[meteorite-list] Australian Monash University Meteorite Recovery Program is under threat

[ian macleod]

 Hi all. In response to MikeG



>>But, one has to wonder - if Australia's
laws were not so restrictive, private hunters would be recovering and
classifying more Australian meteorites than the scientists would have
time to examine. 

I could not agree more in regards to state laws and regulations. National Heritage laws in regards to meteorite export....that's a different matter. I think that a country should be able to protect meteorites found on its soil.

Imagine someone jumping your fence and stealing a meteorite off of your lawn? 

Well Australia is a complicated land lacking in resources sometimes to classify meteorites.

In the long history of things you will find that our laws in part stemmed from the poor actions of certain Americans that chose not to respect a particular state Museum.

So the actions of a few have effected all.

I have it on good authority from more than one source that meteorites are being stolen out of Australia and then being miss classified with incorrect locations and names.

We need as a international community re-earn the trust of the officials here

if we are as a community to slow the trend of state monopoly ownership of meteorites 
We need to be less worried about the bottom line and more about science


Kind Regards

Ian

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