tagging experiment

[Cris Guppy & Aud Fischer]

Milkweed is considered a "noxious weed" in many parts of Canada, on the
grounds that cattle do not like it (it may be toxic to them, I'm not sure).
There are provincial laws (rather than federal laws) requiring the
extermination of noxious weeds. I don't know the details, because they are
seldom enforced. However you are entirely correct, the laws are counter to
good Monarch management. Politicians seldom care about behaving in a logical
manner. I expect that eventually the designation of milkweed as a noxious
weed will be revoked, but it will be a while yet. Other noxious weeds of
interest to butterfliers are Bull Thistle and Canada Thistle (which is
actually an introduced European weed, Canada got stuck with a bum rap with
that name).

-----Original Message-----
From: David Smith <idleweed at tusco.net>
To: cguppy at quesnelbc.com <cguppy at quesnelbc.com>; leps-l at lists.yale.edu
<leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Date: January 17, 2000 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: tagging experiment


>I am curious about Canadian policies. I have heard that a farmer in Canada
>is not allowed to have milkweed growing on his land and is subject to fines
>for this. Is this true and if it is the Canadian government itself is
>threatening the monarch isn't it.
>   Dave
>id Smith
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Cris Guppy & Aud Fischer <cguppy at quesnelbc.com>
>To: <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
>Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000 8:59 PM
>Subject: Re: tagging experiment
>
>
>> Canada is about 30 years behind the USA in endangered species
legislation,
>> and general conservation of biodiversity. Canada has however placed the
>> Monarch on the list of "Vulnerable" species, in part because of poor
>> conservation measures in Mexico and USA (as well as Canada).
>>
>> It was my uncle, Richard Guppy (deceased 1980), who reported the tagged
>> Monarch in Victoria. He had no part in the release of the eastern
Monarchs
>> at Gibsons, but in anycase that long ago no one had any concerns with
>> transferring butterflies. Knowledge has advanced somewhat since then.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Paul Cherubini <cherubini at mindspring.com>
>> To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
>> Date: January 15, 2000 1:34 PM
>> Subject: Re: tagging experiment
>>
>>
>> >Cris Guppy & Aud Fischer wrote:
>> >>
>> >> You have signficant ethical, not to mention legal problems. It is
>people
>> >> like you that give a bad name to "amateur" science. I hope the USDA
>comes
>> >> after you. Furthermore, why should anyone pay any attention to your
>data?
>> >> Since you will happily break the law to prove your point, I assume you
>> will
>> >> also falsify data.
>> >
>> >The tag numbers of all the butterflies involved in the experiment have
>> >been posted at http://www.butterflyboutique.net/ibba_test. So as tagged
>> >monarchs are recovered by scientists in Mexico and California during the
>> course
>> >of this winter, everyone will know ahead of time what tag numbers
>> >were used at different locations. This eliminates any chance to falsify
>> data.
>> >
>> >Many years ago you reported (In the News of the Lep Society) that
>> >someone had found a tagged monarch in Victoria, British Columbia.
>> >It was one of 982 tagged monarchs that had been air mailed to
>> >Gibson's Landing, British Columbia for release from Toronto, Ontario
>> >by Donald Davis. There are no laws in Canada prohibiting the transfer of
>> >monarchs across the Rockies.
>> >
>> >Laws prohibiting the interstate transport of ANY butterfly in the USA
>have
>> >been on the books for more than a decade. But a good number of people on
>> >this list have violated those laws because they are not aware of them
and
>> >USDA has not enforced them (except of course for endangered species).
>> >
>> >Ironically, the scientist at the USDA  (Dr. Wayne F. Wehling) currently
>in
>> >charge of administering interstate shipping permits was himself involved
>in
>> >an unpermitted release of 300 tagged California monarchs I sent to him
>back
>> >in Sept. 1990, when he was a student at Washington State University,
>> >Pullman, WA
>> >
>> >Paul Cherubini, Placerville, California
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>