More habitat plants dug up

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Jim_Mercer
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More habitat plants dug up

Post by Jim_Mercer »

More than 5,600 succulent plants found, wonder how many more shipments the authorities have missed
https://www.news24.com/news24/southafri ... tI8OPUlfIE
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juster
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by juster »

Awful to think of what goes on, and yes Jim you are right, this may just be the tip of the iceberg :sad:
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ChrisR
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by ChrisR »

juster wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 10:30 pm Awful to think of what goes on, and yes Jim you are right, this may just be the tip of the iceberg :sad:
I'm sure many people don't realise the shocking extent of what's currently going on in South Africa. All driven by Asian demand. Just this year to date there have been over a quarter million plants.....the majority Conophytum, but other genera too......confiscated from arrested poachers and intercepted at airports being shipped mainly to Hong Kong. From there they get smuggled into China. That quarter million may well be only a fraction of what has got through and ended up in China, South Korea and Thailand, as seen in images posted on their own social media groups. Arrested poachers are now all locals, very few people from overseas are travelling due to Covid. These arrested locals are referring to plants that they once never gave a second glance, as "green gold". Some who were smuggling diamonds have switched to plants because the profits are high and the risks are low. Currently the courts don't take it seriously when locals are doing it, unlike when foreigners are caught and receive large fines and a few weeks jail time before being deported. So locals get a small fine and carry on. One guy caught again last week was up to his fifth offence and many others have been arrested multiple times. So it goes on. Habitat plants sell well in Asia because nursery grown ones are expensive. The demand is now for other succulents, with Othonna, Tylecodon and small bulbs and tuberous plants such as Eriospermum and Gethylis being seen on Chinese WeChat forums and also found in seized shipments. Some Conophytum taxa have already been wiped out at their only known localities so may now be extinct. At the moment there seems to be no end to it......
Chris Rodgerson- Sheffield UK BCSS 27098

See www.conophytum.com for ca.4000 photos and growing info on Conophytum, Crassula & Adromischus.
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Pattock
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by Pattock »

The smuggling trade to Asia may be more visible because of the lack of shame in publicising their plants on social media but Europe and North America are still substantial markets. It appears that "Never Enough Cactus" has closed but then reopened as LA Succulents, run by the same person at the same location.

https://www.businessinsider.com/millenn ... ?r=US&IR=T
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ChrisR
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by ChrisR »

Chris Rodgerson- Sheffield UK BCSS 27098

See www.conophytum.com for ca.4000 photos and growing info on Conophytum, Crassula & Adromischus.
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Ernie
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by Ernie »

and we all know there are people who visit this forum who will buy them if they can, that's a simple fact no matter how much some folk get annoyed at me mentioning it.
It's shocking that so much is being stripped from the wild. At the risk of taking flack I will say it again. No obviously habitat collected plants should be allowed at the national show. BCSS start setting an example. The Queen recently was heard to say, 'too much talk not enough action'. She's right.
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el48tel
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by el48tel »

Ernie wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 1:47 pm and we all know there are people who visit this forum who will buy them if they can, that's a simple fact no matter how much some folk get annoyed at me mentioning it.
It's shocking that so much is being stripped from the wild. At the risk of taking flack I will say it again. No obviously habitat collected plants should be allowed at the national show. BCSS start setting an example. The Queen recently was heard to say, 'too much talk not enough action'. She's right.
Yup
You are not wrong.
Yup
There are folk on here who will say how awful it is to hear about stripped habitats .... but will say that such-and-such a plant is now on their wishlist.
Yup
There are folk who don't like being reminded ... and of their hypocrisy
Yup
There are habitat plants which appear at shows.

Yup .... we need to."man up"
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
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Pattock
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by Pattock »

el48tel wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:05 pm Yup .... we need to."man up"
I agree with the sentiment (and the rest of your points), however, perhaps "take the high road" or "make your mother proud" would be better phrases?
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el48tel
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by el48tel »

Pattock wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:38 pm
el48tel wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:05 pm Yup .... we need to."man up"
I agree with the sentiment (and the rest of your points), however, perhaps "take the high road" or "make your mother proud" would be better phrases?
Whatever floats your boat!
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
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MatDz
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Re: More habitat plants dug up

Post by MatDz »

Chris will for sure have more accurate info on this, but the current demand seems to be mainly caused by high prices of nursery grown plants in some Asian countries as compared to the habitat collected, smuggled ones (which sounds quite ridiculous really and typical to the "prohibition-like" approaches).
Mat
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