No picking!

So the new signs are going up in the forest proclaiming the forestry commissions latest edict prohibiting mushroom picking.....ANYWHERE! Of course, with the exception of foray leaders, who can apply for a permit. Just as I thought. So, you can profit from leading expensive middle class fungi forays, with no doubt the forestry commission taking their cut, though not individually pick for the pot. I imagine 'fungi forays' will increase. It would appear that rather than prohibiting picking on environmental grounds, the forestry commission have merely monetized the activity. A common practice these days. I've never seen the mythical commercial pickers (I'm sure they exist, though not on the scale suggested), I have though seen a huge increase in the number of 'pay for' forays advertised and an increase in the number of seasonal newspaper pieces proliferating the false claims of how profitable mushroom picking is, saying where and when to pick, in fact fuelling the increase in collecting, which they then print articles railing against. I've seen no problem and I've been picking for 30 years, each year I see more mushrooms left gone over, than have been picked, and a fungi community which appear healthy and flourishing. No, there's no problem. The whole ban is baseless and follows a emerging pattern of control being placed on traditional free foraging activities, only to replace them with 'pay for' activities.  It's common capitalist practice. I saw it with free festivals in the early 80's, apparently they had to be banned as they were so terrible, though were quickly replaced with pay festivals which have considerably more issues and problems. The difference? Corporate/private interest could profit.  Monetization is the name of the game, if you want be and act like humans have acted for ever, gathering together or gathering stuff, anything that feels natural and right, you're going to have to pay.  Or abstain from acting naturally, and restrict yourself to the matrix. I say...... BOLLOCKS!