Oh Brother!
Oh, collecting with a piece of paper that says you have permission is
different from collecting without the piece of paper?
Legal BS aside, taking is taking,
and if the person that takes is using good judgment, then less damage is certainly done.
But the "permission slip" in no way guarantees that someone will use good judgment!
What happened to people's common sense?
So we can get all upset here when one local guy goes & takes some seed,
but when a whole group of people from some other country, comes in to take some for themselves,
then that is somehow alright simply because they have a piece of paper/permit?!
Wow, history is full of this sort of "politics" & ordained permission!
Selling, growing, whatever is done.
Having the plants growing in a private collection often means doom or being sold off in time anyway!
I have had a Nep growing for over 20 years, and it amazes me that it somehow impresses people or that they don't believe it. 20 years is NOT that long kids! Especially when compared to plants growing in the wild!
I am sorry, I just don't get the difference. Is gathering seed to grow (hopefully) in ones own collection or to trade any different than someone taking & selling the seed to someone who is going to grow it in "their" collection?
So the guy makes money & perhaps feeds himself or his family, or buys underwear or whatever. What is the difference?
Is it better to spend a ton of money, ride in a plane/bus/car to get there & take the seed yourself! Use extra fossil fuel, polluts the environment, have a dozen people
:
:
: trample up there instead of one person...
Simply because a piece of paper says you can do it!
Sorry, I don't see how that is somehow better.
Perhaps I am missing something?
(I am not suggesting I am for or against collecting from the wild, but I don't see the real difference here where it actually makes a difference. That "permit" doesn't in any way guarantee that the people involved will do anything more "righteous or noble" then someone without that paper!
(Likely I will simply be upsetting some "entitled" & enlightened people who are somehow seeing themselves as better able to do things than anyone else.) I still find those people who purchased some seed from questionable sources at no more fault than those who have condemned them for it & now feel "right" in going up there & doing the exact same thing!
Again, I am not suggesting I am FOR the guys collecting illegally. I am just suggesting that going there & taking seed is going there & taking seed. And to throw stones at one person for doing it & justifying your disgust with what was done, is actually not much different than the noble endeavor to appoint ourselves better able to handle the situation & do more good with the results.
As was said at the end: "....and selling the established seedlings".
How nice!
So people here jump down
Dionae's throat for buying some seed, but it will be okay & he will have our blessing if we go there & take seed, grow plants & then sell them to him ourselves!
Oh brother!
Unbelievable!
So tell me... in the long run... how is that any different?
Just what that place needs, more people going there to collect seed!
That will make everything great!
And how good we can feel about ourselves, that we did something the "right" way,
and not like those other "bad" people!
Count me out!