Butterfly Releases at Weddings
and other events
Impenjati Butterflies object to the release of butterflies at weddings and other events.
Media Reports on
Butterfly
Releases
New York Times, Sept. 15, 1998. Dr. Sonia
Altizer, a
disease ecologist at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, and one
of the
few scientists sudying Monarch diseases says "In natural populations
there
are all sorts of parasites present that aren't a problem until you do
captive
breeding at high densities in close quarters. In addition, many people
raise
caterpillars on drugs that can suppress diseases caused by protozoa and
bacteria but not eliminate them. When such apparently healthy
butterflies are
released, they can act as carriers, spreading disease."
Reader's Views on
Butterfly
Releases
I just wanted to let you at that how much I appreciate the information I found this morning on your website regarding the release of butterflies at weddings. I am planning on getting married in March 2008 and have seen the advertisements in the bridal magazines about releasing butterflies at receptions. While it sounds like a beautiful idea, my first concern was whether or not it was cruel or would in any way harm a butterfly to be stuck in a small box (I was pretty sure I knew what the logical answer was). Before I made any decisions I wanted to do some research to find out. Thanks to your website I WILL NOT even be considering releasing butterflies. Not only does it seem like it would be unpleasant for the butterflies, I had never even thought of the ecological consequences. Thank you so much for helping me keep my reception free from harming these beautiful creatures!!
Jolene Hattle,
Durban, South
Africa.
Shame on them. I have just visited your site and I was shocked to learn that people actually releasing butterflies at weddings in South Africa. I have never heard of such a thing here in Brazil, I guess it hasn't occurred to anyone yet. It's something really stupid because if you are releasing them, you probably have to imprison them before the release. It is also sad, because, I wouldn't like to start up my marriage on such a note, knowing that many of these creatures die before the release. I had no idea people could do this kind of thing. Butterflies represent freedom. The really great feeling of being visited by a butterfly in nature cannot be bought. They choose to come of their own free will. You can't force them. This is indeed terrible. I hope that the conservation bodies in your country will be able to put a stop to this practice soon.
Maria Rossini, Brazil
It has been almost three
years since the editorial
"There's No Need To Release Butterflies-They're Already Free"
appeared in this space. The editorial (by Jeffrey Glassberg --
president of the
NABA and author of Butterflies Through Binoculars, Paul Opler -- author
of
Peterson Field Guide to Butterflies, Bob Pyle -- founder of Xerces
Society and
author of Audubon Society Field Guide to Butterflies, Bob Robbins --
curator of
Lepidoptera at the United States National Museum, Smithsonian
Institution and
Jim Tuttle -- then president of the Lepidopterists Society) explained
why
releasing commercially raised butterflies into the environment -- at
weddings
and other events -- is truly a terrible idea.
... At NABA, we are often contacted for permission to
reproduce the editorial, and for information about butterfly releases.
It is
clear that the editorial, and NABA's continuing efforts to educate the
public
about the potentially devastating effects of butterfly releases has had
a
significant impact. Many, many individuals have reconsidered their own
plans to
release butterflies into the environment after reading the information
from the
NABA. The fact that the commercial butterfly breeders who encourage
these
releases are constantly attacking NABA is a clear measure of the impact
that we
are achieving.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has
taken the position that it is appropriate for the USDA to regulate the
interstate shipment of live butterflies, since butterflies are
potential
agricultural pests. The USDA is
now reconsidering it's
regulations regarding the interstate shipment of live butterflies.
Because butterflies are pollinators, they are an important
component of plant ecosystems, not just potential plant pests.
Heretofore, the
USDA has viewed their authority to regulate the shipment of butterflies
as
stemming only from their potential as plant pests. However, butterflies
are a
major part of the pollination community. Although the efficiency of
butterfly-induced pollination is lower than bee-induced pollination,
the
cumulative importance of butterfly pollination is probably important to
many
plant communities. From personal observations, I would conclude that
for
particular plants in particular areas, butterflies are probably the
major
factor in pollination. Because any threat to butterfly populations is a
threat
not only to the butterflies themselves, but also to plant communities,
the USDA
does have the authority to regulate potential threats to butterfly
populations.
Releases of commercially-raised butterflies may spread
disease and epidemics to native butterfly populations. This issue is
critical.
All known biological organisms are affected by diseases and parasites.
The
spread of diseases from one area to another has decimated populations.
For
example, American chestnuts almost became extinct due to the
introduction of a
fungus from Europe. The transmission of measles from European
populations of humans
to New World populations of humans killed more Native Americans than
did any
wars. The lesson here is that not all populations of the same or
related
species have been exposed to all diseases that may affect that species.
Our
knowledge of butterfly diseases is rudimentary, but we do know that
there are
many species of viruses, including many baculoviruses and nuclear
polyhedral
viruses, many bacteria, and many fungi that cause diseases of
butterflies. Such
diseases have been found to be prevalent in shipments of commercially -
raised
butterflies.
Shipping butterflies from California to New York, or from
Florida to New York or California and then releasing the butterflies
into the
environment would allow a California disease to spread to wild
butterfly
populations in New York, or a Florida disease to spread to California.
The fact
that Red Admirals can be found in Florida and in California does not
preclude
the likelihood that some diseases or parasites of Red Admirals and
other
butterflies are currently limited in their range to, for example,
Florida, or
to California.
In the late 1940's, House Finches, a bird that until then
had been found only in western United States, were released onto Long
Island,
New York. These few birds have now spread throughout the entire eastern
United
States, demonstrating that although a particular species may currently
be found
in only one section of the United States, there is no guarantee that it
will
not thrive in a different region if introduced into that region. If
this is
true of a bird, it can be just as true of a diseases-causing organism.
The practice of shipping live butterflies around the
country and releasing them into the environment carries with it the
possibility
of unleashing invasive diseases. Large-scale commercial operations
foster the
spread of disease and the generation of new diseases that can devastate
butterflies. It is well known that agriculture and animal husbandry, by
increasing densities of an organism, create conditions that are
extremely favorable
for the spread of disease-causing agents of that organism. In addition,
these
conditions encourage the creation of new disease-causing organisms
The fitness of local butterfly
populations may be decreased by interbreeding with released
individuals. A
recent report in Nature (Moore, P.D. 2000). "Conservation biology:
Seeds
of doubt" Nature 407: 683-685.) highlights the unexpected findings
that,
released into the environment, individuals that originate non-locally,
will
breed with local individuals and decrease the fitness of the local
population,
by introducing genes that are not optimal for the local environmental
conditions.
Scientific studies and
observation by
lepidopterists are confused by butterfly releases. The movements and
migrations
of butterflies are still very poorly understood. Scientists, trying to
track,
for example, northward movement in the spring of Painted Ladies, now
are
confused by Painted Ladies being released into the environment.
Lepidopterists,
who would be thrilled to see a Zebra Heliconian in North
Carolina are
cheated out of a satisfying experience because now the butterfly may
well have
occurred there unnaturally.
The commercially - raised and released butterflies often suffer. These butterflies often arrive dead or dying, at their destination, and then are often released into hostile environments at inappropriate times of the year.
Butterflies are living
animals, not
toys. There is something ethically wrong with treating butterflies as
if they
were mere playthings for humans. They are not toys, or to use a Bob
Pyle
phrase, "living balloons."
We do not allow those who like
birds
to ship chickadees around the country and then release to them into the
environment. There no reasons which would allow butterflies to be
treated any
differently.
North American
Butterfly Association (NABA)
Information
on the above can also be
obtained from Dr Adrian Armstrong, Biodiversity Division, KZN Wildlife
(033 845 1999)