Right to collect

[Heike Vibrans]

Doug, I was talking about wildgrowing plants and animals,
not cultivated ones, also not about trespassing. Also, I
stated that commercial collection (that is, everything
that is done for sale, be it the sale of wildflowers or of
scientific specimens) should be regulated, if it becomes a
problem for some reason.

The problem with collection permits, at least here in
Mexico, is that national researchers almost never have
them, and their lack is sometimes used for extortion by
local authorities. People with bad intentions certainly do
not bother to try to get one, but smuggle, which is easy
enough. I don't really see that general scientific
collection permits do anything but waste the time of
legitimate researchers and often enough inhibit research,
particularly by students. I think permits should be
restricted to certain endangered groups (here in Mexico
cacti, orquids, cycads and the like), species,
conservation areas and to the export of germplasm material
of cultivated plants and their relatives. If my students
want to collect weedy Portulaca oleracea or Cosmos
bipinnatus, they should be able to do so without commiting
illegal acts.

All the best, Heike

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Dra. Heike Vibrans L.
Laboratorio de Etnobotánica
Especialidad de Botánica
Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agrícolas
km 35.5 carr. México-Texcoco
53230 Montecillo
Estado de México, Mexico

Tel. +52 (595) 95 20 200 Ext. 1335 (directo), 1331
(secretaria), 1330 (dirección)
Fax. +52 (595) 95 20 247
Correo electrónico: heike at colpos.colpos.mx (trabajo)
heikev at prodigy.net.mx (casa)
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