Collecting Permit Ideas

[Jungletour at aol.com]

I am extremely disappointed at the difficult and complex process of obtaining
a permit to collect butterflies in Brazil. I have invested so much time in
learning about the country's flora and fauna, studying the language,
geography, etc., only to find out that it is nearly impossible for an amateur
collector to obtain a permit. Note: I only use Brazil as an example here
because Brazil is my Country of choice, so keep in mind that the following
concept can be applied almost anywhere. 

I feel like so much is at stake here because the forest is being cut down at
an alarming rate, and there is so much more to learn about neotropical
butterflies, and I am confident that amateur entomologists can contribute to
such learning. In addition, the country of Brazil and its people (especially
the poorer regions in the Amazon basin) are loosing out on a significant
amount of tourism dollars due to tight restrictions on permits. Many
noncommercial entomological enthusiasts simply are not traveling to the Amazon
Basin. Less tourism dollars in tropical regions translates to less alternative
sustainable methods of living in these regions, which in turn results in
higher levels of deforestation, and less butterfly fauna in the long run.

I know this dilemma has been discussed before, but an idea keeps popping up in
my mind, and it seems to be a relatively simple win-win situation for all
parties:

The subject country could issue an insect collecting and exporting permit for
a fee of say $100.

The collector could obtain some maximum number of specimens which would
clearly demonstrate that the collector was not a commercial operator. (I would
like to here some ideas on what a reasonable number would be). Say 750-1,000
specimens. 

Endangered species would naturally be disallowed.

All collecting label data could be routed to a central entomological body of
the subject country.

This permitting idea is merely a thought and may very well have a thousand
holes that I have not yet thought of. I would like to here some feedback on
the matter, and perhaps some simpler permitting process could be established
in the near future. 

Sincerely,

Jim Hanlon