New Nepenthes species

From: Borneo Exotics (borneo@lanka.net)
Date: Wed Aug 19 1998 - 08:24:09 PDT


Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 20:24:09 +0500
From: Borneo Exotics <borneo@lanka.net>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg2740$foo@default>
Subject: New Nepenthes species

Phil Wilson wrote:

"Just an idle thought but how do you obtain CITES permits if you don't
know the species since these details have to be listed on the import and
export permits."

Sorry about the delay in replying to this Phil. I've been up in the
highlands here where (unfortunately!) internet access isn't possible.

As far as I am aware, only two species are listed on CITES appendix 1: N.
rajah and N. khasiana. All the others are currently on CITES appendix II.
In the 1980's I shipped artificially propagated Nepenthes on numerous
occasions that were listed as "Nepenthes spp. - no N. rajah or N. khasiana
included" for which I obtained CITES documentation without question. If
there's a better way to ship unidentified species it I would like to hear
about it as, so far as I am aware, there is no provision for new (or even
unidentified) species in the CITES regulations. Perhaps it's something
they would like to consider making provision for. As a conservation body
doing their best to preserve what's known to be dwindling, perhaps they
haven't given much consideration to the fact that there's more out there
than science currently knows about.

On the same topic - does anyone have any idea why herbarium specimens
require CITES documents in the first place? It seems to me that as the
collection of a few pressed top cutting that are shipped in a dead
condition with no chance of revival pose no significant threat to the
survival of the species in the wild, and are obviously of no commercial
value. Until a new species is classed as 'new' - which requires a formal
description to be done first - there is no way that the conservation
status can be classified, and therefore protective measures cannot taken.
It seems strange to me.

Best regards,

Rob Cantley

<http://www.borneoexotics.com>



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