>Well stated!  Thank you.
Vicky Wall






 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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