In OGD V9 #305, Colin Hamilton said: "The PNG Government only banned the export of their orchids and became the CITES agency for the country 10 or so years ago. So can someone enlighten me how anyone can prove the 'legality' of PNG orchids collected before the mid-90's? "
Sorry Colin, you've got the date wrong. It was much earlier than that. In February 1990, The Dept. of Environment & Conservation circulated a document called "PNG Wildlife Protection, Chapter 391, International Trade (Fauna and Flora), Schedules 1 and 2", which was basically a statement of the CITES regulations as they applied to plants at that time. This document made clear that PNG was a signatory to CITES, and that CITES reulations applied in PNG under the existing Wildlife Protection Act. On 4th September 1990, Barney Rongap, Secretary to the Dept. of Environment & Conservation, gave a press conference in which he announced a total ban on the export of all wild orchids from PNG. Prior to February 1990, exports from PNG were frequently legitimised by the application of a single rubber stamp at the offices of the National Capital District Botanic Gardens in Port Moresby. Cheers, Peter O'Byrne _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
