Species listed under CITES are subject to international regulations, and collectors should always respect the restrictions that apply to their collection, possession and trade.
It is important, however, to distinguish responsible scientific shell collecting from the activities that are actually responsible for most threats to molluscan species. Habitat destruction, deforestation, pollution, changes to rivers and freshwater systems, invasive species and large-scale harvesting for food, souvenirs, shell craft and decoration can have an enormous impact on natural populations. The careful collection of specimens for scientific study and documented private collections is something very different.
Official CITES website
Scientific collections preserve information
Serious shell collectors have contributed to malacology for centuries. Well-documented collections preserve information about locality, date, habitat, size and variation, and frequently provide material that later becomes important for taxonomic and scientific research. Many specimens now housed in museums originated in private collections, and historical collections can document populations and localities that have since been drastically altered or have disappeared altogether.
At Femorale, we believe that a specimen is much more valuable scientifically when its history is preserved. This is why we make every effort to retain locality data, collection information and provenance, including the names of previous collectors whenever these are known. A shell without data may be an attractive object; a properly documented shell is also a scientific record.
Collecting responsibly
Responsible collectors therefore have an important role to play in conservation. They should know and respect CITES and national regulations, avoid protected species when collection or trade is prohibited, never encourage destructive collecting practices, and preserve as much information as possible with every specimen.
Conservation and scientific collecting should not be regarded as opposing ideas. When practiced legally, selectively and responsibly, shell collecting can help preserve knowledge of molluscan biodiversity and provide material and information that may remain scientifically useful long after the specimen was collected.