Shell / Coral collecting.
When we go into a fragile environment we should go down with what we have attached to us and surface again with exactly we took down. Okay if on a conservation dive it is different, or you see a deck plate off a boat balancing over a fan coral then remove it etc, but to take from a reef is threatening to the life of the reef.
One person takes a shell, ok. 2 people take ok. but if it goes on and on it will eventually start to damage the eco system of that reef.
Shells are important, I have noticed over the last few years how scarce large shells are actually becoming. I have seen loads of people breaking off coral, even after being briefed not too. When we actually become divers we should become automatically more concerned toward the enviroment we dive in. We are not wreckies or salvagers trying take pieces with us.If not then dont be a diver.
If you went to the super market to buy food or stores and some one helped them selves to your supplies whilst loading them in your car you'd either call them thief or call the cops.
To steal from a reef is to cause death to the inhabitants who live there. We are no better than thieves or murderers.
In the Maldives you cant even take the dead coral off the beach home with you.
In the Dominican republic dead coral is everywhere, on the beaches, built into breakwaters, walls etc it is very sad to see, coral and shells readily available for collection, but at what price!! Another eco system destroyed by mankind.
Another subject which should be addressed which is equally on par with removal of coral, shells etc is that of feeding fish, ie with bread and bananas and egg etc, A TOTAL NO NO.
Whilst im ranting on, Spear fishing I think is a terrible sport. It should be banned, if a spearfisherman is attacked whilst spear fishing then that goes part and parcel with the risk of spearing fish. It would be nice to see some of the "game" actually win now and then, maybe teach spearfishers a lesson or too and then lets see how things go.
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