750 pound Mako gaffed and killed

[DebbyDiver]

What did you all eat for dinner tonight, and where did it come from? Just a little "food for thought"........

Your post reminds me of my former boss, a longtime dive industry professional, who would weep when I caught lobsters...he felt so sorry for them.

And he would make derogatory comments about my catch. Then he'd leave for lunch...a cheeseburger.

IJS.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Congratulations, in my years on Scubaboard that is by far the dumbest sentence I have seen posted to date, and that's saying something.

Yes, sometimes you have to go to extreme lengths and use extreme examples to get some people to understand the issue.

But the question remains, can you make the connection between that over the top analogy and the faulty logic expressed that sport fishing for sharks is fine because more sharks die in nets and on long lines?

Let me explain it to you very clearly.

Shooting the occasional neighbor kid and saying it is "Ok" because more neighbor kids get killed in car accidents is indeed really dumb and is obviously not a desireable outcome as having any neighbor kids get killed is a tradgedy. Making it legal to kill a few neighbor kids would not make it any less tragic.

Similarly, killing a smaller number of sharks by sportfishing and saying it is "Ok" because a larger number of sharks are killed by commercial fisherman is also really dumb for the same reasons. The loss of any shark in a threatened population is tragic, and it's status as a legal activity does not make it any less tragic.

The only difference between the two examples is in the degree of the tragedy and the personal relevance. Most of us don't think twice about the decline in apex predator populations as it is not as personal to us. The loss of a neighbor kid would be. The logical flaw in each argument is identical, it is just easier for people to identify that flaw if you use a more personal and extreme example to point out the flaw in the argument.

You continue to respond with personal attacks rather than presenting a legitimate argument. Do you have any real substance to back up your opinions or is this all you have?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I'll be honest with you, I didn't even know it was illegal until this incident and I have the feeling these guys did not either. While I know ignorance of the law is no excuse, one can only conclude from the fact they gave the video up to local news agencies they were clueless as to having done anything wrong. FWIW Florida fishing regulations are many and nobody can possibly know them all, I and many others have called FWC w/ questions regarding fishing regulations they couldn't even answer. Most responsible fisherman know the regulations of their intended catch but there is no way in hell these guys set out to free gaff a mako shark.

It is slob hunters/fishermen who do this kind of thing that give hunting and fishing in general a bad name. The fact they were (possibly) ignorant of the law and stupid enough to tape it does not make them any more loveable.

I have absolutely nothing against hunting or fishing, I just have a beef with slob hunters and fishermen and anyone else who does it in an ecologically unsound or unethical manner - and I don't limit that definition to strictly what is legal or illegal as ethical behavior often requires a person to be more than just "legal".

 

[ONESPEED]

Yes, sometimes you have to go to extreme lengths and use extreme examples to get some people to understand the issue.

But the question remains, can you make the connection between that over the top analogy and the faulty logic expressed that sport fishing for sharks is fine because more sharks die in nets and on long lines?

Let me explain it to you very clearly.

Shooting the occasional neighbor kid and saying it is "Ok" because more neighbor kids get killed in car accidents is indeed really dumb and is obviously not a desireable outcome as having any neighbor kids get killed is a tradgedy. Making it legal to kill a few neighbor kids would not make it any less tragic.

Similarly, killing a smaller number of sharks by sportfishing and saying it is "Ok" because a larger number of sharks are killed by commercial fisherman is also really dumb for the same reasons. The loss of any shark in a threatened population is tragic, and it's status as a legal activity does not make it any less tragic.

The only difference between the two examples is in the degree of the tragedy and the personal relevance. Most of us don't think twice about the decline in apex predator populations as it is not as personal to us. The loss of a neighbor kid would be. The logical flaw in each argument is identical, it is just easier for people to identify that flaw if you use a more personal and extreme example to point out the flaw in the argument.

You continue to respond with personal attacks rather than presenting a legitimate argument. Do you have any real substance to back up your opinions or is this all you have?

So let me get this straight, you started this little pissing match with a personal attack and that was o.k., but my pointing out that you made one of the most idiotic comparisons possible is not o.k., got it.

However, I do believe in positive reinforcement so congratulations on running spellcheck, you may now wish to download windbag check.

 

[walke121]

Unless you are one of those dumba$$es that are trying to save the whales on the Animal Planet I highly doubt you hold a makos life equal to that of a child. I mean what a comparison. WOW.

 

[mike_s]

. All you alarmists need to shift your focus to the real problem rather than myopically attacking an activity you personally don't like. What did you all eat for dinner tonight, and where did it come from? Just a little "food for thought"........

You've got to realize that some of these people have no clue what they are talking about

 

[tridacna]

Yes it is your privelege, AND

against the unbelievably rare occurence

Hey, weren't you the one calling someone else on spelling?

 

[walke121]

I laugh everytime I see that clip.

 

[ScubaSteve]

 

[diverdoug1]

Mako is a legal gamefish here in Florida, and is a well regulated and sustainable recreational fishery. The Mako population in southwest Florida is increasing at this time. It is also one of my favorite dinners.