Dear List:
In regards to the truth about the Live shelling ban on Sanibel:
Years ago the late great Tucker Abbott was actually uncertain about the
total shelling ban on Sanibel Island. Two species per day per person could have
been kept in force and was legitimate. We still see people carry off live
shells from the beaches contrary to the law and many of these people are
residents of the island. Personally, it isn't worth getting caught and getting into
trouble. But there are many locals you can still buy local specimen shells
from, that have the same great color surprisingly enough that they had when they
were collected before the ban! Interesting!!! But when it came to the final
hearing on the subject nobody who collected shells stepped up to the plate
to stop the total ban! Many people can talk but they do not do anything about
the problems they talk about. Action speaks louder than words, so the state
banned collection of live mollusks on Sanibel, because everybody could talk
but nobody showed up to fight for what was right! The collectors were not the
main blame for the shelling on Sanibel. Progress, overpopulation due to
growth, pollution, fresh water intrusion and several beach re-nourishments locally
due to declining seashores has been more of a problem.
Yes, the numbers of people can significantly impact an ecosystem with
pollution and other factors. But the casual weekender does not know about shell
trails in the sand or how to find certain species during low tide. Also Most
people who aren't collectors do not know what to do with a live shell when they
find it, so they leave it. How many serious collectors actually exist that
know how to fill their buckets up? Can't be too many or all shell dealers would
be millionaires from these zealous collectors!Especially, with so much
interest if it existed in collecting specimen shells! Guido Poppe recently noted
in an article that the number of collectors has declined significantly over
the years.So again why is over-collection blamed?
It was suggested by Tucker that it would take a lot more than casual
collecting of shells on Sanibel even by the bucket load to deplete the local
Molluscan population in the area. Then again, nobody blamed the pollution and fresh
water overflow from the Caloosahatchee River. Recently, Turners beach and
Blind pass on Sanibel had problems with sewage overflow and feces washing into
the waters in that area and beaches were shut down. Many fish died so some
impact had to be felt by other marine creatures. Red tide has also been very
hard on the area in past years as well as hurricanes and bad weather shifting
molluscan populations around. There is also condo building whether restricted
or not that played its part over the years.
The gory truth about the Sanibel shelling ban is that it was actually
created by a few "Old Guard" of the island who really didn't want people intruding
on their island, namely the tourists. I have been a resident of Sanibel and
can speak from experience that the shelling ban I believe was a way of keeping
away tourists from Sanibel and the shells that the locals loved to collect.
I could talk for ions concerning reasons why it isn't collectors that hurt
the shelling on Sanibel, but I hope I got my point across from an experienced
collector who lived there many years. Now Sanibel businesses are hurting and
many places may continue to shut down. Hopefully, everything Sanibel and the
state has banned in the past has not come back to hurt the island
economically. Live shelling and the collection of live specimens was certainly a draw for
many worldwide collectors to come and spend money on the island. But of
course the locals weren't interested in the tourism. What about now? Most people
who do not live on the island do not do enough damage in collecting in such a
short time they are on vacation, because by the time they learn the great
places to go, the vacation is normally over. The shell collectors who live on
the island shell almost everyday during the lowest tides and especially at
night lows!!!
Let's stop blaming the over-collection and look at the environmental
reasons. After Hurricane Charley all the live shells were buried on the beach with
tractors before the collectors or residents could get back on the island after
the hurricane!The shells were not placed back in the water, because they
were storm tossed and were going to die anyway! What happens during the winter
and summer storms when live shells wash up on the beach? Do these shells
survive? But if a collector picks one up, they will be fined and even jailed! It
doesn't make good sense! Storm tossed shells normally die or are dying! Throw
them back in the water like you see some people do and they will get shocked
even more. Most people do not gently walk the live shell back in the water,
they throw it!
Collectors could never collect what a shrimper or fishermen kills in one day
of trawling! in their nets!! But again the poor casual collector is blamed
for over-collecting. Not the environmental condition, pollution, etc. Frankly,
politicians would like you to believe that the pollution etc is being well
controlled, so they blame the casual collectors for the decline of local
species to due over-collecting. They do not want to take the blame for the lack of
control they have over the environment, as many lobbyists etc are involved
with large companies or special interest groups that hide facts about the
environment.Look at global warming and look no further, politicians are more
worried about other things than the environment. But they will always have the
casual shell collector to pick on for over-collecting. I hope many collectors
stop letting these politicians feel they are right, because one day collecting
shells will be restricted everywhere and the hobby will be no more for
future generations! I believe in conserving, but let's put blame where blame
should be placed!
I hope my point about over-collecting is better understood!
Fredric Briskin
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