Collecting anything and future nature interest

[Pierre Zagatti]

>
>   Remember this is an international people problem. Protect habitat not
> species. If they have habitat the species will survive, even enough of them
> that a surplus may be harvested.
 
(cut)
 
In democratic contries, protection of species is the
first step to protect habitats.
If I find a really endangered species in my backyard,
I can write to the mayor, the deputy or directly to
the government, they'll say -well this is your opinion-
but if I write I've found a species that is ON THE LIST
of officially protected species, it may lead to official
protection of this particuliar area (sometimes...).
Yes, collecting (not trading) has nothing to do with
species extinction, yes, children need to be allowed to
collect everything to become responsible naturalists later,
but unless one of us become Minister, our managers need an
official status of species to go on with protection of biotopes.
In France, we tried for years to propose lists of species,
not protected, but significant to propose protection
of their habitats, we called them 'red lists' or 'patrimonial
species lists', but it never worked as long as they were not
converted into lists of protected species.
Fortunately, we have in this country several species that
are officially protected and still common: the Marsh Fritillary
(Euphydryas aurinia - yes Neil :-) ), the large stag beetle
Lucanus cervus or Cerambyx cerdo (don't know the English name).
Beyond really rare species, these 3 species are the most
important tool to propose protection of habitats that have
still a real diversity of fauna and flora, which is the
most important for me.
And it works, do you know that construction of a very
important motorway (in the Loire Valley) is totally stopped
since 1998, because it crosses a small wood where lives
Osmoderma eremita (large cetonid - English name ?) ?
 
All the best,
 
 
--
Pierre ZAGATTI
INRA Unite de Phytopharmacie et Mediateurs Chimiques
78026 Versailles Cedex
FRANCE
Tel: (33) 1 30 83 31 18
e-mail zagatti at versailles.inra.fr
http://www.jouy.inra.fr/papillon/