[meteorite-list] Meteorite Collecting Ban

From: almitt <almitt_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:30 2004
Message-ID: <3F3300B8.AEFEE965_at_kconline.com>

To All,

Those receiving their new issues of Meteorite Magazine should pay particular attention to the comments made by O. Richard Norton in the letter section (front of the magazine).

Apparently the powers that be just can't be happy with controlling most of the meteorite finds and falls in the world. They apparently have to have more and control more. An article submitted by a Canadian Lawyer comments about the laws and ownership of specimens. Richard Norton wisely mentions the level of cooperation of dealers and collectors with researchers. Not all researchers (probably most) are against private collection of meteorites.

I for one find this effort by a few Orwellian worms (which seems to stem out of Canada and reflects their export laws) very anti-freedom, anti-freemarket. Rather than promote finding specimens to expand their collections (and others) They create an environment that gives no incentive to hunt for new finds or falls. Those that would keep a few of us from collecting and enjoying an aspect of nature (which we share) perhaps should be tar and feathered and hung out at the Tucson and Denver Shows to be made an example of. Hopefully we can keep these people from their goals by offering resistance and fighting for what is right.

I do think it is important to honor the export laws of countries that meteorites are found in. I do think the laws need to be change to reward finders with a part of new finds rather than smoother efforts of hunting and no incentive to obtain new finds and falls. Why some countries allow meteorites to rust away and complain when others try to recover them is a mystery to me.

One last comment. There is a little snitch who tends to forward my emails (behind my back) on subjects like this to the authors who I have commented on. I know who you are and feel free to forward this on to the authors if you wish. Otherwise all my best to the others on the list.

--AL Mitterling
Received on Thu 07 Aug 2003 09:45:28 PM PDT