Greetings all! I'm not about to do so (and couldn't afford to even if I wanted to), but I'm curious as to which countries world-wide actually allow the collection of wild orchids. And of those that do, which ones require a permit? One reason I ask is that before I moved from Miami, a friend travelled to Jamaica and hired a local guide who made his living taking collectors to the best sites, though he personally would not allow any more than two of any particular species to be taken. I know that in the world of shell collecting, very few countries impose restrictions on collecting. Indeed, a number of individuals both here in the States and abroad offer "tour packages" to collectors. I would think that actually getting the plants into the U.S. would pose more of a challenge, but maybe I'm wrong.
Back in 2000, when I had a bit more "mad money," I booked a space on a liveaboard dive boat that was taking shellers to rarely visited sites, including The Gingerbreads, a huge coral formation out in the middle of the Bahamas, far from any islands. My personal interest was underwater photography (I got some great footage!). Upon re-entering the U.S., customs agents checked to make sure no species on the CITES list was brought in (Queen Conchs, for example), but nobody inquired about plants we might have collected other than fruit. This is just something I have wondered about for quite a while and finally sat down to ask the experts, just to satisfy my curiosity! Thanks in advance! Jim _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
