Dear Linda:
It seems the Florida Keys / Everglades has the same - similar problem,
whereas the mosquito spraying is killing off all of the Liguus.
Since the Liguus is on the Endangered Species List, shouldn't that be a
Federal offence?

Leslie Allen Crnkovic
HARF/IMCS

-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists of America List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Linda Bush
Sent: 26 August, 2000 9:58 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: What's our world coming to?

Hi,All!
   There was n interesting article in Wednesday's paper - which I read last
night - about malathion and lobsters.  New York City sprayed malathion last
fall (and may repeat it) for the mosquitoes, due to the outbreak of West
Nile virus encephalitis.  Subsequently,  (not sure how much time elapsed)
lobster fishermen were finding the lobsters in Long Island Sound either dead
or weakened.  Research indicated a breakdown in their immune system,
allowing harmful algae and bacteria to hurt them.
   It seems that decisions in our world are coming down to "damned if you do
and damned if you don't."  If we don't spray, people get sick.  If we do,
marine life, and the livelihood of commercial fishermen disappears.  And,
the article didn't have anything to say anout the Bay Scallops.   I'm
beginning to think that  our interest in preserving marine life is perhaps
doomed.
Is it too late to wake people up to the status of our oceans (and fresh
water, for that matter)?
   Can't someone find a pesticide that won't destroy much more than the
intennded target?

Saddened,
Linda