InsectNet forum

https://www.crhoy.com/ambiente/japones- ... na-maleta/

https://www.diarioextra.com/noticia/vid ... ayer-visor

Not positive publicity for any collector .

Sad.
Go to pro-entomology countries (there are a few remaining) or take the time to get permits/authorizations. Every year, one collector faces a big issue somewhere in the world...

Hope he won't end in jail for few common butterflies.
Anyone knows who this "Motoaki" is ?

Another banana republic enforcing little laws with no environmental value.

Surely, "everyone" knows not to collect in Costa Rica without a permit, right?

It "may" be Motoaki Kinoshita, a Japanese Lep researcher. The name in the article is given as "Motoaki" which AFAIK is a given name, not a surname. Maybe a Japanese member will clarify the identity of the victim.

It is worth bearing in mind that Japanese often state their family name first and their given name second, so the Costa Rican authorities may have misunderstood this.

Adam.

adamcotton wrote: Tue Mar 25, 2025 1:42 pm It is worth bearing in mind that Japanese often state their family name first and their given name second, so the Costa Rican authorities may have misunderstood this.

Adam.

Though the under-60 generation has often tried to accommodate western style, which can get very confusing. Sometimes they introduce surname first, sometimes given name; some capitalize the surname, some don't. And, being Japanese and very polite they don't correct being addressed incorrectly. I've seen correspondence to VIPs as "Dear Mr. [given name]." It goes both ways though, the situation also confuses some Japanese concerning how western names are used, and when to use which name. Seems though that in general we all let it slide.

A news report in Japan says the guy's name is Motoaki Koyama. Motoaki is his given name. I don't know him, but I found his name in a Who's Who of Japanese insect enthusiasts compiled by the late Chotaro Nishiyama back in 1990. The report here is a bit more detailed, and quotes the total value of the butterflies seized as 38,000,000 yen ($250,000) on the black market! Each butterfly costs more than $1,000! I wonder what sort of butterflies he caught.

The average value is a bullshit lie from Costa Rican rangers to make news titles.

On the few pictures that we can see, I see some common low-value butterflies (Heliconius, day flying moths...)

Unfortunately the judge may follow rangers' words.

I am afraid this guy will be treated worst than an elephant poacher in Africa.

wollastoni wrote: Wed Mar 26, 2025 9:49 am The average value is a bullshit lie from Costa Rican rangers to make news titles.

On the few pictures that we can see, I see some common low-value butterflies

And the real joke is that the value of the butterflies is small compared to what the country lost in what he was going to spend on hotel, food, transportation, etc. And now there's the other dozens or hundreds of entomologists and whomever that are definitely NOT going to Costa Rica, costing them even more.

These banana republics (like, New York State for example) wonder why the tourism and economy are tanking, but somehow everyone else seems to know.

Chuck wrote: Wed Mar 26, 2025 12:11 pm

wollastoni wrote: Wed Mar 26, 2025 9:49 am The average value is a bullshit lie from Costa Rican rangers to make news titles.

On the few pictures that we can see, I see some common low-value butterflies

And the real joke is that the value of the butterflies is small compared to what the country lost in what he was going to spend on hotel, food, transportation, etc. And now there's the other dozens or hundreds of entomologists and whomever that are definitely NOT going to Costa Rica, costing them even more.

These banana republics (like, New York State for example) wonder why the tourism and economy are tanking, but somehow everyone else seems to know.

Well, they will fine him for $200,000 so it will be pretty profitable for them...
+ they are justifying their salary.

Extra TV in Costa Rica ran a news report with the headline: ‘Japanese man kills thousands of butterflies’

Very bad PR for all entomologists...
And I am sure this kind of news will inspire custom guards in all South American countries.

This Motoaki Koyama is in big trouble and he doesn't help all of us by his naive behaviour. Very sad story.

wollastoni wrote: Wed Mar 26, 2025 4:38 pm Very bad PR for all entomologists...
And I am sure this kind of news will inspire custom guards in all South American countries.

This Motoaki Koyama is in big trouble and he doesn't help all of us by his naive behaviour. Very sad story.

