FEDS ARREST IMPORTER OF ORCHIDS
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PLANTS ALLEGEDLY COLLECTED FROM THE PHILIPPINES
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South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)-July 12, 2008
Author: Vanessa Blum Staff Writer
Federal authorities arrested a Fort Lauderdale orchid dealer Friday on charges
he imported more than 1,400 orchid plants from the Philippines in February 2005.
Mac Rivenbark, 41, owner of Mac's Orchids, told authorities at Miami
International Airport the plants had been artificially cultivated when they
were actually collected from the wild in violation of environmental protection
laws, prosecutors allege.
If convicted, Rivenbark could be sent to prison for up to five years and fined
$250,000. His attorney could not be reached for comment.
A federal magistrate in Miami set bail at $175,000 for Rivenbark, past
president of the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society.
Axel Cahiz, whose family owns Amazonia Orchids Inc. in Homestead, said the
arrest would send a signal to other businesses in South Florida's tight-knit
orchid community.
"You cannot go to the jungle and say, 'I like this plant,' and take it and
bring it over here unless you want to go to jail or you want to get a big
fine," Cahiz said.
Orchids have been protected since 1975 under an international treaty regulating
animal and plant species that could be threatened with extinction if over
harvested.
"In the past, orchids started disappearing and became extinct due to
overcollection," said Wagner Vendrame, who teaches an orchids course at the
University of Florida. "You really don't want to see species disappearing from
their natural habitat. That's something very serious."
Vanessa Blum can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 954-356-4605.
Edition: Broward Metro
Section: Local
Page: 4B
Index Terms: ENVIRONMENT VIOLATION ARREST
Record Number: 0807110203
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