You still got me Marlo.  John
 
----------
> From: Marlo Krisberg <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: honest shell collecting, exporting, and dealing
> Date: Sunday, January 24, 1999 11:52 AM
>
This is Part 4 of 4.
 
Lynn Scheu wrote:
 
> Marlo said:
>
> >A wonderful elaboration.  Whether it's buying, trading or collecting, if
> >we support the market, we support the desimation of species countries
are
> >trying to preserve.
>
> But Marlo, Kate, and all,
>
> .......  Want to increase the stock of queen conchs?  Get rid of the
> rays and the lobsters and the blue crabs and the octopus and the tulip
> shells, and, oh yes, and the sea turtles.  There were plenty of conchs
along
> with plenty of these others, until man's focused
>   collecting activities disturbed the balance.
 
> This is a web we live within.
> All the strands have to work.  Man's technologically enhanced
intervention in
> natural, random
>   processes is not part of the "web" to which you refer.
 
> There was a time when early man got a lot of
> his protein from sea life that he could catch in the shallows -- Largely
> mollusks. And there were probably more of those guys than there are shell
> collectors today.     Actually, no there weren't.  Today's "collectors"
that
> represent consummers of shells include collection for
>   craft and the commerce of tourism -- literally millions consuming, but
not
> for sustenance.  And, you've glossed over the fact
>   that man is still harvesting mollusks for protein.  The collectors are
on
> top of that.  Just imagine early man using dynamite,
>   deep nets and traps, trawls, power boats, SCUBA, dredges, and all the
other
> technologies.
 
> (We aren't a large group, you know.) If we weren't
> killing them off by massive dredging operations, garbage dumping,
> fertilizers, beach renourishment, all that litany of horrors we impose on
> the oceans, there would never be any problems for which shell collectors
> get to take the position of scapegoats.  Covered by prior comments.
>
> We aren't the problem. That attitude is the problem.  We are a part of
the
> problem and will likely become a larger part of it
>   as populations are reduced if we refuse to acknowledge it.  We don't
have
> to take a rap for what we do as long as we do it
>   responsibly.  The issues we should be discussing are how to be
collectors
> responsibly.  We should be asking ourselves tough  questions; such as:
Are
> we being responsible by encouraging others to take up collecting?  Should
we
> put on shell shows  that stimulate commerce in shells?  Should "specimen"
> collectors take a policy position opposed to the use of shells for
craft?
> Others.
 
> Don't sling guilt    Not the issue.  As I said a few months ago in the
> initial communication.  "Come on guys and Gals. .... Who
>   are you fooling?"  The vast majority of you collect for "the beauty,
the
> shell shows, pretty displays for your home, amassing
>   large collections to show off, the social aspects ... etc."   My point
is
> that this should be acknowledged.  Most of us do have
>   a self gratification motivation to our collecting.  No problem.
Realize it
> could have deleterious effects (direct and indirect) on  habitat and
species
> and formulate and follow a code for pursuing the hobby that reduces or
> eliminates this potential.
>
> Marlo (now without any shelling friends)
 
> Florida