Is it legal to collect seeds of rare neps in wild?

[Zhilin]

I have a friend in my university. His motherland is Indonesia. This Christmas he will go back to his motherland. And what is cool is he promised me to collect neps' seeds in wild for me.

But I have two questions:
(1) Is it legal to collect seeds in wild? Of course, I won't ask him to collect seeds of ordinary neps. I plan to teach him to get familiar with those rare neps and ask him to collect those neps' seeds. But I don't know whether this is legal?

(2) Is it legal to ship the seeds to US from Indonesia?

Thanks

 

[Not a Number]

Short answer: yes and no. See the ICPS Wild Seed Collection Policy

Follow all local, national, and international laws when collecting seed. Many areas have special protection status and prohibit collecting seeds without collection permits. It is the collector’s responsibility to be sure all laws are being observed. The ICPS can not provide an interpretation of the various laws and does not authorize members to collect on behalf of the ICPS.

The reason for the laws and this ICPS policy is to help assure carnivorous plants will continue to exist in natural environments. Carnivorous plants are often in small populations. The removal of seed can reduce the genetic diversity of a site and impair the long-term viability of native plant populations. Even plants that once existed in large, landscape-level stands are being reduced to small, fragmented populations because of human pressures.

CITES governs the international trade of endangered species. All Nepenthes species except N. rajah and N. khasiana are Appendix II. For Appendix II Nepenthes see the following quote. Appendix I species all parts and derivatives are covered (no exceptions). I'm not sure about hybrids. See also the CITES Appendices:

#4 All parts and derivatives, except:
a) seeds (including seedpods of Orchidaceae), spores and pollen (including pollinia). The exemption does not apply to seeds from Cactaceae spp. exported from Mexico, and to seeds from Beccariophoenix madagascariensis and Neodypsis decaryi exported from Madagascar;
b) seedling or tissue cultures obtained in vitro, in solid or liquid media, transported in sterile containers;
c) cut flowers of artificially propagated plants;
d) fruits, and parts and derivatives thereof, of naturalized or artificially propagated plants of the genus Vanilla (Orchidaceae) and of the family Cactaceae;
e) stems, flowers, and parts and derivatives thereof, of naturalized or artificially propagated plants of the genera Opuntia subgenus Opuntia and Selenicereus (Cactaceae); and
f) finished products of Euphorbia antisyphilitica packaged and ready for retail trade.

To legally import seed to the US you need APHIS PPQ permit 587. For protected species Permit 621. If less than 50 seeds of any species and 50 different species you can use the small seed lot permit provisions of 587. No phytosanitary certificate is required with small seed lots. Otherwise the sender has to provide phytosanitary certificates. To send CITES Appendix I species and plants or parts not excepted by the provisions of Appendix II the sender has to provide documentation and permits showing that the plants or seed were propagated artificially or in cultivation.

In addition you may require permits from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and from your state.

If more than 50 seeds of any species you may also have to pay customs duty.

Note it takes about 15-20 working days to complete the processing APHIS PPQ permits if done online. The USDA advises 30 days if done through paper mail. Some of the documentation that the sender must provide has to be originals and can not be sent via email.

While it may be legal locally, nationally and internationally is it ethical? The ICPS policy covers some of the ethics of wild seed collection.

 

[thez_yo]

Thanks Warren

*bookmarks thread*

 

[Dexenthes]

That's a perfect first response to this thread!

 

[meka]

While it may be legal locally, nationally and internationally is it ethical?

From the ICPS site:

The reason for the laws and this ICPS policy is to help assure carnivorous plants will continue to exist in natural environments. Carnivorous plants are often in small populations. The removal of seed can reduce the genetic diversity of a site and impair the long-term viability of native plant populations. Even plants that once existed in large, landscape-level stands are being reduced to small, fragmented populations because of human pressures.

The ICPS site also includes a list of "imperiled" species:

Dionaea muscipula Soland. ex Ellis: Note B
Drosera regia Stephens: Note B
Nepenthes aristolochioides Jebb & Cheek: Note A
Nepenthes bellii Kondo: Note A
Nepenthes boschiana Korth.: Note A
Nepenthes burbidgeae Hook.f. ex Burb.: Note A
Nepenthes campanulata Kurata: Note C
Nepenthes clipeata Danser: Note A
Nepenthes dubia Danser: Note A
Nepenthes gracillima Ridl.: Note A
Nepenthes lavicola Wistuba & Rischer: Note A
Nepenthes macrophylla (Marabini) Jebb & Cheek: Note A
Nepenthes masoalensis Schmid-Hollinger: Note A
Nepenthes murudensis Culham ex M. Jebb & M. Cheek: Note A
Nepenthes paniculata Danser: Note A
Nepenthes pilosa Danser: Note A
Nepenthes rajah Hook. f.: Note A
Nepenthes talangensis J. Nerz & A. Wistuba: Note A
Nepenthes truncata Macfarlane: Note A
Pinguicula ionantha Godfr.: Note B,D
Sarracenia alabamensis Case & Case (=Sarracenia rubra subsp. alabamensis (Case & Case) Schnell): Note B,D
Sarracenia jonesii Wherry (=Sarracenia rubra subsp. jonesii (Wherry) Wherry): Note B,D
Sarracenia oreophila (Kearney) Wherry: Note A,D
Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea f. heterophylla (Eaton) Fern.: Note B
Sarracenia purpurea subsp. venosa var. montana Schnell & Determann: Note B
Sarracenia rubra subsp. gulfensis Schnell: Note B

Listing justifications:

Note A: Listed on the IUCN Red List as “Critically Endangered“ or “Endangered.”
Note B: Not listed on the IUCN Red List as “Critically Endangered“ or “Endangered”, but included at the discretion of the ICPS Conservation Program.
Note C: Listed on the IUCN Red List as “Extinct,” this species has been rediscovered in the wild.
Note D: This taxon falls under protection by CITES (Appendix 1) and/or the
USA Endangered Species Act.

I do not know if this list is exhaustive or not. You might also want to look into the IUCN Red List. Personally, if something is listed as any level of "threatened," I wouldn't touch it.

 

[Zhilin]

Thanks for the detailed information. I think I'd better give up my plan.

 

[richjam1986]

Good call on that Zhilin. It shows you have good character Sometimes we have to give up the personal satisfaction of growing a rare plant for the better good of its preservation and our moral character. It makes me so sad when I hear of people stealing, poaching, and being dishonest just so they can have some plants.

So many of these plants are having enough trouble surviving in the wild. If we truly love these plants as much as we profess, we would want to do everything to help their long term survival in their natural habitats. Encourage others you come accross to do the same: that is, make sure thier activities are both legal and ethical for the long term preservation of these plants in the wild (Some things may be legal that aren't necesarily right or best). They need to regenerate from seed!
Good luck to you