Block export of ‘national treasure’ UK fossils, says MP
Summary
A British MP has urged the government to change export laws so important fossils can be treated as national treasures. This follows the sale of a rare UK fossil collection to a museum in Abu Dhabi because UK museums could not afford to buy it. Museums want better rules to keep important fossils in the UK and be informed when big collections are sold.Key Facts
- A valuable collection of UK fossils from Dorset was sold to the Natural History Museum in Abu Dhabi for a large sum of money.
- The fossils belonged to Chris Moore, a private collector from Dorset.
- UK museums, including the Natural History Museum in London and Museum Wales, were interested but did not have enough money to buy the collection.
- Current UK export laws do not cover fossils because they are natural, not man-made objects.
- Lyme Regis Museum, near where the fossils were found, was not informed about the sale or given a chance to buy any fossils.
- Experts want fossils to meet the same criteria as artworks or treasure, so they can be protected by export controls.
- Changing the laws would allow a temporary export ban, which would give UK museums time to raise funds to keep fossils in the country.
- The government is also encouraged to require museums to be told about important collections before they are sold abroad.
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