Illegally Exported Fossils Returned To Argentina

The Hon John Cobb MP
Assistant Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
Member for Parkes

Illegally Exported Fossils Returned To Argentine Republic

The Australian Government has shown a strong commitment to stopping the flow of illegally exported cultural heritage by formally returning 130 kilograms of seized dinosaur and plant fossils to His Excellency Mr Pedro Villagra Delgado, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic.

Assistant Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, the Hon John Cobb MP said the Australian and Argentine Governments were working together to protect some of the world's most significant cultural heritage objects.

"Argentine fossils are of great scientific and cultural value and are important in understanding the evolutionary phases of life," Mr Cobb said.

"Through the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 the Australian Government is protecting the illegal import and export of cultural heritage, so future generations can understand the past.

"The fossils handed back today were seized in January 2005 after an operation by the Australian Federal Police and include a range of significant objects.

"One example is a large Titanosaurus dinosaur egg weighing over eight kilograms and dated at more than 72 million years old.

"The Titanosaurs were huge plant eating dinosaurs of the sauropod group, which includes some of the heaviest animals to have walked the Earth.

"Plant fossils include pine cones and seeds from the ancient Araucaria conifer trees which originate from the middle Jurassic Age, making them around 175 and 154 million years old.

"The fossils will be sent by the Embassy of the Argentine Republic to the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences 'Bernardino Rivadavia' for preservation."

The Protection of Moveable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 regulates the export of cultural heritage objects from Australia. It includes provisions allowing the Australian Government to respond to official requests from foreign governments to return cultural heritage objects that have been illegally exported.

Other objects seized through the Act include: 16 Dyak Skulls, which were returned in May 2007 to the Sarawak Museum in Malaysia; and an Asmat human skull from Papua, which was returned to the Indonesian Government in December 2006.

ENDS

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