>> ... "Organisers of the Cayman Islands' Heritage Garden had sought special >> permission to take specimens for the ghost and banana orchids out of the >> country. . . An export licence was granted by the Cayman authorities but >> the rare plants now require an import licence under European rules.
The "Organisers of the Cayman Islands' Heritage Garden" are to blame here. Dutch customs has shown to follow rules on trade - or are we now against restricted trade in these species ? Of all species that can be auctioned there are better ones to choose from than these, this reeks of opportunism. The market is created by orchid enthusiasts, and the high demand/price for rare plants is possible because of these precedents: emphasizing the species' endangered status and demonstrating via an auction (I'm trying to avoid the word loop-hole without success) that there's money to be made with them. It keeps the high price stable and creates demand by broadcasting the event. If conservation was on their mind they should've donated the plants to an institute that has the know-how to propagate them, creating a new gene-pool outside the Americas. There are enough medal-winning hybrids and mutations from artificial propagation that are less controversial and equally lucrative. You can spank me know. Best regards, Frederick _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
