Irreplaceable Plant Specimens an ‘Obscene’ Loss After Being Incinerated in Quarantine Flub
Absent further documentation, goods being held that have a declared low value are routinely destroyed, the statement said, adding
that by the time the specimens were incinerated, at the end of March, they had been held for 76 days — 46 days longer than required.
"It’s difficult to hear about." The specimens were sent in December by the National Museum
of Natural History in Paris, destined for the Queensland Herbarium in Brisbane, Australia.
The French museum that sent the specimens quickly suspended further loans to Australia, where the material
was destroyed after the authorities there said it did not meet biodiversity security rules.
The department said it was a "deeply regrettable occurrence" and conceded
that "unintentionally proceeding with destruction of the specimens was premature while communication between the department and the intended recipient was ongoing." It said it was reviewing what happened, had implemented steps to prevent a future occurrence and met on Monday with herbarium collections managers.
Mr. Guiraud said he was all the more angry to learn through news accounts
that a similar episode occurred with six lichen specimens on loan from New Zealand that were mistakenly destroyed by Australian authorities.
They arrived in the country in early January with a declared value on the package of $2, the
Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources said in an emailed statement.