NY Times article on Copiapoa Trafficking via Italy

[Apicra]

The CSSA are publicising this in their latest newsletter - a NY Times report about Succulent Trafficking. The CSSA Conservation Committee was apparently interviewed for this well-written article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/20/scie ... chile.html

Very sad!

Derek Tribble

[Stuart]

Interesting but sad to read that story. Thanks for drawing attention to it Derek, I thought this type of trade in collected plants didn't happen any more in Europe. It's a shame to read this. I doubt the plants would survive their trip half way round the world and back again, the C.Solaris in the photo looked in a pretty bad state from when it was collected.
There was a time when this trade in collected plants was quite legal and quite accepted in the cactus hobby. Huge amounts of large-sized habitat plants were available at Holly Gate in the Clive Innes era and Jumanery must have sold thousands of Ariocarpus. I remember a coach trip to a large northern nursery soon after I joined the NCSS before it became the BCSS. I was looking forward to seeing 'real' cacti 'in the flesh'. I remember being really disappointed that they were all unrooted and looked pretty battered. As a beginner in the hobby I didn't think they were worth buying though the other more-experienced collectors bought plenty. Nursery-grown plants looked much nicer.
That didn't stop me buying a habitat Copiapoa Cinerea the size of a grapefruit from Jim Bolton's nursery in Formby a few months later while on a civil service scrabble-playing trip to Manchester! I still have it and it's made a good cluster but, times have changed, and I don't think any nursery would get away with selling collected plants in the UK. Sadly, other countries don't all have our high standards.

Stuart

[KarlR]

Very sad. I wonder if the plants were meant for the European market or if they were meant to be sold on to the Far East. Like Stuart, I can't really imagine that there's a market for thousands of habitat collected Copiapoas in Europe. Particularly not as you'd be looking at hundreds or thousands of pounds for just one of these specimens if the value in the article reflects reality (1.2 m USD for over 1000 plants). I have a hard time believing there's a market for that in Europe.

Hopefully some of the plants will be able to reestablish themselves in habitat.

[fero]

These are on eb now , not only that they are sponsored so pop up in adds bar.
133371201660
274720157577

The price has come down . Though the price to the habitats that are under mounting environmental / human pressures is ever rising.

[Pattock]

These are on eb now , not only that they are sponsored so pop up in adds bar.
133371201660
274720157577

The price has come down . Though the price to the habitats that are under mounting environmental / human pressures is ever rising.

If you have any suspicions and a fax machine you can report them to the local authorities, who will know if they have the appropriate licenses and permissions. If not, they will investigate.

http://forestry.nv.gov/wp-content/uploa ... ochure.pdf

[jhb]

A dreadful practise to dig up habitat plants so satisfy the bragging rights of people who buy the plants. Greed also comes into it. As for C Solaris I bought seed from the BCSS in 2008, I think, & only have 2 that survived but they are a reasonable size. I’ll never see them get to their full size but I’m enjoying seeing them grow & know that I didn’t have to resort to habitat plants.

[Stuart]

If the American plants had been legally collected, they'd have their official tags fixed round the spines. These would show the plant's legality and shouldn't be removed until the plant is sold and reaches its new home. The tags are meant to be tamper-proof and fixed a bit like the seals that used to go round UK electric meters. Any habitat plant being transported without a government tag should arouse suspicion. As the plants advertised are openly on sale, the authorities either don't look, don't care, or they might have checked and they might be legal.

Stuart

[Pattock]

As the plants advertised are openly on sale, the authorities either don't look, don't care, or they might have checked and they might be legal.

Stuart

I suspect they don't have the time to trawl ebay for dodgy sales. They are relying on concerned citizens to notify them.

As the leaflet I linked says "Call the Nevada Division of Forestry with questions or to report violations: (702) 486-5123." Fax Phone (702) 486-5186

If I had a fax I would have done it already. Give it to Nevada Division of Forestry sort it out.