Pardon Me! I dont want to be a spoil sport. But one would think that Sanibel, was the only spot in the world where one could collect shells. Bruce -----Original Message----- From: Bobbi Cordy <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wednesday, December 02, 1998 4:27 PM Subject: Re: Back to the Conservation Issue - Sanibel and tuna >There have been many in FL who have gone to bat on this conservation >issue.....especially the new laws in Sanibel, etc. They were knocked down >before they could hardly say anything. > >As far as lobbying.....we will need LOTS and LOTS of money and LOTS of good >attorneys....remember the tuna industry and tobacco industries have millions!!!! > >ferreter wrote: > >> Maybe what we need is a legislative lobby, contact the tobacco lobby , they >> can do anything. on the serious side , we do need a voice where it counts , >> any volunteers? . . >> As for what i wrote last week , it was intended to get both view points and >> suggestions on "what can be done to help" but as usual it turned into a >> fingerpointing and mud throwing event . Hey , I'm a BFT and it's easy to hit >> me with mud , now that we've settled down , the question still needs to be >> addressed , "What can be done to help ourselves and our hobby". When the >> World Tuna fleet got flack and boycotts for the killing of Bi-catch animals >> like dolphins the Tuna industry began a highly visible campaign of getting >> divers in the water to free the trapped turtles and dolphins. the result , a >> label that states "dolphin safe" . this boosted sales beyond the pre-boycott >> levels. see there is a way for conservation to work but sometimes it does >> take an effort. mark >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Kim C. Hutsell <[log in to unmask]> >> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> >> Date: Wednesday, December 02, 1998 6:22 PM >> Subject: Re: Back to the Conservation Issue - Sanibel >> >> >Just out of curiosity...why is it that the COA, the biggest mollusk >> >oriented organization in the United States, is letting itself be >> >legislated out of existance? I hear a lot about being blamed for declines >> >in molluscan populations, but nothing about an active defense? Do we >> >really want to go the same way as fresh-water mussel collectors and bird >> >egg collectors? >> > >> >Specimens and data in old collections can be informative and fascinating >> >but only tells us about the past. These tell us little about the present >> >state of our environment if we can't get out and take new samples to >> >study it. >> > >> >We continually sit by and let ourselves and our activities be blamed for >> >anything and everything. We talk amongst ourselves, get each other all >> >worked up, pat each other on the back because we all recognize the >> >problems and, then, let it go. It reminds me of bitching about being in >> >a bad marriage, but being too lazy to do anything about it. >> > >> >I get so frustrated with some of the attitudes I encounter, I can hardly >> >stand it. Mostly it's people who believe that they can go on about their >> >business...collecting responsibly, or studying their clades, or drawing >> >their trees, or writing their articles, or dealing their shells...and >> >hoping someone else take care of defending their (our) >> >hobby/avocation/profession. When are we going to wake up and pull our >> >heads out of the sand? There ISN'T anyone else! We're it! And if we don't >> >start standing up against bad legislation, we might as well start hunting >> >plastic seashells in our bath tubs! >> > >> >Kim Hutsell >> >San Diego >> > >> >Bobbi Cordy wrote: >> >> >> >> I stated several times that one of the big problems in FL is the >> >> renourishment of beaches where hundreds of shells and being pumped out >> >> of the ocean onto the beaches....well here is what was in yesterdays >> >> paper: >> >> >> >> "Panama City Beach - A renourishment project is providing beachcombers >> >> with a bonanza of shells of all kinds and calibers. >> >> In addition, dredges are bringing up gun shells expended during military >> >> training exercises in or over the Gulf of Mexico. >> >> Beachcombers usually have to wait until low tides after storms to find >> >> fresh seashells, but the dredging is providing them with relatively >> >> untouched specimens in the sand being pumped from offshore to restore >> >> severely eroded beaches. >> >> The $21.5 million renourishment is about 40percent complete and on >> >> schedule, said Rafael Castillo, a quality control official with Great >> >> lakes Dredge and Dock Co. which has been doing the dredging work." >> >> Florida Today, Tuesday, December 1, 1998. >> >> >> >> AND very soon the scientific shell collector will be told it is their >> >> fault because the shells are gone. What a crock!!! >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Jim and Bobbi Cordy >> >> of Merritt Island, Florida. >> >> Specializing in Self-Collected >> >> Caribbean & Florida Shells >> > > >-- >Jim and Bobbi Cordy >of Merritt Island, Florida. >Specializing in Self-Collected >Caribbean & Florida Shells