Who, what, why: Is foraging legal?

[jonbem]

Just for info from the venerable BBC
BBC News - Who, what, why: Is foraging fruit legal?

[cervinae]

Quite an interesting article, maybe worth posting it on the Bushcraft and Field Sports forum as it's more suitable place for discussing foraging (a past time the girlfriend and I enjoy ). I'm certain a someone studying mycology would certainly not over-forage any fungus in the name of science

But I certainly don't consider it theft unless you're actually scrumping from an orchard and such like. A crab apple tree in the middle of an open wood is fair game :P

Cheers, David

[healfdan]

It may be of interest that on Wimbledon and Putney Commons a few years ago there was concern at the sheer number of people picking mushrooms for commercial gain. Small organised groups with no particular knowledge of what was edible, foraged across the heathland taking everything they considered of culinary value. Their haul, and I am talking about carrier bags and bin liners containing fungi, was then taken to a quiet corner where they were inspected by a person with obvious commercial interest. Those mushrooms with a marketable value were kept and others discarded. The collectors were paid for their labour and the mushrooms most likely sold on to restauraunts. The Commons Keepers acting under the local by-laws confiscated large amounts and the collectors became more discreet although I believe it still goes on. Concern was not only that operation was illegal but that dozens of people trampling the same paths everyday in search of mushrooms, was having an adverse affect on the heathland habitat.

[fairplay]

An example has to be made.
In my local paper last week was an article about a chef at an 'upmarket hotel' 2 miles away, being "On the lookout for locally wild boar meat, locally foraged mushrooms, and other food specialities."

Later, at the end of the article, there is what could be called a 'get out clause' where it repeats the beginning in more detail by quoting the chef as saying "I am especially keen to find growers and producers of wild boar, organic vegetables, and locally foraged mushrooms as well as some unexpected specialities I am not familiar with" (how do you get a grower and producer of locally foraged mushrooms) ?

As far as I am concerned, this chap is actively commissioning the general public to go out into the wild (my local patch) and to pillage all the wild fungi they can find, to bring it to his hotel, where presumably, they think they will be paid handsomely.

The question has to be asked: Does the chef know it is illegal or does the reporter know it is illegal and has worded it carefully ?

Either way, I have kept this cutting, and am going to have a chat with the local Wildlife Crimes Officer at the police station today, so watch this space.

Neil.

[Deb London]

And would you really want to eat fungi that any old Tom, Dick or Harry had identified. I've never come across a restaurant selling locally foraged fungi, but if I do, I'll think twice before eating there. Not only might the activity not be legal, but might they not be facing manslaughter charges.

Gawd, you learn something new every day.

[fairplay]

Well, I'm just back from Lowestoft, popped into the local nick whilst there and showed them the cutting, they took it away and photocopied it and will pass it on to their wildlife 'specialist' when he is back on duty.

At least they are giving it some 'time'.

Apart from encouraging the public to go out and collect all the edible fungi they can find to bring to the back door in exchange for I have no idea, Deb raises a serious issue about the edibility of the finds.

I am sure this Horse Whisperer chap knew his mushrooms far more than your average chef, so if he can mistake a Cortinarius for a Chanterelle, then what hope is there for chef's ?
They will probably limit the fungi they accept to those they can ID with confidence, (and we all know how easy it is to identify a real Chanterelle - don't we ?) which will mean an awful lot will be thrown away (in a heap at the hotel back door)

Neil.

[jonbem]

Hi all
as I come from what some may call a "country" background, I have always been involved in a certain amount of seasonal foraging for fruits and veg, and up until the last few years, my fungi collecting was restricted to perhaps half a dozen species, eg. field mushrooms, small & large puffballs, shaggy ink caps, parasol and shaggy parasol. Fruits & veg were such as wild garlic, nettles, sloes, elderberries, blackberries/brambles, rosehips etc. All these were predominately collected for family consumption, with some preservative techniques used to make gluts last (potent wines have been consumed! but jams and chutneys and the like too). I think that as the "media chef" has come to the fore, it has suggested to some that there is potential profit, everything is becoming so materialistic. (no I'm not a hippy!) Unlike our European cousins where such things have been part of their culture ere long.
We try not to over do it, for example, my leaning is toward the fungal varieties, my brother tends towards fruits for wines and jams & chutneys, whilst my dad has more focus on leaf & flower. We all do our thing and then swap the resulting comestibles.
We also have friends in the rural community who have access to a variety of fish and game. If any of us has what may be termed as a "glut", a couple of phone calls mean we share. Similarly our friends reciprocate. I know it sounds a little utopian, but it happens. Last year one of my friends had an almost total failure of his greenhouse tomatoes. This year he has provided me with several kilos. Sauces, soups & chutneys have followed in the opposite direction from me. A work colleague had a tree full of apples and shared. Apple sauce, apple chutney, apple jelly, apple cake etc etc.

Simply, don't be greedy.

Jon.