Comments on: Here we go again: UK genebank threatened

By: Jacob

Jacob — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:55:12 +0000

A moral, but not legal obligation. The text is vague enough (“shall, as appropriate, promote”, etc.) to make this difficult to enforce. The only really enforceable part is about multilateral access (and even there…).

The airplane plan, then?

By: Luigi

Luigi — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:19:13 +0000

Come to think of it, won’t the British government be under some kind of obligation under the International Treaty to maintain the Annex 1 material at least?

By: Luigi

Luigi — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:33:39 +0000

Let it close, I say. Just transfer the contents to some place where its long term conservation and availability is guaranteed, then let it close.

By: Catofstripes

Catofstripes — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:45:59 +0000

This piece of news saddened me more than many recent disaster stories. All universities are struggling for funding at the moment and most are losing money that they rely on but surely this is something that transcends mere academic interest?

Is there no one fighting the case? Can we get someone to fight or some journalistic interest? EU money, Lottery money? So many questions, I hope someone can answer – it’s all made me feel rather hopeless.

By: Ehsan Dulloo

Ehsan Dulloo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:53:32 +0000

It would be a great shame to see a genebank closing. This just goes to say what prioirty authorities places on genebank activities. We need to do more to highlight the value of these accessions to the authorities.

By: Anil Khar

Anil Khar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:17:20 +0000

I think this is a very bad decision if it is like that. we in developing world are so much dependent upon the accessions. These institutes are just like Noah’s Ark and if due to paucity of money one has to close down then there is a serious problem with policy planners who do not understand the value of germplasm.