GarethGP Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 I just had the opportunity to purchase a kimberella fossil for a good price but backed out at the last second because the seller was based in Russia and I wasn't sure about the legality surrounding White Sea specimens being imported to Canada where I live. I'm always wary of fossils being sold out of China and Russia. Has anyone purchased White Sea specimens directly from Russia? And what is the legality of them? It's hard to find a direct answer online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misha Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 14 minutes ago, GarethGP said: I just had the opportunity to purchase a kimberella fossil for a good price but backed out at the last second because the seller was based in Russia and I wasn't sure about the legality surrounding White Sea specimens being imported to Canada where I live. I'm always wary of fossils being sold out of China and Russia. Has anyone purchased White Sea specimens directly from Russia? And what is the legality of them? It's hard to find a direct answer online. Why would purchasing a fossil from Russia present any legal issues? People from around the world purchase thousands of the very famous St. Petersburg trilobites every year with zero issues. Russia has many other fossils of interest for collectors too, including the ones you are interested in and I have not heard of any legal problems surrounding their purchase or export. I have had friends from Russia send me fossils of Ordovician trilos, echinoderms and Permian brachiopods and plants with no problems as well. Recently also purchased some placoderm material and although it has not arrived yet, I do not expect there will be any issues there either. China is a bit different in that I believe the export of vertebrate fossils from there is now illegal, although if you buy ones exported to other countries from before the ban it will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxytropidoceras Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 31 minutes ago, Misha said: Why would purchasing a fossil from Russia present any legal issues? From the abstract of Fedonkin et al. (2009): "The collection of fossils has been illegal since February 2000 by the authority of the Administration of the Arkhangelsk Region and the Northern Committee of Natural Resources of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources. Presently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Federal Security Service are prepared to protect the Vendian localities by arresting pirates. Recommendations to control paleo-piracy in the White Sea region include finalizing the establishment of World Heritage Site status, educating the local people in the values of the fossils and the need for their protection, establishment of a procedure for licensing for the collection of some fossils, and the notification to sellers of Vendian material by Russian authorities that the fossils were obtained illegally and hence are the property of Russia." Publications cited: Fedonkin, M.A., 2009. Paleo-piracy endangers Vendian (Ediacaran) fossils in the White Sea-Arkhangelsk region of Russia:[Les prélèvements sauvages, une menace pour les fossiles vendiens (édiacariens) de la région de la Mer Blanche-Arkhangelsk en Russie]. In PaleoParks: the protection and conservation of fossil sites worldwide (pp. 103-111). Université de Bretagne occidentale Département des sciences de la terre. PDF file of above paper. PDF file of above paper on Academic.edu I do not know what has transpired in the time since 2009. A related paper: Grazhdankin, D.V., 2003. Structure and depositional environment of the Vendian Complex in the southeastern White Sea area. Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation, 11(4), pp.313-331. Yorus, Paul H. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misha Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 1 minute ago, Oxytropidoceras said: "The collection of fossils has been illegal since February 2000 by the authority Huh, well I guess that location is under different regulation than the others I know of. Thank you for the info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethGP Posted January 16, 2022 Author Share Posted January 16, 2022 Thank you for the info, I really appreciate it! I guess I'll just have to appreciate dicksonia and kimberella in a museum setting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJHope Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 Oh wow, I am a new collector of fossils and I didn't know there could be such issues from pieces bought online. Thanks for the information on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMert Posted February 9, 2022 Share Posted February 9, 2022 All fossils from Russia must have a permit to be exported, which I doubt most of them have 3 My sites & reports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pauli W. Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Here is an interesting article about the peculiarities of Russian legislation: https://elementy.ru/nauchno-populyarnaya_biblioteka/435990/Zakon_RF_o_pooshchrenii_chernykh_kopateley 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pauli W. Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 maybe a little off topic, but nevertheless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMert Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Mind blast for foreign readers BTW even I had difficulty with understanding his point, all I could make out is his hatred versus private collectors 1 My sites & reports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pauli W. Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Perhaps we can agree with the author that there are generally recognized paleontological monuments (in particular, monuments of Ediacaran biota in the north of Russia), the protection of which should be ensured. Although it is unlikely to implement such protection in practice... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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