(Fwd) Collections as Genetic Resources

[Peter Rauch]

[Forwarded to Taxacom with permission of the author. PAR]

Date: Sat, 7 Sep 1996 14:04:55 +0600
Reply-To: bene at straylight.tamu.edu
From: mcall at superaje.com
To: Multiple recipients of list <bene at straylight.tamu.edu>
X-Comment: Biodiversity and Ecosystems NEtwork (BENE) Email ListServer

Although hitherto not widely recognized, natural history collections in
museums, botanical gardens, private and other collections do contain
genetic resources as defined by the CBD. Most of the collections
pre-date the CBD.  At least three-quarters of  the world's known
species and many species as yet undiscovered, named and classified by
taxonomic lie in those collections.  Recently pharmaceutical and
biotech corporations have been buying up these collections or rights of
access to them, in a effort to evade the CBD Articles on fair and
equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources.  Those
articles are one of the three foundation stones of the CBD and were a
primary inducement for the developing countries to sign the Convention,
making it worthwhile for them to conserve or sustainably use
biodiversity, rather than convert all wild ecosystems to species-poor
resource systems.

The collection purchases risk at least polarizing COP discussions, at
worst having developing countries withdraw.  It will encourage
developing countries to harden legislation and regulations governing
access to genetic materials.  At the same time it is likely to restrict
access to scientific collecting, and hence to taxonomic research.
Between 90% and 99% of the worlds biota are yet to be discovered, named
and classified.  That taxonomic knowledge underlies conservation,
resource management, monitoring, and ironically, developing new
bio-industry uses.


Don E. McAllister             /& Canadian Centre for Biodiversity
Ocean Voice International          /Canadian Museum of Nature
Box 37026, 3332 McCarthy Rd. /Box 3443, Station D
Ottawa, ON K1V 0W0, Canada    /Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4
URL: http://www.ovi.ca  E-mail: mcall at superaje.com
 (or: ah194 at freenet.carleton.ca) Tel: (613) 264-8986, Fax: (613) 264-9204