The marine curio trade is a global business involving the collection of a range of animals that are used to make decorative and utilitarian household items, jewellery and souvenirs. Thousands of species of molluscs are used, together with corals, sponges, echinoderms, crustaceans, fish and turtles.
Specimens are either dried, or the hard shell or skeleton is used. They may subsequently be sold as single whole specimens or incorporated in a variety of ways into end products such as lampshades, mobiles, picture frames and pot pourri arrangements. Curio items may be sold in the country of origin or exported for sale on the international market, but data on the quantities involved are difficult to obtain. However, a visit to any High Street or seaside location in the UK, or to web-based outlets reveals that marine curios are readily accessible and widely traded.
Like any fishery, there are conservation issues associated with the collection of curio species, for example in relation to over-exploitation, habitat damage and secondary effects on other species and ecosystem function. The Marine Conservation Society is the only UK-based NGO to have investigated the marine curio trade, and this work has generated useful information – for example it has shown that some of the species involved are threatened or at risk, that there is insufficient data on many species and that curio collection is an important livelihood activity for coastal communities in some parts of the world. We now plan to update and expand our knowledge so that we can determine the management interventions that are needed, and provide easily-accessible guidance to consumers.
We need help in constructing a picture of the extent of curio sales in the UK – so please keep an eye open when you next go shopping or walking along the seafront, and let us know what you see. Even if it is just a small display of shells or a few albums adorned with dried starfish, we would like a report. The data form will take just a few minutes to fill in and every record is of value – so start sleuthing now! THANKYOU!
