To correct my previous mail slightly: the first sentence should read:

Somewhat agree on the limits on live shell collecting (but when looking
at the number of cocklers and the size of their take at the beaches I
usually visit, I do not feel extremely guilty taking the odd live shell
or two here or there, to be honest).

Sincerely, Erick

On 01/12/2014 09:33 AM, Erick Staal wrote:
> Hello Jan,
>
> Somewhat agree on the limits on live shell collecting (but when looking
> at the number of cocklers at the beaches I usually visit, I do not feel
> extremely guilty taking the odd live shell or two to be honest).
>
> However concerning the 'research' you're referring to: I call it utter
> piffle. I've read it and from a methodological point of view it leaves
> so many alternative explanations for the decrease in shells on beaches
> unexplored that a MAC truck or two could be easily driven through
> (nothing about effects of increased fisheries, nothing about mass
> tourism, changes in faunal composition due to invasive species, etc.,
> etc.).
> Furthermore: 99.99999% of all shells on a beach are left there by us
> beachcombers due to various reasons (broken, already in collection,
> etc., etc.), while these undesired shells still make excellent habitats
> for life on beaches.
> But shell collectors are an easy target for politicians, etc. since they
> do not form a constituency and are therefore an easy target to be able
> to show the public that 'something is being done about it'. Let's not
> feed them, please? Thanks in advance.
>
> Sincerely, Erick
>
> On 01/12/2014 09:03 AM, Jan Haspeslagh wrote:
>> Hi colleague collectors,
>>
>> I think this article might be of interest to many of us... :
>>
>> http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0083615
>>
>>
>> I was already convinced that live collecting is a big no-no, but how to
>> explain to a child that it cannot take that beautiful valve home?
>>
>> Jan
>>
>> Jan Haspeslagh
>>
>> Librarian
>>
>> VLIZ - Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee
>>
>> InnovOcean site, Wandelaarkaai 7
>>
>> B-8400 Oostende
>>
>> t +32 (0) 59 34 01 85
>>
>> f +32 (0) 59 34 21 31
>>
>> gsm +32 (0) 498 802097
>>
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>> www.vliz.be
>>

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