the point is ..Critizing the WOC held in Dijon is ok with me but critizing the country or/and the people living there is stupid. We have a set of "rules" called CITES and that's the problem.
CITES rules exist world wide. It's the responsibility of the local authorities to enforce the rules. And, the local authorities are free to have additional controls, as well. So, if the problem is CITES, then it's the country and people who are responsible for implementing the rules, so they should be criticized. Unless you feel that your country is above reproach by definition?
Custom officers worldwide don't have the same level of education/skills and for this reason you can get severely fee'd in Madagascar if you have phalaeopsis hybrids in your luggage or try to introduce flasked orchids into the USA.
First hand knowledge of this? Or just making up to feel better?
AS if custom officers wasn't enough there is also the inspectors (or plant police). I met one of these guys at the WOC, he's was unable to distinguish between jungle collected and artificial raised plants, and believe me there were quite a lot of "maked up" paphs at the sales boots there.
So, this person, who was presumably a French citizen, isn't to be criticized (as per your comment above) for his lack of job-related knowledge? Just the "WOC"?
I think your comments aren't really internally consistent.
Carl Gustafson
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