Subject: Re: The British Butterfly Conservation Society

From: "Mark J. Dixon" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 19:44:39 +0000

>On Sun, 24 Mar 1996 09:35:04 +0000, Patrick Roper
><[email-masked]> wrote:
>
>I have been editor of Butterfly Conservation's members' magazine since 1990
>and no general statement has been published on collecting during that period
>
I think this is the problem.  No clear statement wrt collecting,  everyone
assumes something,  but the 'something' is usually different.  The sooner
there is a clear statement of BC policy the better - then I can decide to
stay in BC or leave and set up my own society.
>
>With 10,000 members, most of whom joined Butterfly Conservation because
>they like to see butterflies alive, those who collect are in the minority.
>
Do you have statistics to back this up?  When I joined the BC,  I was not
asked if I collected.  The majority of BC members I meet are like myself,
moderate,  respectful breeders/collectors who spend the majority of their
time 'looking but not touching'. Perhaps the other type run when they see me
coming...!  You may have a very vocal 10% of members who are anti-collecting
and are assumed to be the norm.

There is usually a BC stall at major UK Ento. shows where
livestock/deadstock is sold.  I often wonder if this analogous to the
Salvation Army selling War Cry
in pubs.

Will the BC policy cover breeding as well as collecting, or are they
considered the same?
>
>On Sun, 24 Mar 1996 19:32:27 +0000, Chris Raper
>Chris Raper <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
>I would have liked to see a featured article (not a letter)
>where a member from the AES (or similar) was invited to give a
>response as to why they thought collecting was justified.
>
I agree this is essential for a balanced view,  but it is feared by some
people that the AES is of late turning anti-collecting,  a fact which is
hard to stomach when you understand the AES's history and its substantial
funds,  principally willed by late collectors.

Sad thing is I think the BC magazine is very good and I like the idea of
belonging to an organisation which actively promotes the protection of habitat.

Mark Dixon