Jax Diver
Registered
I don't find anything in any of my posts that claim spearfishermen took an excessive share of any fish. Even for jewfish spearfishing only accounted for 13% of the commercial Gulf landings (1979-1987).
Spearfishing is certainly the most selective method of harvesting fish known, and that fact alone makes it acceptable to many managers, enviornmental types and easy to defend.
I think that if rebreathers were allowed in spearfishing and spearfishermen started hitting the deeper water groupers, like warsaws and speckled hinds, which are slow growing and long lived, we would really have some problems. Of course, you could argue that is already being done now with open circuit (tri-mix). Some at NMFS are warning about the selective removal of larger fish from the population by spearfishermen. I don't agree with this, when you look at the number of fish (like large black grouper) taken by the bottom long line fleet in the Gulf, but the agrument is still there.
On one hand we are being forced to use more selective gear types , but told we are being too selective. Doesn't make much sense does it?
Spearfishing is certainly the most selective method of harvesting fish known, and that fact alone makes it acceptable to many managers, enviornmental types and easy to defend.
I think that if rebreathers were allowed in spearfishing and spearfishermen started hitting the deeper water groupers, like warsaws and speckled hinds, which are slow growing and long lived, we would really have some problems. Of course, you could argue that is already being done now with open circuit (tri-mix). Some at NMFS are warning about the selective removal of larger fish from the population by spearfishermen. I don't agree with this, when you look at the number of fish (like large black grouper) taken by the bottom long line fleet in the Gulf, but the agrument is still there.
On one hand we are being forced to use more selective gear types , but told we are being too selective. Doesn't make much sense does it?