I agree with Carson's Discussion on CITES. I feel that CITES is nothing more than an impediment in the way of Legal International Trade. Is there need for rules regulating the International Trade in Orchids, yes? I feel we need an International Treaty that not only controls the movement of plants, but how Countries treat their endangered species. Most Countries would not like other Countries telling them they can not mine where they want to or they can not allow clear cutting of trees in certain areas, or build roads where ever they want to with out allowing people to go in and salvage endangered species. That is what needs to be added to the CITES Treaty to make it work. Then with the proper permits people can salvage the plants and the plants be replanted into similar areas and allowed to continue to provide beauty for all, and some people with proper permits can salvage the plants and they can be taken to nurseries and grown on and the progeny put into the commercial market. All of this could be added to the current treaty with a standard set of rules and permits that allow people to do deal with plants for preserving them in natural setting or selling them in International Trade without being burdened by foolish and cumbersome rules. Salvage should be Salvage, no matter what the destiny of the plants. If it is not then why bother to preserve them if the Country of origin can just bulldoze the plants with out allowing for any preservation of the plants.
At the same time their need to be serious criminal penalties for people who are collecting plants illegally, or selling them illegally. At the same time we need to make sure that those people who are selling plants legally are not burdened with too many regulations to allow them run their business. Like most legal systems we need a set of rules that are simple, easy to follow and not burdened by too much red tape. As an amateur who used to import plants and flask from International Growers, I am very frustrated that I have to go through way more paper work than I feel is necessary to import plants. I would probably only import two to twelve flasks a year, and it is not worth my time to do the work to get the plants. I can call one of the US growers and get most of what I want from them with out the paper work. This is great it is making more money for local growers, but it is Restricting Trade! CITES has probably done a great job of restricting trade on Animals and Animal parts and there by preserved Animals in their native habitats. I do not see the same benefits for plants. I just see a Restriction on Trade. -- --Tom /---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Tom Hillson Agriculture Computer Services Manager |(515) 294-1543 College of Agriculture | Iowa State University ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |"The only thing I have too much of is too little time" _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
