[Taxacom] Funding arguments for taxonomy!?

[Bob Mesibov]

Hi, Phillip.

This argument was made very strongly in Australia in the 1990s, mainly by Andrew Beattie:

http://www.bio.mq.edu.au/about/people/staff/ab.html

It led to the Australian Parliament establishing a committee to look into 'bioprospecting':

http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/primind/bioinq/report/contents.htm

Among that committee's recommendations were:

"- increase funding for baseline studies of the Australian biota;
- target additional funds for collecting activities in bioactive hot spots;
- fund a larger volume of taxonomic work than at present and ensure sufficient young taxonomists are being trained to undertake this work;
- provide more funding to maintain and expand existing collections so that they provide a comprehensive coverage of Australia's biota, including microorganisms"

These recommendations were ignored. Instead, from 1995 the Australian Government funded a 'Key Centre for Biodiversity and Bioresources' based at Macquarie University in Sydney under Beattie. I'm not aware that the Centre's activities stimulated funding for Australian taxonomy. It no longer exists.

Perhaps you will have better results in Europe.
-- 
Dr Robert Mesibov
Honorary Research Associate
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, and
School of Zoology, University of Tasmania
Home contact: PO Box 101, Penguin, Tasmania, Australia 7316
Phone: (03) 64371195; 61 3 64371195