Are you australian, Kevin? You should know the name of the mammal that
was extinct but
is about to be clonned thanks to an anonimous curator of an australian
museum that preserved one embrio in ethanol several years ago.
The story of this mammall is well known: some decades ago, hunters were
encouraged by local authorities to kill them all because they sometimes ate
some sheeps that were introduced in Australia for the wool and meat. It's
name: Tasmania wolf ( Thylacinus cynocephalus ) and was the largest known
carnivorous marsupial. Correct me if I am wrong, as I am not australian!
I have some doubts that collectors who generaly love nature depleted some
areas in Australia, it sounds to me that these shells were for other
purposes. Amateur collectors and even some specimen shell dealers were
responsible
for the discovery of several
new molluscs to science and if not many remained in the dark. We cannot
protect what we don't know! Besides true collectors act by a code of ethics
( I think in most cases ).
Also what you said about most edible molluscs being raised in aquaculture is
not correct: only a small number of species is grown in sea farms
abalones,oysters
mussels and clams mostly ) but hundreds
if not thousands of other species are taken by fishermen for food, but we
must add also the by-catch of the fisheries, thousands of species that are
caugth in the nets and are discarded dead or alive because cannot be used
as food ( too small to eat or unknown as food and unfortunately collectors
are not often
aboard of fishing vessels to make some of these deaths worth )
Maybe you belong to some authority, since you react
strongly to my opinion using the word "rubbish".The true scientist respect
otherīs opinions and never use such words. I am a marine biologist and
worried about pollution and overfishing but don't consider the collectors
the bad guys, in fact I am one of these. And I will always try to get
better specimens for my collection when I can choose a few and leave
the others to reproduce. So I still think a serious collector has the moral
right to get better specimens to his collection! Don't confuse
true collectors with other human predators...
Merry Xmas Kevin and sorry for my english
Bernardino
----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin Lamprell <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 6:16 AM
Subject: Re: R: filed lip
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "bernardino" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 3:47 AM
> Subject: Re: R: filed lip
>
>
> > Overcollecting? It was never proved that collecting has ever made any
> > seashell extinct. Overfishing, Pollution, and Man predation for food in
> the
> > reefs may have an impact thousands times larger.I remember several years
> ago
> > I was in a trip in an island off Venezuela and the guide has forbbiden
any
> > shell collecting because of pr eservation of species but when walking
> around
> > the island we found tons of oysters openned by local fishermen looking
for
> > pearls, because they need to survive this was allowed by
> > authorities( ! )Australian authorities also control shell collecting but
> > made some mammals extint because of "wise measures" and everyone knows
> what
> > happened with hawaian snails. Collectors are often victims of
> fundamentalism
> > of authorities but some of these close their eyes when fishermen use
bombs
> > or poison to catch fish.
> >
> > Every collector has the moral right to get better specimens for his
> > collection
> >
> > Bernardino
>
>
> Rubbish Bernardino, there are many instances to disprove your theory,
while
> many of your early statements are correct and economics do come into
> overcollecting, these are edible items and can and are grown commercially.
> We have many instances in Australia where overcollecting has reduced
> littoral zones to barren wastes, destroyed habitat, completely devoid of
> shell. Your remarks re having the moral right etc may be misinterpreted by
> me, men once considered they had the right to better specimens of elephant
> tusks, others slaves, is this what you mean? I am approaching later years
> and I am yet to be enlightened as to what
> mammals became extinct by our authorites.
> Kev
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