This issue reminds me of a case that occurred up here some decades ago.
An ex-police officer living in Arnhem Land was found to be illegally
collecting birds' eggs. He had a permit to collect some (although according
to my contact, an ex-detective sergeant, involved in the case), he got this
by dubious means.
A noted birder, warned the egg-collector that he was to be raided, and he
and his wife hid the eggs. The police according to my contact threatened to
turn Oenpelli upside down unless he handed them over. The birder, whom I
knew personally, lost his job with the Conservation Commission over this,
and was very lucky not to be charged.
I also was told that a stipulation of the court in passing a relatively
lenient sentence, was that this man hand over his data base. He didn't, and
the collection is still sitting in the bowels of a museum of little use to
anyone.
The collector was found to be exporting, among others, peregrine falcon eggs
to the University of San Francisco. A world-renowned scientist, Charles
Sibley was a Dean at that university.
According to Dr. Janet Kear, president of the British Ornithologists' Union,
and editor of The Ibis, Dr. Sibley was found to be importing peregrine
falcon eggs illegally for his research into avian molecular biology. Janet
did tell me that Dr. Sibley was forced to resign from some positions on
ornithological societies, but as far as I know, little else happened to him.
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
1/7 Songlark Street
BAKEWELL NT 0832
Ph. 61 08 89 328306
> http://web.mac.com/goodfellowdl
> http://www.earthfoot.org
> http://www.mcguire-spickard.com/baby_dreaming/
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baby-dreaming
> http://www.ausbird.com
On 8/6/07 10:43 PM, "michael norris" <> wrote:
> Hi Peter
>
> You wrote:
>
> "And should we be going through the whole list, wherever that list might be,
> and making sure all the other species are listed correctly?"
>
> Absolutely! I hope Don Saunders at BOCA and the TSN people at BA are
> following this.
>
> I wish I had time but in Victoria the Secretary of the DSE (and if you like
> the Minister John Thwaites) should know about "our" concerns that the
> various bird lists are not coordinated, ie. Wildlife Act, DSE advisory list,
> and (?) Flora and Fauna Guarantee list. On a precautionary basis the
> "higher" category should be used where there is any doubt. As a first step
> the Wildlife Act should be updated.
>
> Federally there will be an election soon and Liberal, ALP and Greens should
> be notified: Malcolm Turnbull, Pe ter Garrett and ?Bob Brown. These guys
> take account of the number of emails so "someone" should produce a proforma.
> Perhaps the BA could do that (and let us know their election wish list -
> "It's Time").
>
> Michael Norris
>
>
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