Re: Trading fossils illegal in Italy?

[Daryl Fuller <Daryl.Fuller@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

What about rocks and minerals? Couldn't you send over samples of limestone and 
silica (which just might by accident have fossils in them, which you obviously 
didn't notice)? Also, I have heard of quarries of marble from Italy which are 
rich in fossils. Used for fireplace facing, wall facing, etc. Is this a recent 
law?

Daryl Fuller, Vancouver

> >Silvio Resesto wrote(in part):
> >In Italy is allowed to purchase, sell
> >or barter only fossils coming from abroad; any fossil coming from an italian
> >locality is property of the government and has to be stored in a museum, in
> >an university or other institution, its selling or bartering is forbidden by
> >law, especially among private collectors.
>
> Glen Kuban replied: 
> Let me get this straight.  Italy expects (and benefits from) other countries
> open policy on fossils, but wants to strictly restrict its own?  Well, isn't
> that special?  My reaction to this is the same as that to the posting
> regarding Australian restrictions.  I think it is a misguided and
> counterproductive trend.  Any nation (of museum) that hords its own fossils
> cannot expect others to freely share theirs.  The result if this catches on
> will be a stiffling of the exchange of data and specimens, which paleontology
> needs in order to thrive.  It also benefits from encouraging amateur
> collecting and use of fossils for teaching purposes--requiring all fossils to
> be stored in a museum is also counterproductive.
> 
> You'd think that governments and national scientific organizations would have
> learned what most five year olds did while playing in the sandbox.  If you
> don't share with others, others are not likely to share with you.
> 

> paleo@ix.netcom.com