As the market for dinosaur fossils soared so has the network of brokers and investors. It is here where the transparency of fossil collecting becomes murky.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, USA, October 6, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — The question of fossil ownership and commercialization has led to numerous legal battles. Most famously, the “Who Owns Sue”, a T-Rex discovered in 1990, that led to a six-year legal battle that ended up with Peter Larson founder of BHI a commercial fossil collection company relinquishing ownership of Sue to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Federal Government (United States v Larson 1997 No. 96-1419). The focus now has moved to how commercial fossil collection companies are funded.
The public profile of commercial fossil companies has been heightened by media shows such as “Dino Hunters” hosted by Andre Lujan. Lujan is the youngest-ever President of the Association of Applied Paleontological Science and is the part owner of Paleo Tex a full-service commercial paleontology company and founder of a non-profit museum called Texas Though Time.
As the market for dinosaur fossils soared so has the network of brokers and investors both domestic and international.
It is here where the transparency of fossil collecting becomes murky. Domestic and International funding sources are mostly anonymous.
Commercial fossil collectors are at the head of a campaign soliciting investors both domestic and overseas to sell and ship US fossils to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to stock a new mega museum announced 2023.
“The question that needs addressing is are these commercial fossil companies being used unwittingly for questionable financial transactions, similar to how real estate has been utilized in the past?” said Everett Stern in a recently released report. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/questioning-ethics-fossil-financial-influence-everett-stern
There are serious concerns about the blurred lines between commercial interests, dark money, and the fossil community.
It highlights the need for increased transparency, accountability, and ethical standards within the industry.
Ultimately, the fossil industry must prioritize a code of conduct to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders involved.
Everett Stern
CEO and Intelligence Director
Tactical Rabbit
TacticalRabbit.com
tacticalrabbit@tacticalrabbit.com
@EverettStern1
Everett Stern
Tactical Rabbit
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