Dear Conch-listers,

I am a marine biologist currently working for a Toiletries and Cosmetics
company in the UK.
The company is planning to use Placuna placenta (known as Kapiz shell or
Windowpane shell) from the Philippines to produce soap trays.

They have asked me to find out if the shells are the by-product of a food
fisheries and if the fisheries is environmentally sustainable before
committing themselves and contribute to further depletion of marine
resources (I must say I am quite surprised and pleased to receive such
request from a profit oriented group).

I have recently followed the debate on the list regarding 'honest shell
collecting, exporting and dealing' and I seem to remember that the species
was mentioned by Dr. Gary Rosenberg in his interesting overview of the
current shell collecting scenario. I was wondering if anybody on the list
could provide me with further information on the state of Kapiz shells
biology and populations, the way they are harvested, current rates of
harvesting, size and characteristics of the trade, existing limiting
regulations and likely sustainability or extinction scenarios. Ideally, I
would like to be able to suggest environmentally friendly (i.e.
sustainable) sources of Kapiz shells to the company and maybe get them
involved, along with other UK importers, into an eco-labelling approach to
the problem.

Any information in the form of reports, publications, newspaper articles or
contact details would be extremely welcome especially if substantiated by
facts and figures.

I take the opportunity to thank you all in advance for any information you
will be able to give me.

With kind regards,

Nick Marchesi
Marine Environmental Scientist
90 Gosport Street
Lymington
Hants SO41 9BD
E-mail: [log in to unmask]