Andrew K. Rindsberg wrote:
>
 As to people who think dealing in shells should be outlawed: Time out!
> We've heard from you before, and we'll listen with great interest later,
> but let's hear another viewpoint for awhile.
 
I would like to interject something here...who was it that said
"everyone has an opinion"??  I personally don't think dealers should be
put out of business. I know some dealers like the Lipes who are very
consciousnes and ethical when it comes to shelling and selling shells.
But some type of controls ought be in place for those dealers only after
the buck and not concerned about environmental impact or the "other
guy". I know that there are local and other restrictions around but from
my experience we need to come together and find away to root out the bad
seeds. For example: Many is time I went collecting, found very few
shells in a formerly lucrative area, and later found out that a certian
person/s had been there the day before with their buckets and wiped the
spot clean. I have been on shelling trips where a dealer and their
partner were present. They had these big buckets and were filling them
up with as many of each species as they could find. Later, behind their
motel room you would see literally 50 to 75% of their catch rotting in
the trash because they might not have been good enough to get 10 or 15
cents for in a sale. During subsequent expeditions myself and others
would get out ahead of these folks and try to toss as many shells out of
reach as possible, many times neglecting our own collecting. (nice
rhyme) The random, mass killing of those shells left me with a bad taste
in my mouth and to this day I dislike killing the animal. I have also
watched individual collectors take many more than they need only to
throw out half or so. I have heard this behavior justified in several
ways such as, "don't worry it won't wipe out or hurt the species", "they
don't have brains so its ok", and other rationalizations. Personally I
am much more discriminating these days when collecting and will only
take a limited number of each species, (I encourage others to do the
same), even when the shells are in abundance where I am collecting. I
figure one or two for the collection, a couple more to trade or save for
future show exhibits or for gifts etc. I inspect them as carefully as
possible so I don't have to throw them out or put them in a planter for
decoration later. This is only my opinion but I just can't see the need
for the waste.  Any further discussion on this thread will be read with
great interest on my part. Am I crazy or different for not wanting to
kill or waste so many snails? Should dealers/collectors be limited in
some fashion other than existing laws?  I think shell clubs should
initiate policies addressing this type of waste during collecting trips.
Take what you need and leave the rest, spend a few more minutes
inspecting your catch while the snails are in their natural habitat
rather than sorting them later and leaving them to rot in a dumpster.
That's all from me for now. Adios...Michael Huggins, Sunrise, Florida