Just two thoughts:
1)  Not too many people self-collect in these places;  nobody would dream
of going to Haiti on vacation -- except perhaps for some hard-core divers,
and other Caribbean locations are more exciting or exotic than Puerto Rico
for Americans.
2)  Not too many dealers have suppliers in these places; they don't want to
deal in/with Haiti, and Puerto Rico is first not a fishing community and
second not a poor one.
I don't think it is because there are fewer marine molluscs in these places
than anywhere else...   : - )

Monika
in sunny San Diego




                    Ross Mayhew
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                    ATICO.CA>               cc:
                    Sent by:                Subject:     Take 2: Hati and Puerto Rico
                    Conchologists of
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                    07/03/01 07:46
                    PM
                    Please respond
                    to Conchologists
                    of America List






Ross Mayhew wrote:

>
> I know many Carribean countries have sharply curtailed shell collecting >
activities, but i am wondering why shells seldom make it out of Puerto >
Rico, which is a protectorate of the USA, so should have similar laws >
regarding collecting, and Hati, where there would not seem to be enough
> law or order to  prevent some enterprising divers or fishermen from >
exporting a few seashells.  So, what is going on (or, in this case, what >
is preventing things from going on?)? Where are the shells that "should" >
be making their way out of these places?

but nobody who knew, replied. Seriously, though - why is it so difficult
to find shells from these two places that "SHOULD" be major producers of
Carribaean molluscan exoskeletons?????  Are their shores all Marine
Preserves?  Does nobody there know that folks will pay good amounts of
loot for some of their faunal remains? SURELY someone out there knows
(or perhaps even someone with some other name....)!! - and perhaps there
are other enquiring minds on the list that might want to know as well :-0.

-JR