EXPLOITATION TECIjNIQUES VERSUS CHARACTERISTICS OF EXPLOITED SPECIES: WHICH PARAMETERS DEFINE THE IMPACT OF TRADITIONAL GATHERING ON INTERTIDAL SHELLFISH

Many marine molluscs are gathered by humans for food or ornament, and the archaeolog ica l record indicates that t radi t ional shellgather ing p layed an important ro le in smal l scale coastal soc iet ies around the world . However, few scienti f ic investigations of the subject have been made, perhaps because shell-gathering is usually done by women whereas anthropological studies often focus on hunting by men (Meehan, 1982).