NOT the collecting debate :-)

[Chris J. Durden]

>Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 23:00:22 -0500
>To: jadams at em.daltonstate.edu
>From: "Chris J. Durden" <drdn at mail.utexas.edu>
>Subject: Re: NOT the collecting debate :-)
>In-Reply-To: <199906220035.UAA26569 at dr-who.daltonstate.edu>
>References: <3.0.5.16.19990621171240.0bc7aca6 at mail.utexas.edu>
<376E855C.3DE331B8 at anu.ie>
>
>At 09:48  21/06/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>Listers,
>>
>>Chris Durden wrote:
>>> Are amoebae wildlife?
>>
>>Most certainly.  One reason why I hesitate to discuss the 
>>collecting/not collecting debate on leps-l anymore is the hypocrisy 
>>of the non-collecting argument.  Lines seem to be drawn arbitrarily -
>>- this (butterflies) shouldn't ever be collected, but who cares about 
>>that (moths) . . . or that (mosquitos) . . . or that (roaches) . . . or 
>>that (amoebae).  All are living things, and deserve respect and their 
>>place in the world.  That doesn't mean you can't respect an 
>>organism while at the same time want to study it (collect it, 
>>*responsibly*) to learn more about it. 
>------
>  Problems arise when protective regulations and permitting procedures are
developed for large, few-offspring wildlife and are then extended to
include small, many-offspring organisms without consideration of their
utility. Ticket the swimmer in a National Park for swallowing a mouthful of
amoebae or swatting a mosquito or removing a leech? This gives rise to a
situation where there are many cases of business as usual which are now
violations of the regulations as extended, which are not recognized because
to do so would be ridiculous.
>  I remember shortly after coming to Texas, asking a threatened species
officer in the parks and wildlife department if there were any state
restrictions on collecting insects in Texas. The reason I asked is that
many people from out of state ask me. He told me I should get a hunting
license for collecting beetles and other terrestrial non-game, and a
fishing license to collect dragonflies and other aquatic insects. Yes they
are wildlife under the law. My attempt to get these permits from
enforcement were laughed out of the office. Let's have some perspective
here, or better still clarify the wildlife laws.
>.........Chris Durden
>----------
>
>. . . . . .
> 
> 
>>Chris also wrote:
>>>   By the way, is capture and release still permitted in South Florida, or
>>> will you get a ticket for carrying a net?
>>
>>No tickets.  Any private land, assuming you get permission from 
>>the owners, are still open to swinging a net.  So, too, are public 
>>lands outside of the nature reserves, national parks, state parks, 
>>and other protected areas.  You need to be certain, however, that 
>>you know where these areas are.  This includes all of the Keys 
>>currently, except, again, privately owned lands.  Kind of ironic when 
>>you realize that the Keys are one of the areas of the world that are 
>>most heavily sprayed for mosquitos (which, of course, kills all 
>>kinds of insects each year, including leps).
>------
>  My point exactly. In times past I have been standing inside each of
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and Rio-Grande Bentsen State Park in
Texas smelling insecticide and listening to the spray planes while
wondering why the butterfly watching was skimpy.
>..........Chris Durden
>------
>>
>>         James
>>
>>Dr. James K. Adams
>>Dept. of Natural Science and Math
>>Dalton State College
>>213 N. College Drive
>>Dalton, GA  30720
>>Phone: (706)272-4427; fax: (706)272-2533
>>U of Michigan's President James Angell's 
>>  Secret of Success: "Grow antennae, not horns"
>>
>>