow licensed commercial breeding of such species.
> Commercially-bred (and I might add: perfect-quality) specimens will deflate
> the demand for illegal wild-caught specimens.  I guess the success of
> butterfly ranching experiments worldwide just aren't convincing proof enough
> for our government beauraucrats.


Practical experience here in  the UK shows that this doesn't work. 
We have legislation that allows trading in certain species provided
they are captice bred. The definition allows for things that are not bred
but reared from a wild caught female.

I can just imagine the excuses "I ain't guilty guv'nor they was captive bred".


In practice this mens that the legislation is unenforcable 

> 2) The best way to conserve endangered species is to allow licensed commercial
> breeding of such species for managed release, in conjunction with #1, above.
> Breeding/recovery experiments conducted by institutions or universities are
> usually of limited scope and are usually part of a study.  Commercial
> operations, by nature, would likely be much more aggressive and successful in
> their goals.

Science has shown conclusively that for the majority of species, 
THIS DOES NOT WORK. Sorry to shout but I have repeatedly quoted he researh
with references. Furthermore as someone on the sharp end of conservation
I am repeatedly having to fight just this kind of idea from develpers wishing
to destroy habitats. For example to  one Environmental Statement
 says about a Red Data Book  beetle says that little is known about its
ecology but that it can easily be moved elsewhere. I hope that I never get
treated by a doctor with ideas like that. :-) We don't know anything
about the disease or what it is but we will just prescribe some asprin
and it will go away.

> Just some really wild thoughts.  Probably too bizzarre for the regulators to
> comprehend.

It seems that you hate regulation. You write of Bureaucrats in a perjoritive
tone. I wish that the bureaucrats that I deal with were better at regulating
I might actually get them to enforce the regulations better and to protect 
_habitats_. 

-- 
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