KENYA: Experts warn harvesting shells along country's coast threatens ecosystems

Record ID: 1504205

  • Title: KENYA: Experts warn harvesting shells along country's coast threatens ecosystems
  • Date: 11th April 2011
  • Summary: LIKONI, MOMBASA, KENYA, (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OPEN SEA WITH MAN COLLECTING SEASHELLS WASHED ASHORE VARIOUS OF MAN WASHING SEASHELLS VARIOUS OF MAN ARRANGING SEASHELLS ON A STAND (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) KANUNI KOMBORA, SEASHELL SELLER SAYING: "These shells intrigue human beings, so I decided to ask fishermen to collect them for me when they go fishing. But the
  • Embargoed: 25th April 2011 21:24
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya, Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Nature / Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVAA0U76JWMFGDQIASTR36W45WOI
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Local entrepreneurs in Kenya's coastal town of Mombasa are doing brisk business selling beautiful seashells.
    Everyday, suppliers tirelessly comb the beaches of the Indian Ocean in search of seashells brought in by the tides.
    They collect and clean the shells with soap and water to wash off sand and restore their lustre then businessmen display them for sale, attracting a busy traffic of tourists visiting the seaside town.
    "These shells intrigue human beings, so I decided to ask fishermen to collect them for me when they go fishing. But the shells are hard to find. Fisherman go out to sea for two days and only manage to find one or two shells. I have to accumulate them over time to large amounts, which I sell to tourists who like them to decorate their homes," says Kanuni Kombora, a seashell seller.
    Kenya's indian ocean towns are a hot spot for tourists from all over the world coming to enjoy the white sandy beaches and the region's warm weather and rich culture.
    For many visitors, seashells are the ideal memorabilia to take back home, with their striking patterns and glossy look.
    Long time ago, before the abolition of slave trade some shells, mostly cowrie shells were seen as a valuable commodity amongst coastal communities and where used as currency.
    There are over 200 species of seashells -- the hard, protective outer covering created by animals living in the sea.
    They range in size, shape and color and are popularly used for decorative purposes in interior design, clothing and jewellery.
    "I just bought this shell and I really wanted to remember my time here in Kenya as a really awesome trip that I took. And they are so rare and beautiful and I went snorkelling on the reef and I saw them and I knew that I wanted to take something home so that I can share this experience when I go back to America," said Alysa Friedrich, an American tourist.
    While some shells are abandoned by the animals that inhabit them and collecting them seems harmless, authorities warn that because they are now a marketable item, people are killing and harvesting valuable marine life.
    Habib Hakem is a marine expert, and says most people are not aware of the harm they are causing.
    "One of the things that the shell does, it acts as a cave for small marine animals even small octopuses, they hide in the shells some of them coil themselves around these big shells so that they are not drifted by the tides. And when you take this shells, you are just exposing these animals to such kind of danger. Even the small fishes when they have not grown they move inside the shells and later come out of the shell, same goes for crabs and at the moment you remove these, you don't have an environment," he said.
    Seashells in the coral reef are part of various life forms that make up a complex ecosystem.
    In the reef community, the shells eat some of the organisms that feed on the coral, keeping these organisms at sustainable levels.
    Kenya Wildlife Society's Director Julius Kipng'etich says stringent measures should be taken against those collecting the shells.
    "Nobody is allowed to harvest any shells in the sea, so all those activities at the coast are illegal and we're trying to work with the Ministry of Fisheries, the law enforcement must be carried out to prevent the illegal harvesting of marine products at the coast," he said.
    While picking up small shells during a walk along the beach may not be viewed as a crime, authorities say that the commercial demand is fuelling illegal harvesting.
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