Environmentally friendly sea shell collections available for purchase?

[david touitou]

Hello all,

I agree with Paul. Always keep in mind that collecting seashells has not a huge impact on these shell populations <u>IF</u> one cares about what you call "environmentally friendly methods".
<u>That is right </u>that if the one who pick up the shells leave the flipped dead coral plates upside down, all the prolific sealife which lives under the plate (or rock) will dye rapidly. Damaging the habitat of shells is what causes the disparition of shells.

It is true too, that overcollecting on a same area can also decrease the shell population but if the habitat is not destroyed, it shall not be extinct. Especially when shells can
be found in a small area and cannot hide like sand dwellers.
I eard of people collecting hundreds of Cone shells in a small area by night. Actually the spot does hot host anymore the shells. Shells needs a minimum of adult specimens to breed though to produce minimum eggs that will produce minimum larvae etc... that will produce a few adult shells.

Picking up juvenile shells is a shame too.

In the Philippines over collecting is not a good thing as some spots are overcollected night and day. Though using dynamite is the fact that causes really the decrease of shell populations (and all other animals).

Bye
DAVID  <span class="petit">--Last edited by David Touitou on 2008-08-02 09:50:28 --</span>