Ethical Considerations

Collecting, The Environment, and Cultural Responsiveness

Throughout my 18 year history of collecting shells, I have learned the importance of cultural responsiveness and respect for the local ecologies from which the shells were found. For this reason, I choose to navigate my practice with care. This essentially boils down to two tenants: 1) Treat the local ecology kindly; and 2) Honor cultural histories with respect and transparency. This, of course, means I report with as much accuracy as the historical record allows for, and I am clear about when there is debate or opaque understandings of happenings ancient and contemporary alike.

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CULTURAL REPONSIVENSS 

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Let us take an example. One of the histories I draw upon in my discussion of the intersection of shells and culture is that of the Kula trade. Within the Trobriand Islands of Papua New Guinea, Kula Trade items are considered more-less sacred and actually lose their intrinsic value entirely when extradited from the practice of trading. Thus, buying a Kula item using today's market effectively eradicates it from the oral history of the trade itself. Not the mention, this trade symbolized more than an economy. In fact, it helped scaffold an entire way of life pertaining to maritime, crafting, and social-hierarchical practices. For this reason, my studies of Kula objects solely rely on contemporary and culturally responsive sources that document the history and revival of the Kula system itself. Unfortunately, there is a rich record of Kula exploitation as well belittling and patronizing anthropological rhetoric surrounding the Kula trade that still exists today. For obvious reasons, I do not substantiate these stories and I do not condone extraditing Kula objects from the Trobriand Islands. Moreover, I make a point to be transparent and ethical about my collecting pursuits as well as the way I educate folks on the histories of shell collecting and modification. 

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ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

It is also important to understand the ecological effects of shell collecting. Although the limited number of shells in my collection and their origins pose theoretically no threat to the environments from which they came, many shells are procured through destructive practices such as dredging and mass-trawling. Likewise, having even one shell can imply a contribution to the destruction of an entire ecosystem. As a result, I have historically focused my shell collecting on procuring already-existing collections with a history of ethical fishing practices. This means that some of my shells predate even my own existence, and I personally know the individuals who collected (or repurposed

another collection) themselves. ​

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Even in light of my careful practicing, I do not claim to be exempt from the ethical implications that comes along with collecting natural history in general. There is, of course, an impact on taking anything from the oceans and seas on this planet. And of course, many of my specimens do not originate from the United States, meaning many of my species come from places where I would not face any consequences shelling at large. In turn, I frankly have an obligation to maintain a respectful and intentional relationship with collecting.