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Shasta_man, I agree with some of what you say, and disagree on some, but I think we've had this banter before. Interesting comparison of souvenir collectors to serious shell collectors. I agree that one serious collector will most likely take more than one souvenir hunter on a given day. Don't know if that holds true if comparing all the world's serious collectors to all the souvenir hunters--maybe yes, maybe no. Also agree that laws had to be put in place to prevent ecological problems--Note the many Marine Parks (which I believe were started to help fish populations recover, but extended to not taking anything--but that's just my interpretation from what I read and I could be wrong), as well as many entire countries that are no-take zones (the leader of the pack maybe being Costa Rica). Dive ops had to regulate taking shells (or anything) from the sites they always frequent with thousands of divers. It's debatable whether this was done out of conscience or simply to keep as much life as possible at these sites so that they remain popular and business flourishes (couldn't blame them at all for that).
I do disagree with any comparison of any form of shell collecting to the incredible damage done by commercial fishing. Since either 1900 or 1980 (big difference, but I can't recall which) and today, 90% of the big game fish in the world have disappeared--at least that's what I read. Whereas there are several shell species that are down in populations due to being consumed as food or simply over collection--such as in massive numbers to be sold in shell shops. But the vast majority of molluscs, to my knowledge, are in no trouble at all.
I won't disagree with you on PADI's reason for pushing Project Aware. It may be for the same reason most dive charters disallow any collecting--a business thing-- Or it may honestly be their philosophy. Have you heard of what I mentioned about the PADI lawsuit leading to AWARE? Can't recall where I read about that, but I THINK it was somewhere "official" and not just a post on a dive forum.
I do disagree with any comparison of any form of shell collecting to the incredible damage done by commercial fishing. Since either 1900 or 1980 (big difference, but I can't recall which) and today, 90% of the big game fish in the world have disappeared--at least that's what I read. Whereas there are several shell species that are down in populations due to being consumed as food or simply over collection--such as in massive numbers to be sold in shell shops. But the vast majority of molluscs, to my knowledge, are in no trouble at all.
I won't disagree with you on PADI's reason for pushing Project Aware. It may be for the same reason most dive charters disallow any collecting--a business thing-- Or it may honestly be their philosophy. Have you heard of what I mentioned about the PADI lawsuit leading to AWARE? Can't recall where I read about that, but I THINK it was somewhere "official" and not just a post on a dive forum.
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