I think this should read "man has always done this and will go on
doing this for as long as there are species on the shore to collect."

Shore foraging cannot continue unabated. Many species are in serious
decline. Populations of inter-tidal molluscs have been over exploited
in many areas.

One factor to cause this over-exploitation has been the remarkable
growth in the human population.

According to a UK government paper in 1377 the English population was
estimated at 2.2 to 3.1 million people. This grew to 5.74 million in
1750. The first official census was held in 1801 and the population
for England was 8.3 million. The total UK population was 10.5
million. By 1851 the UK population had grown to 16.8 million and to
30.5 million by 1901. In July 2008 the UK population was estimated at
60.9 million. Shore gathering was probably sustainable for millennia
but with so many visitors to the shore now even if they individually
collect much less than their ancestors their sheer numbers can easily
decimate the shore of marine life.

In Guernsey I have seen fish collected for marine aquaria; crabs,
molluscs and worms collected for bait, and ormers, topshells and
limpets collected for food.

There are too many people to support too little forage. If we all
take just a little bit there will not be enough to go around.

Best wishes,

Richard

Richard Lord

fishinfo@...
http://www.sealordphotography.net

On 8 May 2009, at 14:58, ianmac92 wrote:

>
>
> --- In Glaucus@..., aeduin@... wrote:
> >I agree with what you say as regards foraging on the sea shore. Man
> has always done this and will go on doing it for as long as he
> exists ! Ian Macleod
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>



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