Captain Cousteau and the Collectors

KIRA KIRA, Solomon Islands - Captain Jacques Cousteau's suggestion to the California Legislature of prohibiting the selling of shells and tropical fish and totally prohibiting spear- fishing and certain other types of collecting.

No marine fish or invertebrate has been exterminated by man and none is really threatened with extinction at the present time. On the other hand, many species have been overfished and local populations decimated. The problem is one of properly managing the resources involved and this does not require the blanket prohibition necessary in the case of endangered species.