From Jack Sexton
In the last 30 years we have seen a phenomenal increase in rock and fossil collecting, to the extent that the hobby has become commercially viable (Thistle Diary, 13 May). Dealers all over the world regularly issue lists of fossils and their prices, just like the fine-art dealers. The problem is that, as soon as a pound sign appeared in the equation, the nature of rock and fossil collecting changed and the criminal element began to move in. I have seen fossils offered for sale, at values sometimes up to five figures, and listed as collected from recognised sites of special scientific interest.
The problem with treating fossils in the same way as works of art is that they are not obviously in the same category as a painting by Munch or a sculpture like The Three Graces. A fossil like Westlothiana would be, to a customs official, a very insignificant-looking bit of rock. Even experts might have difficulty in recognising it as an amniote, rather than a less valuable amphibian.
The problem has, in my opinion, to be tackled locally at the SSSIs. If this is to be effective then the successors to the now-fragmented Nature Conservancy Council must be given the means to police the sites. Sadly the political will to tackle the problem appears to be lacking.
