Scott,
Yes, the CITES ban on P. pulcherrima was ostensibly more of a move to
thwart an environmental disaster rather than attempting to save one
species.  Unfortunately, CITES cannot dictate the agricultural
practices of a country where the slash and burn mentality runs
rampant.  I have some very explicit video footage showing P.
pulcherrima living in its habitat and some of the locals hunting
through the decimated hillsides; and finding the species hanging on
limbs of secondary growth trees.  Stacked up and down the hillsides
are logs and cut foliage.  Banning trade of species to prevent
environmental destruction is a band aid approach that has little
success in my estimation.  The locals are not cutting down the trees
to collect the Papustyla.  They are profiting off the timber trade
and opening up land for agriculture.  Populations of P. pulcherrima
can be wiped out by poor agricultural practices, yet the video
clearly shows the snail surviving on secondary growth.  Will the
collecting and trade of the species endanger all
populations?  Probably not.  Will cutting down the forests for timber
trade and slash and burn agriculture threaten P. pulcherrima?  You be
the judge.  No matter what reason P. pulcherrima is listed, the
intended effect is ineffective.
Rich

At 01:11 AM 11/10/2005, you wrote:
>My understanding is that, per se, this snail isn't endangered but that the
>natives burn or chop down the trees in which these snails live up high, so
>restricting their trade was thought to preserve the environment.  Can anyone
>verify this?
>
>Regards,
>
>Scott
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>Richard Petit
>Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 3:57 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Papustyla
>
>Linda:
>
>Some years ago I was in an out-of-state gift shop that had a number of
>shells.  There was a nice specimen of P. pulcherrima in a small glass case
>with some other showy shells, and it had a label showing locality as "Cuba."
>I told the owner that the shell was endemic to Papua New Gunea and that
>importation of it was illegal (it was at that time - may be different now).
>He wasted no time in forcefully telling me that some of them might be from
>New Guinea, but the one for sale was from Cuba!
>
>dick
>
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