|
|
"MoGeo" <maramigua@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1140897820.024277.305050@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Aidan Karley wrote:
>> In article <dtpb26$1tk$02$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Alan Johnson wrote:
>> > Evenin' all. What's general opinion on this kind of thing? Naughty,
>> > don't care, good for business and punters?
>
> Hi Alan,
> My opinion is: if the material was collected with the consent of
> the landowner and/or compensation for it, and in accordance with the
> laws at the place of collection, I see nothing wrong
> with it. If the material were stolen, it is stolen property, and should
> be returned, and the perpetrators prosecuted according to the valuation
> of the material..
>
> Collection and sales of various rocks and artifacts in the US is
> always under fire from academics, who don't want to see *their* sites
> plundered, lawmakers, who haven't a clue, and well-meaning but actually
> fairly stupid people who would rather see specimens be destroyed than
> end up in someone's living room. Caught in the middle are serious
> amateurs who find the law closing in on what has been a legitmate hobby
> (and a breeding ground for the next generation of scientists). The
> academies and museums here don't have the funds nor personnel to curate
> everything valuable. On the other hand, dealers who trash sites purely
> for profit are dispicable also, as are people who steal specimens from
> places which are clearly labeled as off limits.
>
> I don't find rocks and fossils equivalent to old human bones-- there
> are cultural reasons why trafficking in human bones is offensive to a
> majority of people. though there is a legitimate exception for
> scientific study of burial sites, as long as it is done respectfully.
> There are laws regarding the treatment of speleothems in nearly every
> US state--and there are 50 different ways they are regarded. That's a
> bit confusing. The rationale here is: the cave is more valuable with
> the stal in place than with the stal stripped. On the other hand,
> there are legitimate ways one can get hold of stal for scientific
> studies, use with people who cannot go to caves, and so forth.
>
> I really worry about the future of the earth sciences if those who are
> interested in fossils, rocks, caves, etc, aren't allowed to see/touch
> the real thing until they are freshmen in college.
>
> Jo
I think the key in this particular instance is that the fossils were
stolen, and because of that, re-sale, particularly in the U.S., is illegal.
Since the government of Argentina has requested return of the fossils, and
prosecution of the thiefs, I think that goes a long way in explaining our
government's actions in this case.
George
|
|