EDIT

            String configString = preference.getValue();

            if(configString!=null){

                String[] configArray = configString.split(";"); //$NON-NLS-1$

                for (String configItem: configArray){

                    String[] keyValue = configItem.split(":"); //$NON-NLS-1$

                    if(keyValue.length==2){

                        String keyString = keyValue[0];

                        String valueString = keyValue[1];

                        if (keyString.equals("ignoreImportOfExistingSpecimen")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setIgnoreImportOfExistingSpecimen(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("addIndividualsAssociationsSuchAsSpecimenAndObservations")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setAddIndividualsAssociationsSuchAsSpecimenAndObservations(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("reuseExistingTaxaWhenPossible")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setReuseExistingTaxaWhenPossible(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("ignoreAuthorship")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setIgnoreAuthorship(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("addMediaAsMediaSpecimen")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setAddMediaAsMediaSpecimen(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("reuseExistingMetaData")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setReuseExistingMetaData(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("reuseExistingDescriptiveGroups")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setReuseExistingDescriptiveGroups(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("allowReuseOtherClassifications")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setAllowReuseOtherClassifications(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("deduplicateReferences")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setDeduplicateReferences(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("deduplicateClassifications")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setDeduplicateClassifications(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("moveNewTaxaToDefaultClassification")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setMoveNewTaxaToDefaultClassification(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("mapUnitIdToCatalogNumber")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setMapUnitIdToCatalogNumber(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("mapUnitIdToAccessionNumber")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setMapUnitIdToAccessionNumber(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("mapUnitIdToBarcode")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setMapUnitIdToBarcode(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("overwriteExistingSpecimens")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setOverwriteExistingSpecimens(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("nomenclaturalCode")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setNomenclaturalCode(NomenclaturalCode.fromString(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("getSiblings")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setGetSiblings(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("removeCountryFromLocalityText")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setRemoveCountryFromLocalityText(Boolean.valueOf(valueString));

                        }else if (keyString.equals("dnaSource")){ //$NON-NLS-1$

                            configurator.setDnaSoure(URI.create(valueString));

                        }

                    }

                }

            }