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23 September 2002 |
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NATURE/
Wild Society |
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| Tourists:
Don't buy insect souvenirs |
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| A
mindless trade threatens the country's forests
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 Just as we were considering
writing about a horrible sight the other day at the
tourist-infested area near Soi Nana - stuffed bats for sale!
Our friend Bob Gaurus wrote us the following mail:
More and more pollinator species from insects to bats are
being illegally taken from the forest to be sold to tourists.
A quick walk down the jam-packed Sukhumvit Road around Soi 3-4
all the way to Soi Asoke, or on Silom and Patpong roads is
greeted by street vendors with box after box of many different
species of these animals.
Dried specimens of moths and butterflies, beetles, scorpions,
centipedes and many others are put in plastic boxes for sale. Go
to any of other tourist traps like Pattaya and Phuket, and it's
the same thing.
What needs to be done to solve this problem is simple. Make it
illegal to take insects out from Thailand, with heavy fines for
anyone caught with the creatures at the ports of
entry/departure. Large notice boards and random checks at
airports and other departure points in the Kingdom plus good
enforcement, and the insect trade will eventually dry up.
However, this will probably never happen because these street
vendors must have powerful back-ups.
Insects are part of nature's most important and numerous group
of pollinators. The trade in them must stop for the future of
Thailand's forests.
Regretfully,
Bob Gaurus
Yeah, who knows what these people will offer next. Rhinos?
Treating wildlife as tourist souvenirs is sick and won't do the
Kingdom's growing tourism industry any good. Concerned agencies from the Forest Department, the National Police Office to the
Tourism Authority should wake up and do something before the
natural balance is completely destroyed and Thailand's image
among the international community is further tarnished. NOW!
By the way, common-sense advice for the rest of us especially
you, dear tourists is: Don't support this stupid trade. |
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