"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...

I'm not one to fly into mindless conniptions about
sudden oak death, mitten crabs, invasive freshwater crayfish, grey
squirrels, NZ flatworms, Dutch elm disease, scorpions on the Isle of
Sheppey, and all of those: but I've been thinking about it for
years --

as has Professor Brasier of Forest Research and Imperial
College. He reckons "We don't move large numbers of animals around
the world for disease reasons, and we shouldn't do it for plants
either."

That's a very strange claim to make, IMO.

a) Why should anyone want to move large numbers of animals around
the world anyway ?

The main reasons why large numbers of animals aren't moved around the
world is surely because of economics, practicality, and lack of demand.
Certainly since the decline in zoos and circuses in Europe. So -

b) Which particular species and breeds of animals is Professor Brasier
suggesting are prevented from being moved around the world in large numbers
for disease reasons?


It's maybe worth bearing in mind that Professor Brewer's livelihood depends,
among other things on convincing people of all these dangers. As
professionals
like himself are uniquely positioned to adjudicate on such matters should
the need ever arise.

....


Brasier, as I mentioned in another post, has just presented a paper
on the subject at a DEFRA-backed RHS conference. He may be wrong; but
that doesn't make the issue trivial, or liable to summary dismissal
by minor verbal debating points.

....

And so presumably in the interests of seriousness, and as an antidote to
triviality it's thought preferable to make oblique references to
" a paper", and cite vague Appeals to Authority by means of mentions
of Professor Brasier, DEFRA, and the RHS, than it is to actually provide
a link to the talk in question ? To wit -

http://forests.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=48617


Maybe Professor Brewer, who you appear to find yourself in agreement
with, made a "minor verbal debating point" there himself, in the paper
he gave to the DEFRA backed RHS conference, with his reference there to
our "not moving large numbers of animals around the world for disease
reasons" ?



michael adams

....




--
Mike.