Unsustainable harvesting of wild plants, and particularly fungi, can damage natural habitats and put wildlife under pressure, according to a Devon charity. The Woodland Trust has observed commercial mushroom pickers depleting fungi from woodland edges.
Joe Middleton, site manager for the Woodland Trust, stated that he has witnessed commercial pickers arriving by minibus, filling large bags with mushrooms and causing damage to the forest floor in the process. "I have seen commercial pickers, dropped off in mini buses with bags for life, laden heavy with mushrooms and they are going through and they are wiping out everything on the path edges they can find, trampling the forest floor," Middleton said.
The charity noted that while foraging for personal use is legal under the Theft Act 1968, it becomes criminal theft if wild plants are collected for commercial sale or reward without permission.
Restaurant owner John Dobson suggested that the rising cost of ingredients might also be contributing to an increase in foraging. He also pointed to a lack of public education regarding the impact of foraging. Dobson emphasized his own responsible foraging practices, taking only a third of what he finds and always seeking landowner permission.
While acknowledging that foraging can be a rewarding way to connect with nature, Middleton encouraged people to appreciate woodlands without removing anything. "We've gone a long way from Victorian times in terms of taking everything we see and pinning it and netting it," he remarked. "Now we are in a technological age. We can just use our phones, take great pictures; we can look without touching - particularly in a protected place."