Collecting and regulation

[John Grehan]

>This is quite easy to understand given the fact that a few years ago there
>was a trial involving 3 collectors. They had deliberately conspired to
collect
>in national parks and similar places and to trade in endangered species.
>The indictment ran to 85 pages! one of them had (if I recall correctly)
>over 200 specimens listed under CITES confiscated.
>For those who wish to know more please see my "rogues" gallery at:-
>http://www.nwjones.demon.co.uk/rg/


I feel somewhat differently about the ban being "easy to understand", in that 
a ban on all collecting is irrelevant if the 
problem was people collecting in endangered (I presume protected) species.
Since all collecting requires a permit anyway, a ban would seem to accomplish
nothing since unscrupulous people of this kind will ignore this ban just as
they ignored the collecting permit or the protected status.

 My experience
with National Parks so far is that there is a tendency towards irrational 
(or perhaps I should say illogical) decisions about insect collecting. One
manager wanted me to name all the species I would collect before I did a
survey to find out what was present! I've also met national park staff who
don't seem to understand the difference between insects (those that are not
specifically under threat) and other organisms at more obvious threat from
collecting.

I know I've mixed a couple of different issues, but couldn't hep it.

Sincerely, John Grehan