At: Leon Lotter/Cornia Hugo
At: Leon Lotter/Cornia Hugo
All Concerned Date: 28 December 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
REVERSAL OF EU TOTAL BAN OF CYCAD IMPORTS
Allow me to be blunt and straight forward, very straight forward.
Reading the document send to the E.U. by Ms Michele Pfab got my blood boiling. The content of this document is the biggest load of “HOGWASH”! (See Document Attached)
I demand that this Document be withdrawn and that the consequences caused by this document be rectified immediately, with apology to all concerned.
Reason being: Since the release of this Document by Ms Michele Pfab the E.U. countries have placed a BAN on the import of all “Encephalartos” Cycad plants.
I would like to highlight a few points to the twisted total untruth and wrongness of the statements made by Ms Michele Pfab.
“There is not a single Nursery that owns mother plants or seedlings that prohibits the export of plants (Seedlings)” Statement by Ms Michele Pfab.
I would like to bring it to your attention, if you should go to your permits office in the same building and ask them for permits being issued for possession, import and export you will realize how much CYCAD MOTHER STOCK is available in nurseries and private collections. Not too difficult to determine!!!
I gladly bring to your attention that “Cycad World Of Innovation cc. at present has between 60 000 to 70 000 Cycad plants (“Encephalartos” Species) in stock, all cultivated over the past 13 to 14 years under supervision of the Assistant Director of nature conservation of Gauteng, Ms Cornia Hugo. Hundreds of thousands of seedlings with mother plants were cultivated under strict supervision and accurate registers kept and are available for scrutiny.
I would like to know, with this ban by the EU due directly to Ms Michele Pfab’s careless statements, will Nature Conservation or the Minister compensate me financially to make up for my losses? Also, many of my colleagues in the legal growing of cycads (local and export) industry will suffer unacceptable financial losses as a result of this uninformed, irresponsible and unilateral action.
One thing is clear, Ms Michele Pfab has no clue what is going on around her in a field where she has presented herself as a “scientific authority”. She is obviously also not aware of what is happening in her own department. This is shocking and a very bad reflection on the government department that employs her. I propose that serious disciplinary steps be taken at this moment.
I urgently ask that the necessary steps be taken to reverse the damage that has been done.
It is very clear that absolutely no research was done as suggested. I sincerely invite you to visit us at our nursery and many other nurseries so as to get insight and enlighten the responsible persons on what is really taking place in the private sector. (This invitation, just to refresh memories, was made by me directly to Ms Pfab at the last meeting held in 2007 concerning the laws of TOPS. Ms Pfab refused the invitation!)
The ban on certain species listed in Ms Michele Pfab’s Document as “near threatened” and so on, this is totally not true, also there is no official “IUCN” “Red Data List” available with just proof or evidence to confirm this statements.
Should this ban be finally implemented, you tell me what do I do with the six thousand E.ferox’ and three thousand E.altensteinii’s etc., etc., etc.
Regarding a BMP (Bio-diversity Management Program) in this matter. A BMP for nurseries was drafted by Mr. Mark Crooks and presented to Ms. Michele Pfab at the National meetings that was held in 2007 by role players in the industry and all relevant officials from various (all) nature conservation provinces, which was called for by the Minister. Sorry, Ms Michele Pfab has a very short term memory, she herself rejected the concept of a BMP for cultivated Cycads that was drafted and presented at the final meeting with the DEAT in 2008!!!!! And the DEAT people came to a unilateral decision that there is no need for a BMP for nurseries, in Ms. Michele Pfab’s presence.
Also the DEAT agreed that the TOPS law was to be amended by all parties so that laws applicable to the Cycad trade of commercial and domestic plants could be included. This was supposed to have been done in 2009 but nothing has been done yet.
This unilateral action (ban on cycads) by Ms Michele Pfab will cause a devastating blow to the cycad industry, not just the existence of all cycads but hundreds of people without jobs and a income. Question, who's going to compensate the parties concerned ?
Please take note of the CITES convention 11.1 & 19.1 on the multiplication of cycads and all other indigenous plant species, also to generate monetary income for your country, including reducing the pressure from our plants in nature. With no proper law in place why has reference not been made to the existing CITES Convention documents. Sorry, with this statements of Ms. M Pfab our CITES Convention is being RAPED!!. My whole nursery structure is according to CITES and Ms Cornia Hugo has made certain that I complied with the requirements before she would issue any of my permits.
The main objective of Nature Conservation should be to protect our plants in their natural habitat and not handicap those of us legally generating jobs and funds for our country. Please read CITES convention 19.1 and 11.1.
With due respect, two years ago I launched and published a book “Cycad World of Innovations” sharing all my knowledge on studies I did over the past 13-14 years on Cycads, and Cycads in nature in their natural habitat.
There are no or hardly any seedlings found in nature of broad leaf cycads, this is all explained in my book “Cycad World Of innovations” by: Adolf Fanfoni. A copy of this book is available to you on request!!!!!!!!!!!!
With Respect
Kind Regards
Adolf Fanfoni
THE LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST; PLANTS IN NATURE HAS NO BEARING ON PLANTS CULTIVATED IN REGISTERED “TOPS” NURSERIES UNDER LICENCE BY THE GOVERNMENT AND PLANTS IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS WITH POSSESION OF OR ANY OTHER LEGAL DOCUMENTS.