Diving vs Shell Collecting

[TMHeimer]

Sorry to beat a dead horse re Queen Conchs, but here are some quotes from a March /08 article in "Dive Training" mag.: "source of protein (conch fritters) for Caribbean nations and its shell has been used for tools, weapons, jewelry, ceremonial objects and construction material" CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL???!!! "The United States...prohibits import...(from 9 Carib. countries). Despite the bans...from some countries the United States continues to be the largest (legal) importer of queen conch". ..."maybe....skip the fritters for a few years...." Interesting--not a WORD about divers/collectors who have legitimate actual shell collections. That's probably because the damage done by divers collecting queen conchs for their own collection and not for profit is so miniscual as to probably have had no real affect at all on the queen conch populations. But for some reason, we have annointed ourselves "ambassadors of the oceans" and must set an example--for whom?

 

[Jumpinghorse]

I am an avid specimen shell collector and here are my thoughts and practices. I think it all should be regulated no matter mollusk or fish in all countries. Having traveled extensivly and seeing the effects of uncontrolled fishing and collecting, I never take shells or undersize fish in those places. (I don't take undersize fish anywhere for that matter!) I do my research so I do know what it is I am taking and I never ever buy black market shells. I do not take coral no matter where or what. I live in the Florida Keys right now where the shell and souviner stores are on every corner. I do not like the fact that I see baskets full of sea horses, star fish, puffer fish and even alligator parts. What is the diffrence between those and a basket full of shells? Maybe I feel like the mollusk are more physiologically simplex than the others. I do know that I have used my shells as educational tools and not just pretty things to put on my window sill. I have a degree in biology and one day when I am able to continue my education I want to become more involved in the life of the mollusk and one day display my shells in a museum quality fashion to share with others and help educate. Hunting, fishing and collecting are never good in uncontrolled places. I thought the diving and fishing would get better once I was in the caribbean after leaving Florida and Texas but I found that the diving and fishing in the countries with no regualtions was very poor. I came back to the States proud and more understanding of why we have the regualtions we have and Florida has become one of my favorite dive destinations. (I haven't been to the Pacific yet!) In conclusion, I think fishing and collecting are okay if legal and regualted. I am against keeping more complex creatures as trophies, decorations or souviners and orgainisms in fragile states such as corals.

 

[TMHeimer]

Jumpinghorse-- Can't say I disagree with any of that. We are still in a tiny minority of divers. The baskets full of shells in Florida also irks me. While on a dive boat, I was criticized for taking 5 shells and mentioned the shell shops to the owner (she has the highest PADI Instructor rating possible-Gold something) and she said she never patronized those shops. Yet, she has a nice collection of shells on dislpay in her dive shop that were given to her by a local in the Caribbean who obviously was in the business and collected them live. Interesting also to note, that while we dislike these shops, at least one study has shown that with rare exceptions (that old Queen Conch thing), even the commercial shellers haven't had any impact to speak of on shell populations. Commercial fishing is another matter.

 

[Jumpinghorse]

Yes...commercial fishing IS an entire topic alone! Collecting is a sensitive topic and I do respect others opinions on shell collecting but I don't believe you can be "anti-collecting" when you have shells on your window sill. Hence the dive instructor you mentioned. To me, it's like a vegetarian scolding you for eating meat that was slaughtered and then sneaking a rib at the family BBQ once in a while. You can have it both ways. If you want to spread your views than you have to set a proper example. As a collector, I strive to find that balance and do what's right by Mother Nature as well as I practicing what I preach. Also, I did not realize that some of us were such a a "small group".

DRSharky---On my very first salt water dive, I watched the instructor do a head stand in a large barrel sponge and the divemaster try to hitch a ride on a sea turtle...very sad.

 

[TMHeimer]

I have been diving exactly 3 years now, and one thing I have noticed is that I haven't yet found another diver (either in Nova Scotia or the Fla. panhandle) that had any interest in shell collecting (other than the majority that are opposed to it). Likewise, as a member of the 2 shell forums, I have found very few collectors who are divers. This is puzzling, as shell collecting apparently is the number 2 collecting hobby worldwide after stamps, and obviously diving is the best way to do it. Say, maybe you could help me with my original question-- Do you know of any charters/dive vacations, etc. in the Caribbean (or S. Fla.) that permit the legal collecting of live specimans? If not, where do you do your own collecting?

 

[Jumpinghorse]

I have been diving exactly 3 years now, and one thing I have noticed is that I haven't yet found another diver (either in Nova Scotia or the Fla. panhandle) that had any interest in shell collecting (other than the majority that are opposed to it). Likewise, as a member of the 2 shell forums, I have found very few collectors who are divers. This is puzzling, as shell collecting apparently is the number 2 collecting hobby worldwide after stamps, and obviously diving is the best way to do it. Say, maybe you could help me with my original question-- Do you know of any charters/dive vacations, etc. in the Caribbean (or S. Fla.) that permit the legal collecting of live specimans? If not, where do you do your own collecting?

I understand what you mean now. I think there is much more collecting by divers in the pacific than the Atlantic or Caribbean. I don't know of any charter or vacation dives that cater to shell collecting. I used to ask the dive operation if it was okay to collect shells and I foud that most of them discouraged it. I had no problem with that what so ever. Also, a lot of dive shops dive in parks and protected areas so there was no collecting at all respectivly. So, what I would do, is not even ask in the first place and collect discretly (Not in protected areas of course). I would carry a small goodie bag with with me and collect only 1-2 specimins only...if that. Not making a big deal about it and not boasting "Oh look what I found everyone!" seemed to be the best bet. When I work as a Divemaster I never collect anything and if someone ask, I just make sure they take dead shells and remind them that live shells will stink up their hotel room. I also try educate them on the shells themselves and the importance of preserving resources and the dangers of overcollecting. If it's a poplular dive site that is dove by several dive companies all day everyday, I would discourage collecting at that site.

 

[TMHeimer]

These are good words of advice. I am looking at the Pacific coast of Mexico now. I continue to search for boats that don't go to the marine parks and popular attractive dive hot spots. I think there is also a monetary concern by dive shops that if you take them from the spots they go to (wrecks, reefs, etc.) it leaves less for future divers to see, and that means a possible loss of business. I can understand that. I just got a couple of Northern Moon Snails diving here in Nova Scotia today. Nobody seems to care at all up North-- I guess there are fewer divers and less attractive shells. Oh, well, will push on.