Butterfly thieves handed $200,000 fine

Luigi Ferrari, an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in treating foot and ankle injuries, was described by his friends as an insect enthusiast, reports say. He is also a member of an entomology association in Modena, a city in the north of Italy. His friends and colleagues in Italy have pleaded for leniency on his behalf. Some suggested that the butterflies found in his possession have no commercial value, Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported. Dr. Jagath Gunawardena, an expert on environmental law, told the BBC Sinhala that the $200,000 fine was a warning to criminals as well as a good precedent. ...