Diving vs Shell Collecting

[glidingray]

What do you do to forbid other divers from collecting shell? Now that every instructor teaches every diver/would be - diver: to take only pictures & to leave only bubbles - why there are still collector aka diver out there?

There is a group of islands near my home, where the natives will bring all kinds of sea shell, ranging from the size of child fist to volley ball - nautilus shell included, in front of visitors; to trade them with used T-SHIRT. This is really a sad fact.

Ray

 

[Walter]

If shell collecting is legal in the area, it's up to the individual diver to decide to collect or not. I make moral judgments for myself and only for myself. We were not placed on this earth to control others.

Walter

 

[King_Neptune]

Walter,

I don't know if I would give someone that kind of answer that is just trying to preserve their natural resources... I might have missed the tone of the topic but ... Unfortunately there are many people out there that CAN NOT seem to control them self which is why we have laws in the first place!

I think it's disgusting when someone thinks "gee that coral looks cool ... *snap* ... I think I will take that home" ...

oh well I guess its not our right to judge right? So I guess the 6 Billion people on this earth should be free to "snap" away freely and while you're at you might as well mow down a Dolphin or two as a nice Wall Trophy .... Now I know that cannot be what you meant and I'm just playing devils advocate here, but hey, nothing like sparking a little thought in people eh? hehe

For anyone that doesn't have access to a Newspaper or television or Radio or any other form of communication with Civilization I will let you in on some current events... People cant control them self! Shoot, the laws can hardly control some ... NOTICE: I am in NO WAY a "tree hugger" nor am I against spear fishing or many other forms of hunting / fishing / etc... But I do believe in moderation and preservation... BOTH!

Want to know what I like to base much of my present and future decision? To bad I'm going to say it anyway... hehe .. and I will do it with an example ....

Another hobby I liked to enjoy is taking the Dune Buggy out to the desert. More and more we are seeing roads and trails and canyons and entire valleys closed off due to a few that feel they have the right to abuse the crap out of the place. Well, for anyone that is a true desert rat you know that dune buggies are not what is out there doing the majority of the trashing, it's the motorcycles and ATC/ATV's (for one it is physically impossible to do with a dune buggy -big puffy bubble tires- what the small 2 stroke motorcycle tires are doing)...

But what is the final result? The sierra club has effectively got a great deal of these places shut down or restricted to ANY usage...

Do you think Scuba Diving is exempt from this example? It wont take you long to search and find where many P*ssed off divers are upset because their favorite diving grounds are now OFFLIMITS to ALL diving because a few others helped them self to the local ecology and destroyed, not only our chances of being allowed to dive there again within the next 50 years (at least) but they have destroyed the homes of what You and I enjoy visiting by scuba diving.

Am I in favor of MORE restrictive laws? No ... But would I rather see some local codes passed to help protect against the stripping of the shorelines as opposed to losing our rights to dive there period? HECK YEAH!

That's where my major beef comes in, maybe if current laws were inforced better (HA! that'll be the day) or maybe if Training Classes devoted an extra 5 minutes somewhere during training to remind new divers that if they abuse it then it will be taken away from all of us. But then again, "maybe maybe maybe" ...

I guess the only true way to answer the above question as I first read it would be to say, 1st) Know the facts yourself, and then 2nd) Spread the knowledge ... There will always be @$$holes that don't care and think that snapping off a huge chunk of ancient Coral to go bash in baby harbor seals and use those to club baby Dolphins is a great passtime but there really isn't much you can do about those. Although, Mother Nature seems to have a way to weeding out those like that, hehe.

glidingray, maybe if you expanded on your question a little more we would know what you were referring to and could better answer.

=-)

 

[Walter]

...........too many people enjoy controlling other people. This is merely one more example of that attitude. If I want to shoot fish or collect shells in areas where such activities are legal, it's no one's concern but mine. If there is a legitimate reason to restrict or ban those activities at that location or with certain species, let's enact a law to reflect it. In the meantime, we all need to keep our noses out of our neighbor's business. I am adamately against any law that allows harvesting by one method while banning another method. Don't let divers pick up a shell or two, living or dead, but it's OK for commercial fishermen to scoop up everything in their net's path.

