As many know, I am a shell collector-live or dead. My collection is somewhat scientific, as I don't collect shells simply as souveniers of where I've been, and I am not a retailer who collects them live for profit. A search will find many posts-- "Shell Collecting vs. Scuba Diving" for one. Most shell populations are in no danger of dwindling (see Felix Lorenz-Cowries -one study), as opposed to what we've done with the world's fish populations (90% of big game fish gone since 1980). Spearos are at times frowned upon, but not like us shell collectors. The argument that it is OK to collect anything if you eat it is interesting, but consider this: If we took half the fish from the oceans that we do now and stuffed them or dumped them in the desert, the oceans would be in a whole lot better shape. And that doesn't count "by-catch". Queen Conch are strictly regulated (illegal to collect) in the U.S. because the eating of Conch Fritters is big business. The shells are sold as is as by-products, or are made into lamps. The big problem I face (understandably) is that almost all charters in Southern waters take divers to the same attractive places. Of course they prohibit collecting live, as the shells in those areas would disappear if everyone took them. Maybe this would also affect business, but probably not a lot. An interesting sidelight is that most divers have very little interest in shells anyway, as they are mostly interested in fish, octopi, etc. When I ask if they saw any shells down there they say "Gee I don't know, I wasn't really looking". But come up with a live one and I get raked over the coals if it's discovered. Divers should ask "What do I really know about mollusk populations, conservation, and what factors affect them?" (pesticide run off, mangrove destruction, hotels on the beach that often house divers--all the stuff that kills reefs, where some mollusks live). Most serious shell collectors are very conservation minded and don't take barrells of them like the commercial operations for the shops where you can buy them buy the thousands. There is no point to having a hundred of one species on display. Another interesting thing is I've rarely encountered charters/divers who care about taking shells in Northern waters--Maybe they aren't as pretty? I have managed to find one country and dive op (PADI yet) in the Southern Caribbean where it is permitted, and will be heading there this winter. It is, of course, off the beaten diver tourist route.