Dr. Neil Clark from the University of Glasgow's Hunterian Museum will take part in an event to promote the protection of one of Scotland's oldest and rarest resources.

The event will take place in Caithness to highlight the ongoing problem of illegal fossil collecting. On 23 May 2002, there will be a 'fossil foray' at Skinnet Farm quarry, involving local primary school children, fossil collectors and rangers, to demonstrate good practice in gathering fossils, followed by a briefing on the subject.

The event is organised by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), and involves local police wildlife liaison officers from Northern Constabulary. It is organised as part of the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) which seeks to raise awareness of wildlife crime and to enforce wildlife conservation legislation in Britain.

Scotland boasts some of the rarest and most scientifically important fossils in the world, spanning at least 800 million years of Earth history. These range from some of the earliest land plants and fish fossils to early mammal and dinosaur remains. Yet the illegal movement of rare fossils, some of which can be sold on the international market for thousands of pounds, is threatening this priceless natural heritage.

Dr. Clark commented, "Fossil collecting can be fun and it can also be of great scientific importance to our understanding of life on Earth. Significant amounts of information and fossils are lost each year through irresponsible collecting and deliberate raiding of scientifically sensitive sites. I do not want to see fossil collecting as a hobby disappear, but collectors, whether professional or amateur, must be shown how to collect our natural heritage responsibly.

The amateur collector has made many of the most important discoveries of our fossil heritage. Long may this tradition continue, but let us make sure that our science does not suffer as a consequence of irresponsible or illegal collecting."

Fossil collecting is not illegal if permission is obtained from the landowner and a license is only required from SNH at particular sites. There is no desire whatsoever for a blanket ban of such small-scale responsible collecting, as it is a hobby enjoyed by many people, including children and amateurs, some of whom have made remarkable new discoveries.

The problem lies with those who collect irresponsibly and without permission. Such collectors do not report their findings, and can destroy rock faces in their attempts to pick off the rarest and most valuable samples.

People collecting for financial gain have already damaged sites in Caithness, Orkney, Skye, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire through large-scale removal of fossils, using rock saws and other industrial-scale machinery.

In 1992, for example, a collector used a JCB to dig up a fossil bearing rock from 'Cheese Bay', near North Berwick and an entire fossil-bearing 'fish bed' in Orkney has recently been removed by collectors. The fossil-bearing rocks at the Birk Knowes Site of Special Scientific Interest in Lanarkshire have almost been totally 'worked out' as a result of a German fossil collector, who had no permit to excavate the very rare and valuable fossils. Despite negotiations by SNH with the Humboldt Museum in Germany, which now holds the specimens, no agreement has yet been reached on giving back the rarest and most important fossils from the site.

Dr Colin MacFadyen, SNH Geologist said, "Scotland is seen as a 'soft spot' for collectors and currently continental European and British collectors can thieve with impunity. If there is inaction to legislate for the curbing of irresponsible theft from and damage to Scotland's vulnerable sites, we may as well hang up a big sign at the Scottish Border or at Dover saying 'Scotland open for fossil collecting, hurry while stocks last.' Until we have the necessary safeguard, I would urge owners of fossil localities to watch out for rock saw-yielding irresponsible collectors."

Part of the problem of illegal fossil collection is that many of the sites are in remote locations so the thefts are only detected after the collectors have gone. In addition, many landowners are unaware of the scientific value of the fossils on their land or do not regard irresponsible collecting as a problem. As a result no-one reports the crime to the police.

Inspector John Grierson, wildlife liaison officer at Northern Constabulary, said, "We urgently need people to come forward and report any fossil gathering which they suspect may be carried out without permission. We are losing some of our most prized geological resources to wildlife thieves, who have no regard for protecting this important part of our natural heritage."

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Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

Members of the press are invited to attend at The Portland Arms Hotel, Lybster (see attached) at 2.00pm on Thursday 23 May 2002.

For more information, contact Sarah Roe, Press and PR Officer (SNH). Tel: 0131 446 2270, mobile: 07855 793 502

Inspector John Grierson, Wildlife Liaison Officer, Northern Constabulary Tel: 01463 720234

For further information on the Hunterian Museum / Dr. Neil Clark, please contact the University Press Office, tel : 0141 330 3535.

On Thursday, Dr. Clark may be contacted after 9.00am on 07751 799956.

Partnership Against Wildlife Crime is a multi-agency body including all organisations involved in wildlife law enforcement in the UK.

Its main objective is to promote the enforcement of wildlife conservation legislation, particularly through supporting the networks of Police Wildlife Liaison Officers.

Scottish Natural Heritage is the Scottish Executive?s statutory advisor on the conservation, enhancement, enjoyment, understanding and sustainable use of the Scotland?s natural heritage. Fossil collection from Scotland?s most vulnerable fossil localities requires a license from SNH, under the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

For more information on licensing, contact John Ralston, Tel: 0131 446 2460, http://www.snh.gov.uk (go to L for licensing) *************************************************

Programme

10:30 - School pupils from Dunbeath Primary arrive at Skinnet Farm and walk to Skinnet Farm Quarry.

11:10 - 11:40 - School pupils, with help from local fossil collectors, a fossil expert and SNH staff, look for fossils in Skinnet Farm Quarry.

12:45 - 13:45 - Lunch and an opportunity to see some fossils on display, found locally by Jack Saxon. Dr Neil Clark (University of Glasgow Hunterian Museum) will be available for questions regarding the fossils.

14:00 - Introductions and brief statements to the media and photo-call.

Speakers:

• John Henderson - SNH North Areas Board Member (chair)
• Colin MacFadyen - SNH geologist
• Iain MacDonald - Area representative of Scottish Natural Heritage
• C Digby-Grant - Caithness Fossil Group
• Inspector John Grierson / George Ewing, from Northern Constabulary
• 14:45 - End of the event

First published: 23 May 2002