Ethical Harvesting of Fungi and 
other natural materials for use in textiles

by Trisha Gow, Scotland

Aim – to discuss ethical harvesting and decide on  policy/guidelines for the collection of fungi 

Definitions from Collins Concise dictionary

Ethical

in accordance with principles of conduct that are considered correct especially those of a given profession or group

Ethics     

a code of behaviour considered correct, especially that of a   particular group, profession or individual.

Harvesting

The gathering of the ripened crop, to gather the ripened crop from a place where it has been growing.

The conservation of wild mushrooms

Wild fungi including mushrooms are enjoyed and valued in many different ways. They are important for nature conservation and are under threat in many places

Fungi play a vital role in nature by:

- breaking down plants and dead animals into the food needed by living plants and animals.

- living in close partnership with algae giving rise to a different group of species called lichens.

 - Providing food and shelter for insects and animals in Britain over 1000 species depend on fungi.

- Providing food for humans and they are valued commercially.

- Providing interest and enjoyment for people both amateur and professional

- Providing dyes and pulp for paper making for fungi and fibre artists

Fungi are under threat

In Britain many different types of fungi, plants and animals have declined in recent decades through-

•           Loss of and disturbance to ancient woodlands, grasslands, heathlands and coastal habitats

•             Air pollution/ acid rain

•             Collecting for the “pot” and commercial picking.

•            Vandalism- kicking over puffballs and toadstools etc

The IFFS code of conduct on ethical harvesting might include

•           General guidelines

•           Collecting for the dye pot

•           Collecting for identification

•           Health and safety – guidelines for safe dyeing and disposal

•           Advice for Foray leaders

Information available –

•           The Wild Mushroom Pickers Code of Conduct

•           The Conservation of Wild Mushrooms

•           The Fungus Bunch Scotland Good Practice Guidelines

“The main factor affecting the conservation of fungi is the management and protection of their habitats. If we look after their habitats they are more likely to survive

We have prepared some questions for the group discussions.

Each group will have a facilitator.

Each group will record the areas of agreement and areas of difference.

This record will be made available to the country representatives for future  discussion

Discussion points

How do you collect fungi ?
1. When you find a site which yields fungi –do you keep this information to yourself; tell all your friends or only a few – Why?

2.How long have you used this site do you think others know about it too?
Do you pick to sell or just enough for your own use

3. Have you been worried about the yield? What do you do to ensure ethical harvesting?

Fungi Forays for Identification

Custom and practice on forays appears to be that people can pick anything in sight that they do not know and take back to base for identification. This results in a lot of duplication and waste- as the fungi is thrown out.

Do we need to agree on good practice guidelines that meet the identification and education needs e.g. use of digital photography, picking one sample of unknown species per group etc.

Conservation of habitats that encourages diversity

Does your country have a conservation policy on fungi?

Is there policy governing the management of the country side/woodlands to ensure biodiversity?

Do you think it would be useful to discuss the merits of these policies so we can learn from each other and influence future policy at the next symposium?

Ethical Harvesting Group discussion reports:

Representatives of the following countries attended the discussion groups- Norway, Denmark, England, Scotland, Finland, USA, Australia,

Some info about Holland  and south Germany was available. The following report represents the views expressed at the discussion groups.

How do you collect fungi?

• Consensus was that you only tell people you can trust.   In Finland an introduction to dye fungi to new dyers has resulted in the area being cleaned out other participants have found this happening too.

• Most sites are shared with others known or unknown.

• Most  pick for their own use or for workshops and do not sell.

•  In Sweden and Norway the fungi population is so intense that they feel they are unlikely to suffer  any  threat to supply or habitat.

• UK, Denmark , Sweden and the USA have red lists of endangered species and  in Finland polypores are not collected because they are more scarce and thought to be a vulnerable species.

• In Finland the government actually promotes commercial picking and offers tax incentives for berry and fungi pickers. They want to utilize natural produce to gain income for lower income groups. There are instruction sessions to advise commercial pickers on the correct fungi to gather to help avoid “accidents”  They have so much fungi they have kicking competitions !!

• Some people felt there were so few people picking dye fungi that worrying about picking was not an issue

• Some people are alarmed at the growth of commercial picking and the damage it is doing to the habitat and the perceived need for regulation which would affect us picking dye fungi.

• Picking to sell in Scandinavia is the norm and this is helpful to those of us who cannot source enough fungi.

Picking -Country information

• Countries where you cannot pick without a permit- Holland, Australia. In Australia the permits are often given for one season only and you are required to present a return of your collection i.e. species, quantity and where it was found.

• England-Policy of no picking in some areas to counteract destruction of habitat caused by excessive picking of edible fungi. South Germany - Can pick on specific days or only specific amounts 

• Free to pick- Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Finland

• In Scotland there is now estimated to be 600 commercial pickers.

• USA- permits required for National forests and limited to 5lbs per day in some state forests. Picking is forbidden in National parks. Some national lands require permits for picking for personal use as well.

