- Messages
- 16,407
- Reaction score
- 5,219
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
This is not a troll to revive old arguements. I want to hear from divers who have knowledge of shell populations. To review, here are my points:
1. Divers portray that they know everything about sharks' problems and lots about fish, nudis, etc., but almost never say anything here on SB or in dive magazines about shells. Ei.- they're not a big attraction.
2. I have found 8 Ops in the Caribbean that condone shell collecting out of hundreds in a search of about 5 years. They may be concerned with less molluscs on the reefs they take customers to. The further North you go, particularly up the U.S. East coast and into Canada, they and divers don't seem to care. Is it because there are fewer divers, the shells up North are less attractive and it doesn't affect the bottom line monetarily?
Shouldn't it be the same in the North?
3. Divers seem to follow PADI's no touch law, yet many don't use snorkels...
4. My knowledge of endangered species: Queen Conchs (Strombus Gigas) illegal to take into the US (even a 10 year old dead encrusted shell). Overfishing for food (conch fritters) the cause. Also using them to build breakwaters and roads in the Dominican. There is a conch farm in The Bahamas and now one in the Keys, I believe.
Florida Horse Conch getting rarer, as they are, I believe the 3rd biggest univalve and in demand in shell shops. Tritons Trumpets (Pacific and Atlantic) also dropping in numbers due to commercial collection. The Pacific version kills Crown of Thorns Starfish, so collecting those is regulated. I have cited one study by F. Lorenz claiming that even commercial collecting of shells has virtually no impact on mollusc populations, let alone true shell collectors collecting for themselves. That is the limit of my knowledge. But I should mention that my 42 year old shell collection probably has far less specimens that any shell shop in Florida.
5. It's OK to kill Lionfish.
The reason I got into diving was to collect shells- dead, alive, whatever--and diving gets me to the best ones. I've had a collection since 1969. I would like to hear from divers (or anyone) with knowledge of endangered molluscs. As I said, it's not a troll. I just want to hear from anyone who has data to back up saying that my collecting is wrong.
1. Divers portray that they know everything about sharks' problems and lots about fish, nudis, etc., but almost never say anything here on SB or in dive magazines about shells. Ei.- they're not a big attraction.
2. I have found 8 Ops in the Caribbean that condone shell collecting out of hundreds in a search of about 5 years. They may be concerned with less molluscs on the reefs they take customers to. The further North you go, particularly up the U.S. East coast and into Canada, they and divers don't seem to care. Is it because there are fewer divers, the shells up North are less attractive and it doesn't affect the bottom line monetarily?
Shouldn't it be the same in the North?
3. Divers seem to follow PADI's no touch law, yet many don't use snorkels...
4. My knowledge of endangered species: Queen Conchs (Strombus Gigas) illegal to take into the US (even a 10 year old dead encrusted shell). Overfishing for food (conch fritters) the cause. Also using them to build breakwaters and roads in the Dominican. There is a conch farm in The Bahamas and now one in the Keys, I believe.
Florida Horse Conch getting rarer, as they are, I believe the 3rd biggest univalve and in demand in shell shops. Tritons Trumpets (Pacific and Atlantic) also dropping in numbers due to commercial collection. The Pacific version kills Crown of Thorns Starfish, so collecting those is regulated. I have cited one study by F. Lorenz claiming that even commercial collecting of shells has virtually no impact on mollusc populations, let alone true shell collectors collecting for themselves. That is the limit of my knowledge. But I should mention that my 42 year old shell collection probably has far less specimens that any shell shop in Florida.
5. It's OK to kill Lionfish.
The reason I got into diving was to collect shells- dead, alive, whatever--and diving gets me to the best ones. I've had a collection since 1969. I would like to hear from divers (or anyone) with knowledge of endangered molluscs. As I said, it's not a troll. I just want to hear from anyone who has data to back up saying that my collecting is wrong.
Last edited: