Dear Editor,
In reponse to George Hoa'au's piece on David Hall's invitation to Butterfly farmers, I agree with him that Solomon Islands is a signatory to CITES, meaning that Solomon Islands is obliged to follow the provisions of that Treaty.
However, I would like to make it clear to our learned 'lawyer' friend Hoa'au that signing and ratifying a treaty does not authomatically make it a law within the country. Parliament must legislate for it inorder for it to be enforced in the country. At the moment there is no law in the country prohibiting farming of such species, therefore nothing can stop entusiastical farmers from doing so.
What the country can do is to prohibit its exportation by virtue of CITES, but that does not stop farmers from farming it in the country. Likewise, if no ban is put in place, it can still be exported.
I wish the farmers all the best!
Butterfly farming: A response to David Hall
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