I seem to have started this with my response to Dewey's original e-mail. I
have read each and every reply and have been truly amazed at how accurate
Steve Marak was when he stated how polar we would find this discussion
thread. To Dewey, my apologies if the nature of my original reply drew
undeserved lightning your way.
I would like to conclude my input with one final observation. My original
post was heartfelt, genuine. Thanks to all of you I now find myself better
educated about the issues. However I also realize how "out-of-'touch" I must
STILL be with the complex problem. I remain firm in my conviction about
greedy theft. But I originally wrote this line, which some people seemed to
miss entirely.
"in countries where plants are endangered, and misguided laws for their
protection are inadvertently guaranteeing their ultimate destruction due to
habitat changes, concerned people should use the international channels to
influence a change. If failing to do this, then protest, be passionate"
I could support selective collecting by truly QUALIFIED people when protest
takes this form if the action is in line with what Phil Bunch wrote on this
topic:
"As a plant collector I also have struggled with the problem of our
responsibility for the conservation and preservation of endangered species
with commercial value. I am inalterably opposed to practices that may
adversely effect the survival of species with very limited distributions in
habitat. Such practices almost always involve the removal of material other
than seeds, spores or cuttings. In some very rare species only the removal
of tissue for in vitro propagation is acceptable. In some cases, seeds may
be collected without affecting the long-term viability of populations. I
think that collectors may be able to provide an "ark" for some species
subject to habitat destruction but this is not a simple proposition. I
would support the "rescue" of plants from areas where development activity
will adversely affect their chance of survival if there were an effective
way to distinguish between plants collected in such situations and those
collected for purely commercial purposes."
So in conclusion, I thank each of you for your input and education about
things I clearly was "naive" about. This is a GREAT forum and opportunity
for exchange. And to you Steve Marak, I am clearly not as polar on this
topic as I was at the onset. I would say the aroid-l has done some real good
in this household and many others during the past week.
Best regards to all,
Tim McNinch
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