-----Original Message-----
From: Bert Bartleson <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2018 9:43 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Collecting bans and permits
Dear all,
Please consider carefully what you wish for before you get it. In May 2010,
the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife [WDFW] decided to ban
all collecting of live animals unless you have "a Scientific Collector's
Permit" [SCP]. This was an idea that the new director of WDFW had to
preserve our state's resources. It was promulgated as a regulation, without
any input from the Pacific Northwest Shell Club [PNWSC] since WDFW did not
recognize that we existed. It was only when it was publicized in the local
newspaper that I even found out about it. When I contacted WDFW after the
regulations were in effect, I found out that shell collector's without
specific scientific credentials were not considered to have value or
standing. I have a master's degree in microbiology and have collected
mollusks for most of my lifetime [over 50 years] but that's not valid. The
regulations were written to address specific groups --[ colleges and
universities doing directed research, field biologists doing studies, and
fishery workers surveying fish, aquariums and museum collections].
The problems were that we were not written into the law and that to comply
was expensive and time consuming. Luckily, the decision was made that PNWSC
would be granted a SCP, if we applied, even though we clearly don't seem to
fit anywhere into the regulations. We did so, but it costs $117.00 a year.
We must produce "a study plan" and have it reviewed, revised and approved
each year. Then at the end of the year we must report our take - [all live
animals collected, even if just to photograph them]. This is very time
consuming and all animals must be identified and have locality as well as
GPS data provided. It all goes onto a spread sheet. One spread sheet for
marine and terrestrial mollusks and a different one for aquatic ones because
different parts of WDFW want different information.
So here we are eight years later. I still must do all of the same work each
year. One good thing is that dead shells are exempt. But if they have
hermit crabs in them you must report the take of the crabs. One of the
biggest challenges are micro shells. The biologists complain if we do "weed
washing" and collect 100 of a tiny snail species [ 6 mm. in length]. Why
did we take so many, is the complaint? I have explained multiple times that
you need a microscope to identify the shells and that you never know how
many of what you will collect ahead of time. But each year I get a
different person so must start again to explain the same message. Another
problem is that the state doesn't relinquish ownership of shells collected.
So technically exchanges and donating mollusks to scientists for DNA studies
are prohibited.
During this time PNWSC members have found at least four species of mollusks
and one hermit crab that were not named. Some are now described, and others
are in process. We have also discovered invasive species of mollusks.
Without dedicated amateurs out in the intertidal, aquatic and terrestrial
environments a lot can be missed because there are just not enough trained
biologists to do all the work that needs to be done. Most biologists
working for WDFW are fishery or mammal specialists [for hunting]. Few know
much about mollusks.
Someday I hope that the regulations will be revised and that some of the
specific requirements can be relaxed or changed to make compliance easier
and better.
Bert Bartleson, PNWSC
Olympia, WA, USA
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