Pat Brennan wrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: "K Barrett"
Newsgroups: rec.gardens.orchids
Sent: Thursday, November 24, 2005 11:33 AM
Subject: illegal orchids or orchid smuggling.....



Well, you got the one 'ring' that was caught. Any others are still
underground.... such is the nature of crime, no?

K


-- the reporter gone? --

So I'm at a big orchid show and my storage area is next to a Taiwanese
grower's area. All of their plants have been imported for the show, coffin
box after coffin box stacked toward the ceiling. In English, in big black
marker the side of each box lists it contents, 100 of this 25 of that. When
I see the boxes containing flasks names as vietnamense and hangianum make up
the this and that. Through Taiwan CITES, through US customs, through US ag
inspection, half way around the world with nothing to hide. The plants at
the show did not surprise me, nothing new there. But written on the side of
the boxes -- underground? Like most shows, by the Sunday afternoon all of
the flasks have been sold -- such is the nature of this crime.

So last weekend I'm at a smaller AOS judged show. As is my normal routine,
after my exhibit is up I check the other exhibits before the ribbon shake
and break occurs. In another commercial growers exhibit is a spectacular
Paph labeled as Joyce Hasegawa. I am no Paph expert, but delenatii has
never made anything this nice. Clearly the plant is vietnamense X
hangianum. I confirm this with a Paph expert who says 'no doubt.' That
night or maybe the next day, the AOS judging fairies come and by the time I
return to the show it is ribbons ribbons everywhere. Joyce proudly sports a
best in class blue. I am not even sure where the crime is.

Now some good new, Phrag. kovachii. The first (at least that I know of)
batch of legal kovachii arrived in the US last summer. I know of another
legal batch, from another breeder, that has completed the Peru CITES
paperwork and will be in the US before Christmas. I do not think there will
be any problem with the legal status of plants from either of these batches
since the Peruvian government gave the plants to these growers in Peru. The
orchid world has followed the progress of these plants and the pods, it is
all documented. In addition, it is my understanding that the surviving
plants handed out by Peruvian government have been DNA fingerprinted. I was
surprised to see Peru allowed the flasks to leave the country, but it seems
they did. All and all, when we get past Mike and Selby's problems, CITES
seems to work well with kovachii. As legal plants become available the
demand for collected plants should all but go away. I expect kovachii
distribution to be very similar to what we saw with besseae. We are going
to start seeing kovachii seedlings for sale (if they are not already) in the
three figure range. Over the next couple of years the supply will continue
to increase and the price will drop. I hope to have one within 5 years and
I plan to pay less than $50 for it.


Pat



Your observation about the Joyce Hasegawa is why Harold Koopowitz gave
an address to the trustees in Sonoma. That judges have to start being
more observant. That plants like your Joyce Hasegawa reference will
start showing up at the judging table and judges should be aware that if
its too good to be true its probably made with illegal stock. I didn't
hear his comments. They were made to the Trustees committee. But I
believe they are repeated in this most recent Orchid Digest magazine.
(Or was it this most recent 'Orchids'? [scratches head])

I am floored that hagianum etc came throuogh in flasks. Maybe because
they *were* in flasks? Note: I don't believe CITES exempts App I flasks,
no matter what has been written, but sheesh, you've seen it for
yourself, Pat.... maybe its true.

So what's the deal then? The Taiwanese vendor imported hangianum
legally. In a few years these flask's plants will show up at the
judging table. We aren't supposed to judge them..... but by then who
knows? The AOS's ban may be lifted by that time. (Note to self: start
hanging arond with paph people now so I learn what these things look
like for when the ban is lifted....)

K Barrett