Ray was discussing shells, you are expanding the discussion to include coral. In the US there are laws which protect coral and endangered shells. If other countries need similar laws work to get them on the books.

Walter

 

[J.P.]

I spend alot of time going to Florida. I refuse to do business at Shell Islands stores because I was there this past summer and I saw a bushell basket full of baby sea horses. along with coral the size of a small car all for sale. This will never stop until people realize these are (were) living creatures. Most people think it is just a shell or just a pretty rock. As far as divers go I've seen groups out to see who gets the most, then have a host party back at the beach where they hook the host and hang it up until they streach it out oc the shell. I agree that this must be stoped but we need more info to the public. To me taking a underwater video camera is the best. I can bring home everything I saw and never have extra bags. It is up to every diver to spread the word and be THE VOICE OF THE SEA. We are her protectors.

 

[Mario S Caner]

:royal:, I agree with what you said. I for one don't dune buggy, but I do ride my mountain bike at night. And yes, it does seam like there are more and more trails closed off to even a bike rider. Ridiculous huh!

Here in sunny SoCal, there are a few places that are now restricted to divers that I remember diving frequently back in the day... it's a shame.

A good example however is our world famous La Jolla Submarine Canyon underwater park. It's a beautiful canyon that is protected by law, and hosts some of the most memorable dives one can have in California. Gotta love it, the best part is the policing of the water by fish and game wardens. Though it can be annoying at times, it prevents the poaching and pillaging of the environment, leaving it well preserved for us all to enjoy. Perhaps we just need more policing. Afterall, leaving it up to just anyone is just going to result in a select few buttheads whom are going to disrepect & take advantage of it.

This we should all know heh Don!

Mario

 

[King_Neptune]

That is exactly what I had in mind the whole time I was posting was the world famous La Jolla Submarine Canyon underwater park... I see people talking stuff out of there all the time... And YES it is my business as a responsible diver to do what I can to STICK my NOSE in their business.

You all do understand that much of that is a felony. That is a Federal Reserve.

Now Walter, I agree with you also but I didn't get from his post that he was refering to any "double standards" of "I can but you can't" sorta stuff. If he was then I applogize I musta read it wrong. My only point is while I dont want to be restricted I also dont want to LOSE my RIGHT to dive altogether! Which as Mario pointed out, is a VERY REAL reality.

Possibly if more people "stuck their nose in it" then it would not have been destroyed so badly that we are now BANNED!

What I thought he was saying was along the lines of, "If our beaches are being trashed how do we go about enacting laws or rules to help protect it"... Am I the only one that read that into it ?

=-)

 

[Narcosis1]

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.

.

 

[Walter]

.......because collecting shells in parks is illegal. Report any illegal activities. If someone is taking shells from areas where collecting is illegal they should be stopped. That is a totally different issue.

Back to the point, why would anyone think they should stop someone from LEGAL activities? If you think it's an activity what should be illegal, work to get laws enacted, but don't target only divers. If you don't want additional laws, try to explain why you feel the way you do to convince others to come to your point of view, but the bottom line is; legal activites are legal, the other person has a right to continue.

Narcosis,

Are you a vegetarian? Unless you are, your meals also kill animals. There's no difference between killing something and paying someone else to kill something for you. Would you also attack those who fish with a line?

Attack if you want, but I will defend myself and it's likely I'm better armed.

Walter

 

[Narcosis1]

I am no vegetarian, but I do not eat fish either!! I also cant stop people fishing etc. But I can help when it comes to destruction and conservation of marine life and reefs.

Without attacking as you like to put it, I would just like to say it is nicer to dive in an environment with lots of marine life than an area of barren rock and sand.