There have been a number of top expert entomologists known to ignore banana republic laws, and a few have been caught doing so. I suppose they put science over politics. While they may make it harder for some researchers (one name brand Lep expert did to me!), their focus is on advancing science, which I suppose is better than doing nothing so that other entomologists can also research...nothing.

I don't think CR is "banana republic" so much as swayed by Western elitist cultural wokeness... even though it's collectors (DeVries) who put them on the map to begin with for butterfly ecotourism!

Koyama didn't seem to be anywhere near a national park or equivalent protected area. This suggests that it is illegal to collect anywhere without a permit, rather than in protected places.

Adam.

Yes it is.

From the Skeptical Moth permit list which is most of the time up-to-date :
"COSTA RICA: Permits required. Costa Rica is a very environmentally conscious country and is very vigilant about its biological treasures. Because much of Latin America relies on hand-checked luggage your boxes of insects stand a high chance of being discovered, so do not risk it. Their rules are strict enough that they even confiscate tourist’s seashells. If you have a research project and institutional affiliation than obtaining a permit is easy. Plan your destinations ahead of time and figure out what provinces you will be focusing on. All permits are granted through the Ministerio de Ambiente, Energia y Telecomunicaciones (MINAET) in San Jose. A standard project proposal, CV and basic information form is required for submission. Once approved you are issued the paperwork on site when you arrive along with a “collecting passport”, which is literally a passport like book with your image that grants you access to your approved areas. In country you are required to pay a $35 fee into the account of the park service at Banco Nacional. The guy who issues you the permits will also help you fill out the export permit before you leave the country (pretty standard, list things as best you can to family if possible). All in all, a very well oiled system that operates very efficiently."

With few efforts, our Japanese colleague would have been able to legally collect in Costa Rica

I believe a lot of collectors don't realize that indeed, you CAN get permits in foreign countries and US National Parks, etc. I got one for Belize AFTER I arrive in Belize. In some countries going there is the only way to get a permit; it's a big expensive risk. The chance of getting a permit in some places is a lot easier than others.

That said, as I'd mentioned before, a number of top researchers believe themselves above having to get permits. The truly fanatic are perhaps tending toward savant, and they have no time for petty bureaucracy.

I have no sympathy for him. Costa Rica?? Really? One of the most evironmental protected countries I know of, just like it is in the USA, you break the law in a foriegn country, you gambled and lost.

Things like this also make people get the impression that insects are all worth expensive amounts.

Kevin you quoted wrong, that wasn’t me.

Most countries are technically doable *to some degree* if you jump through the hoops (which requires wanting to, first). Some are totally off-limits period; i.e. Brazil, India, now Nicaragua, etc. A mere handful are (relatively) easy.

For many countries, it helps a *lot* if you have/obtain citizenship there, or at least legal residency.

For the stricter countries, expect at minimum to take a few trips down there first without any expectation of collecting at that time--meeting the contacts you need to win over, conversing/schmoozing, etc.

papiliotheona wrote: Sat Mar 29, 2025 5:15 am
For the stricter countries, expect at minimum to take a few trips down there first without any expectation of collecting at that time--meeting the contacts you need to win over, conversing/schmoozing, etc.

I try to impress that on people who complain "I've written them five times and they don't answer!"

But going there is how it gets done in many countries. It's an expensive proposition that may or may not pan out, so most people don't want to take the risk.

From the perspective of many Dept of Natural Resources, they have 1/10 the workload of USFWS, but only 1/100 of the staff. They can't even keep up with their work, and don't have time to chat with the multitude of hopefuls that will never go, the commercial collectors pretending to be researchers, etc. Plus, if you're westernized- US, Canadian, European, Australian, even Japanese- you're more likely to be a PITA that's not worth having; if you're an urbanite it's virtually assured you're too much trouble.

Besides which, local contacts are priceless. They can introduce you to those you need to know, smooth the permitting process, or be the exporter of record. Beyond that, they know where to go, and where not to go. They can get access to private land. When you go to one of the Lep-focused places in Colombia, French Guiana, etc they take care of all that for you, and make the trip worthwhile. If you just show up and collect it's highly unlikely the trip will be as prosperous as you'd hoped.

Showing up and finding the right people and working your way into a permit separates the wheat from the chaff.