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Subject: Feathers and specimens
From:
Date: Fri, February 13, 2009 08:04
To: "Syd Curtis" <>
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Over the years I have found many dead bird and reptile specimens. All have
been
forwarded to Museum Victoria, or to other collections held for educational
purposes,
eg BOCA, Parks Victoria, or Latrobe University Wildlife Reserve, for eventual
taxidermy or skeleton preparation.
The last one was a Short-tailed Shearwater picked up in Ivanhoe (Melbourne)
- this
was during a major wreck of Shearwaters. I offered it to the Museum, but they
had
more than they knew what to do with, so after a week or so in the freezer it
went to
Latrobe.
However I was repeatedly telephoned by people from Dept. of Environment
telling me
that I was not allowed to retain any specimen without a permit, and that I was
not
entitled to have a permit. Being a long-term birdwatcher was no reason for a
permit -
I could only have one if I was doing scientific research for a higher degree.
Apparently even collecting the specimen from the gutter was illegal, I should
have
left it there.
Surely it is better to forward a specimen to Museums or other suitable
collections
than do nothing with it? What if those two Night Parrot specimens had been
left on
the fence or beside the track?
Anthea Fleming
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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