On the lighter side I believe this topic was thoroughly explored through several sociological contexts (i.e. criminal & gourmand)back in the early 1990s. If I am remembering correctly, the bushmeat of endangered species tastes exactly like turkey. This research was well documented in the film "The Freshman" and starred Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick.
Sometimes we really need to laugh more, Bill ________________________________ From: kevina vulinec <kvuli...@desu.edu> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 7:58 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] ...re: responses concerning my "bushmeat" request... Hello Clara: I was surprised that someone of your scientific stature would actually propose such a project. Of the comments already mentioned, I feel the need to emphasize those that state that you will not be allowed to bring meat into the USA (CFA regulations), you will not be allowed to "collect" or "sample" listed species or probably any species outside the US unless you do it illegally, you will not be allowed to sample zoo animals (health concerns for just a start), you will not be allowed to do this project in any countries that are CITES signatories, you are potentially exposing yourself and your family to diseases, and you have not even addressed the laws of the countries you may be looking at for bushmeat samples (you cannot even kill animals in some countries, even for scientific vouchers). I don't think the responses you have gotten are as much "emotional" as they are practical. You could be contributing to the demise of a species--do you really want to be involved in that? Many primates have already gone extinct strictly from bushmeat hunting (and you mentioned eating spider monkey in an earlier post), you really need to read the literature about what you are proposing. I am sorry to sound so "emotional" but this, but your project is not science, nor is it scientifically ethical. And check your IACUC regulations. Sincerely, Kevina On Wed, Dec 5, 2012 at 6:02 PM, Clara B. Jones <foucaul...@gmail.com> wrote: > Ecolog-l-ers: > 1. ...a few individuals have contacted me with concerns about the ethics of > my post requesting "bushmeat"... > 2. ...i was not concerned about the ethical dimension for several > reasons...perhaps, the most important is that it didn't seem likely at all > that anyone here or there, so to speak, would go to much trouble or expense > to answer my "call"... > 3. ...also, most anybody reading our listserv's posts would be operating > from a platform of professional ethics*..... > 4. ...further, i was using no monetary incentive to induce respondents to > reply to my query, a topic of concern to many professional organizations... > 5. ...i was using "bushmeat" broadly...and, though, i would not be averse > to receiving samples from outside the US...i was thinking not only of > domestic folivore or folivorous taxa that i've not sampled [tasted] such > as, opposum, but, also, was thinking of tissues from zoo animals, > post-preparation museum specimens, tissues culled at animal "farms", and, > the like... > 6. ...my opportunistic project aside, i've studied the topic of "defensive > mimicry" in mammals, and it has occurred to me that organisms may advertise > unpalatability via several modalities, not only olfactory, visual, & > auditory [most common in mammals]... > 7. ...John Garcia's work showed that rodents, anyway, may base future food > selection and foraging decisions on taste of a food product > 8. ...there are many questions that pertain that, in my opinion, would > justify rigorous treatment.. > 9. ...the area of Conservation Biology is highly charged emotionally, > possibly, preventing us from addressing the topic of when and under what > circumstances we support the conduct of invasive experimentation with > animals in natural conditions...whatever their Red Book status may > be...and, related to this, whether we have an ethical right or > responsibility to prevent others from doing so [within legal bounds]... > 10. ...it remains to be seen whether there will be sufficient interest to > continue these conversations... > 11. ...i appreciate all communication received to date...sincerely, clara > > > *...leading one to trust that the respondent would behave professionally as > we all do when we, for example, share a pre-print w a colleague, requesting > that it not be quoted... > > > -- > Clara > Director > Mammals and Phenogroups (MaPs) > Blog: http://vertebratesocialbehavior.blogspot.com > Twitter: http://twitter.com/cbjones1943 > Cell: -828-279-4429 > Brief CV: > > http://vertebratesocialbehavior.blogspot.com/2012/10/clara-b-jones-brief-cv.html > > > "Where no estimate of error of any kind can be made, generalizations about > populations from sample data are worthless." Ferguson, 1959 > -- Kevina Vulinec, PhD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Delaware State University Dover, Delaware 19901-2277 (302) 857-6457 Fax: (302) 857-6455 kvuli...@desu.edu
