Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 22:16:24 -0400
From: Bobbi Cordy <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Organization: Shell Creations
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To: Conch-L <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Strombus Gigas
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Unfortunately...once a protection is put on an animal you will never get
it off....We saw that happen in Calif.
The sea otters are protected in California.  They are now over run by
sea otters and they are wiping out the abalone (which they love to
eat)...hence nature is out of balance.
 
Also the gators in Florida that are protected....are taking over the
State.   Gators are having to be captured and killed all the time
because they are taking over neighborhoods.   They have a yearly gator
kill here to help keep the population down.
 
They should have a Strombus Gigas season and size limit??
 
Unfortunately those of us on the field never get asked about any of
this.  Only people who fish get asked about the shell thing!   Most of
the fish people do not know one shell from another!
 
Tucker used to say "the one's who know about shells are those who are in
the water with them all the time".  He constantly used our shell club
members as a great resource for his information in books but he knew we
were the one's who knew.
 
When we go to the Bahamas....we see piles and piles of dead  S gigas
both on the land and in the water.  We also see a lot of live ones
although the Bahamians have been bringing in hundreds of these shells
every day for hundreds of years???? Go figure!
 
--
Jim & Bobbi Cordy
Specializing in Self-Collected
Caribbean & Florida Shells