O. Alexandrae - could the ban soon be lifted?

[Zacatak]

Saw this article and it seems quite interesting.

abcnews.go.com/Technology/collectors-key-saving-giant-butterfly/story?id=17465558#.UHr0mmfwrFI

maybe they are realising that the only way to save this beautiful butterfly is to lift the ban, breed and sell to collectors to try save its habitat that is being cut down for palm oil plantations.

i know from what i have read on the forum that O. Alexandrae is not as rare as pasted to be. but i agree with the fact more rainforest is being cut down then we imagine. i found this article a great read. let me know your thoughts?

[johnnyboy]

Zac,

That's a very interesting, and disturbing article. Lets hope that at least some of the habitat is saved, and the trade ban lifted.

Although lifting the ban on trading O. alexandrae would be the sensible thing to do it is unlikely to happen any time soon. Too many "conservationists" support the ban. So I wouldn't hold your breath.

Unfortunately, it is the general rule that a person's degree of fervour in opposing collecting insects, particularly butterflies, is inversely proportional to their knowledge of the subject.

I am fortunate in having a pair of O. alexandrae from the 70's, before the ban. However I would welcome a lifting of the ban on trading this magnificent insect.


Johnny

[wollastoni]

If locals earn no money with their forest, they will sell it/destroy it. They have no other choice.
Ornithoptera sustainable trade should really be supported by local authorities !

[Deleted]

out of the "big 4", homerus, alexandrae, chikae and hospiton only really homerus is threatened, the ban on chikae and hospiton is ridiculous, I cant see the ban on any of these 4 ever being lifted, all big showy bugs, command lots of public attention, all the PC do gooders have a cause to fight, lots of ignorant people jump on the band wagon, collecting is blamed for everything and off we go again in a never ending circle of red tape. The bottom line is this, with all governments and bodies of authority, morals soon go out of the window once there is money to be made and to hell with the wildlife, yes captive breeding of alexandrae would be the answer as it would with homerus, the market value would be regulated to ensure the market did not become flooded with specimens, as happened with teinopalpus imperialis and bhutanitis thaidina and mansfieldi, but dont hold your breath, common sense hardly ever prevails amongst those in authority, especially where lepidoptera are concerned, there are specimens out there little brown jobs which are much rarer in nature than alexandrae, chikae and hospiton, does any of the PC do gooders care, of course not, its not about conservation and I fear it never wil be.

[wollastoni]

Yeap...
There will be no more primeforests before the end of XXIst centuries, except few protected areas that will also finished to be illegaly cut.

In Papua and Amazonia, environmentalists fight with petitions against multi-billionnaire mining, oil and palm-oil companies/mafias ... Being an environmentalist there can cost your life. mili-terre.com/article/24/1129/bresil-le-gardien-de-l-amazonie-assassine-et-le-co.htm