Re: Trading fossils illegal in Italy?

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> > 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.
> > 
> 


Three Points:
1. As with many laws, the majority of well-intentioned and honest 
people are often put to a disadvantage because of the past actions of 
an irresponsible few.  Australia is currently having a major debate 
over gun restrictions, caused by just this factor.  We all have to 
live with it - it is part of living as a society.

2. The export of fossils was probably caught up with the policy 
development on trading in artefacts - which is a much more serious 
problem. However, there have been examples of theft and 
clandestine export of significant fossil specimens.

3. The restrictions are cumbersome - but the system does work. It is 
quite possible to export material that is not of significant 
scientific value. Export of specimens which potentially may be made 
types of new species is definitely out - these should be lodged in a 
suitable local museum.

In practice, there seems to be no difficulty in exporting/ taking out 
samples of fossil-bearing sediments that have not been picked over.

Phil Bock
Dept of Civil & Geological Engineering
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Email:  bock@rmit.edu.au      Phone  (Int.) +61 3 9660 2411
Home Page:  http://www.civgeo.rmit.edu.au/staff/bock.html
"The world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel"
   (Horace Walpole, 1717-1797)