Re: NANFA-- Collecting ethics

David Smith (idleweed_at_tusco.net)
Tue, 13 Jan 2004 06:44:54 -0500

I do not believe that you know that for a fact. It is an excuse for the
people who overcollected these birds. Don't excuse them by saying the animal
would have died off anyway.
What about the passenger pigeon? Were they driven to extinction by
hunters, or by zoologists trying to collect for exhibit or breeding in zoos?
I don't know but I doubt if anyone does for sure.
As far as the professional vs amateur debate I believe the pro can do a
better job IF they have the proper equipment and IF they are supported by
their superiors. Most professional biologists that I know spend much of
their free time studying in their chosen field and helping amateurs (the
biologists have the passion). There are also many amateurs that are as well
qualified as the pro and could do just as good a job IF they have the right
equipment. I come to this group from an interest in insects so maybe my
views are slanted because of the nature of entomology and entomologists but
I think most biologists are very interested in their field and animals in
general.

Dave Smith.
----- Original Message -----
From: <coelacanth_at_btinternet.com>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 5:42 AM
Subject: Re: NANFA-- Collecting ethics

> > Not true, it was made rare by exploitation for food but was made extinct
by
> > so called gentleman naturalists that had to have the northern penguin as
part
> > of their collection of stuffed animals.
>
> But by that time the population had dropped to a level that was almost
certainly unable to sustain itself given the lack of coherent conservation
networks. All they did was speed the end by a few years.

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/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org