Then we have here what is called "shell stockers" on diverse Islands.
These are fishermen who will collect most often the eaten shells,
such as big Lambis, big Cassis, but occasionally  beautiful shells
such as cowries. Conus and Volutes are also collected for food.

There is a small Island where 50 fishermen dredge half of the day
around the Island - Aliguay. Merely for fish, but they also keep and
sell the shells. This covers about 10 square kilometers and the
depths go from 50 to 150 m.

The result is as follows:

I estimate that 95 % of the shallow water (to 20-30 m) large species
from over 10 mm is known. They are collected for food since hundreds
of years. They are collected all over the Islands and probably  5 %
of the coasts have been explored. Remember: over 7000 lslands and the
coastline is 36289 km, almost the same as the circumference of the
globe.

The professionals collected, especially with the latest MNHN
expeditions, thousands of new species: either by collecting
microshells in the shallows and dredgings, but they explored less
than 0,01 % of the surface of the Philippines.

Dealers and the shell trade touched also less than 0,01 % of the
surface of the country.

Our activities with Guphil I are described in the next supplement of
Visaya and on Poppe-Images.com. We do not collect large shells
ourselves but merely photograph and occasionally point a small dredge
down to 200 m. This brought up hundreds of new species. See http://
www.Poppe-Images.com.

All by all from smaller than 10 mm and deeper than 30 m we know very
little. The latest revisions of groups showed that at least 30 % of
the material either collected by the MNHN and Conchology, Inc. is new
to science. We still have several thousand undescribed species, even
with the little explorations that we have done.

A funny fact is that the popular literature mixed up these shells
with different species, either from Japan (most) or from Australia.

Again for the people with time, money and a taste for adventure and
nature: a lot to do here: 99 %+ of the sea is untouched and there is
almost no pollution.

Mabuhay from Mactan island, the Philippines.

Guido T. Poppe

Conchology, Inc.
Cebu Light Industrial Park,
Basak, Lapu-Lapu City,
Cebu, Philippines 6015

Phone #: +63 32 495 9990
Fax #: +63 32 495 9991

Websites: www.conchology.be
                   www.poppe-images.com
                   www.mambele.be

Email: [log in to unmask]

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