Anne Kilmer wrote:

R. Mikula butrfly at epix.net
Thu Jun 22 15:34:20 EDT 2000



Anne Kilmer wrote:

> This is all my fault. 
> As it turns out, on further investigation, they are only selling
> Monarchs, Queens, Red Admirals, and Painted Ladies for release.

I sell live miniture flying pink elephants to be released at weddings.
They are $1.00 each and shipped overnight without permits. Now are you
going to send Bob Barker over to beat me up? It is always best to get
facts straight before accusing any one.


> As for the uncounted (or countless) butterfly breeders and farmers, I
> gather that only the ones a) in the United States b)that advertise on
> the web actually exist. My friends who sell and give away a few bugs now and then "don't count".

Well first of all we are concerned with the US. What happens in other
countries is the concern of that particular government and its populous.
Since I am not in contact with everyone in the world, unlike yourself, I
cannot generalize but speak about the ones that I know. As far the art
of rearing butterflies, it does go back over 4,000 years so I am sure
that there were some out there that made not have been professionals and
have done thing that may not have been right. There were probably over
60 in that time frame but I cannot say since I am not 4,000 years old.


>if we pretend that there are exactly 60 butterfly farmers, 

Will the world really stop spinning if there were, OH MY GOD, 70 or
would all the troubles in the world disappear if it were cut back only
50????? You really need to get over this exact number hang up. It seems
to be your complaint de jour or rather de semaine.


>does that mean that regulation is unnecessary? 

Where do you come up with some of this stuff. Maybe in your thinking,
but regulations were needed right before the importation of the Gypsy
moth and cabbage white. Even though we do not import from outside the
U.S.- YES regulations are very important.


>Or that only the professionals should (should not) be regulated?

Everyone should be regulated, but as with "your Friends" the underground
people
can not be. I have gone on record as stating I have no problems with
tighter regulations
and feel the a few of the 9 allowed species should be more heavily
regulated and one or two not allowed for releases. 

>My friends who sell and give away a few bugs now and then "don't count".

May I be one of your friends so I can get a the special "Anne Kilmer
dispensation"
from the USDA and sell a few bugs unregulated. 


> Are you professionals happy to have the amateurs releasing God knows
> what from God knows where, 

How ridiculous, of course not. That is why we started the IBBA so if
people purchase butterflies from its memebers they know that they will
be recieving them from properly permitted breeders. Dr. Wehling of the
USDA works with all of us on a daily basis, attends our meetings, and
sits in on all discussion groups and monitors the day to day activities
of the organization. We welcome him and his guidance. We have also asked
Mr. Jeffery Goldberg to sit on our Board of Directors so we could gain
from his feedback and suggestions in order to find common ground we can
all be happy with, but he flatly declined. Perhaps it may have been too
constructive for his personal agenda.

>because the USDA doesn't check packages and
> you can buy anything over the internet? 

Are you blaming this on people who raise butterflies also. There are a
lot more things going through the 'Overnighters' that are worse than
sanctioned butterflies.

Honest Anne it wasn't IBBA members selling kidneys over e-bay. At the
last convention I even checked everyone for back scars. 

R. Mikula


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