Letter of Support for the Tasmanian Herbarium

Dear Parliamentar,

As scientific curator of the Herbarium UPOS, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain, I wish to express our concern regarding the proposed staffing reductions at the Tasmanian Herbarium, part of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG).

Herbaria are essential scientific infrastructures. Their value extends far beyond the preservation of dried plant specimens: they maintain verifiable records of biodiversity, support taxonomic research and species identification, provide essential data for conservation and environmental management, and contribute to biosecurity and the sustainable use of natural resources.

These functions depend on qualified scientific and technical staff. The long-term value of a herbarium collection cannot be secured through physical storage alone; it requires continuous curation, taxonomic expertise, accurate documentation, database maintenance and active engagement with the scientific community. Significant reductions in specialist staffing risk undermining these functions and the scientific value of the collections themselves.

The Tasmanian Herbarium is particularly important as the principal reference collection for Tasmania’s flora and as part of the international network of herbaria that supports botanical research and biodiversity conservation worldwide. The loss of specialist expertise, would have consequences extending beyond Tasmania and affecting the broader international research community.

As a university herbarium, we recognize that maintaining scientific collections requires sustained institutional commitment and appropriately qualified personnel. We therefore respectfully urge the Tasmanian Government to reconsider the proposed staffing reductions and ensure that the Tasmanian Herbarium retains the scientific leadership and specialist expertise necessary to fulfil its research, collection management and public-service responsibilities.

We express our solidarity with our colleagues at the Tasmanian Herbarium and hope that a solution can be found that safeguards this important scientific and cultural resource for future generations.

Yours sincerely,

Pedro Jiménez-Mejías, PhD
Scientific Director
Herbarium UPOS
Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Seville, Spain