• Denmark commercial picking is not allowed in public areas.

Fungi FORAYS for identification and collection 

Group leader responsibilities:

• must have a permit or permission of landowner

• must be  someone with good knowledge of  dye fungi

•  Keep a record of what is found where e.g. through photography/ OS map reference etc.

• Should have knowledge of quantities needed of each species for a good dyebath- this would need to be checked out by the foray leader before each foray

• Knowledge of which fungi are on the red list

• Ethics of picking should be part of talk at beginning of foray 

Good practice in picking should encompass:

Education in:   a) harvesting only mature specimens

                            b) learning not to disturb the substrata

                            c) discussion on loss of habitat 

                            d) keep a record of species, quantity and where found

Good Practice in Dyeing 

• advice on choice of mordant, disposal of mordant 

• Use of afterbaths and pH changes to get colour variation.

• Health and safety issues e.g. use of masks , gloves, sterilization etc. 

Assumptions and Research

1.  There is a generally held view that picking the fruiting bodies will not threaten the continuity of the species. There seems to be no scientific work or field studies to support this common sense view.

• For instance the view that lichens take a long time to grow is not supported by local evidence. Could there be a difference between fungi species in growth rate ?

•  One person said they only pick species found on dead wood and assumed that as the fungi was killing the tree that there was no harm done. We need to help people understand the nature and purpose of fungi.

• Some people had a rule to only pick two thirds of the fungi available . If everyone adopted the two thirds rule one after the other there would be nothing left !!!

2.  There is a need to understand the relationship between local knowledge and modern mobility: that is to say that whilst we can observe and know our own impact on the local environment, when travelling to other locations we do not see the impact.

3.  We need hard evidence not supposition to support our collecting activities e.g.- because a species grows abundantly along a human path in the forest ,it does not indicate that fungi is abundant in the forest only that the path provides an ideal habitat.

4.  How best to pick fungi - are scissors or sharp knife a good idea? Has any research been done on this?

5.  Research into forest management and reasons for variance in abundance in the different countries.

6.  There is concern in both USA and Australia over spread of pathogens ”Phythophora sp. in particular. Both countries stress education, sterilization of equipment, boots and need for habitat conservation.

IFFS Guideline suggestions:

 1.     Know fully your own country’s regulations

 2.     create guidelines for practice and husbandry- know what to pick and how to pick it

 3.     Forays: delegate collectors- for identification specimens

                                Recorders- species ,habitat, site reference

                                Photographers.

            In this way you avoid unnecessary duplication of specimens

 4.     Collection rule; if you do not see enough for your needs do not collect-unless drying facilities are available

 5.     Know the species

 6.     Groups should offer training sessions and have photographic material available or  collect ‘voucher’ specimens.

 7.     Groups should offer advice on quantities: how to extract and utilize maximum dye: how to make test samples from small quantities

 8.     Groups should undertake/ support/encourage research in the sustainable production of dye fungi.  E.g. one member said she left a straw bale outside in the wet and it became covered in fungi. Such simple methods suitable for seeding with dye fungi should be tried and results shared internationally.

  9.     Health and safety- good practice should be researched and explained i.e. face masks against spores: no tasting as identification unless experienced!!

10.    Because a system of permits might be introduced in many countries it was felt that having guidelines for good practice, keeping records of collection, habitats and quantities, conducting experiments with sustainable growing etc. would put fungi dye groups in good positions to argue their case for collection permits

Conclusions

1).  As more European countries introduce legislation and permits commercial pickers will then descend on the ‘prolific ‘ Scandinavian countries and will not act responsibly and these countries might find the sustainability of fungi under threat . One example of a precedent for irresponsible picking was with the ‘purple dye lichen’ in the “C19” 

(The gathering of lichens for the cudbear industry in Scotland.  When supplies of the lichens were exhausted in Scotland then boats set sail for Norway and Sweden and virtually depleted the stocks there.  In the end there were ships sailing the oceans gathering lichens in the Mediterranean, the Canary islands, right down the west coast of Africa etc. and many other parts.  Interestingly though the lichens did eventually recover and are still found in those places today, but were being gathered by the boatload for many years.  I was suggesting that something similar could occur if wild picking gains popularity at the same time as some countries place restrictions on picking.  If there is money in it people will travel to other countries and pick on a large scale. At the moment Finland is actually encouraging this as source of income in rural parts, but they may pay the price later and be forced into eventually protect their resource.    -  ( Su Grierson, Scotland)

2).  Consensus view was that destruction of habitat was the greatest threat and dyers need to be promoting good practice in identification, forays, collecting, dye workshops and paper making etc.   The proposal to  discuss further “ The management of the land for biodiversity” was of interest. 

3).  All groups felt that IFFS could draw up  general good practice guidelines, but each country is responsible for developing its guidelines which fit their own local  and national situation

4).   If IFFS has a code it should be available to all groups with an interest in fungi.

5).  Future Symposia – host country to give information to delegates on custom and practice relevant to the activities and a list of fungi  available and what is endangered in that area.

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