Do y'all eat commercially harvested fish?
Do photographers inadvertently harass marine life?
- Thread starter Alaskan Scuba Dude
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I gotta say bashing photographers is easy pickings, same with new divers. The absolute worst is when they are the same entity.
I take pictures, some are good, some not so much so. I do share them with non diver friends and family and have converted some into divers. They see your pictures and say "You saw that? Anyone can go and see that?" It makes it more personal and approachable for some.
I have a few pictures I show people who doubt the environmental impacts of global warming, mostly under lit reef scapes showing what it looks like now vs. 25 or 30 years ago. (Not many, was renting cameras occasionally back then).
Anyhow, I think most photographers do more good than harm. Sure there are bad apples, but a lifetime of poor buoyancy won't do near as much damage as a new cruise terminal, or a ship running aground on a reef.
I take pictures, some are good, some not so much so. I do share them with non diver friends and family and have converted some into divers. They see your pictures and say "You saw that? Anyone can go and see that?" It makes it more personal and approachable for some.
I have a few pictures I show people who doubt the environmental impacts of global warming, mostly under lit reef scapes showing what it looks like now vs. 25 or 30 years ago. (Not many, was renting cameras occasionally back then).
Anyhow, I think most photographers do more good than harm. Sure there are bad apples, but a lifetime of poor buoyancy won't do near as much damage as a new cruise terminal, or a ship running aground on a reef.
^ this
I'm no vegan, or even a vegetarian. And I suspect that the thread was started just to stir up conflict. But as a photographer, I find this topic a bit annoying.
Startle a fish? You are evil, a terrible diver who has no skills and doesn't respect nature
Pick up a burger at McDonalds? Meh.
By eating meat, you are part of a system that slaughters hundreds of millions of sentient, intelligent mammals after a short lifetime of misery. Plus, the industry is an environmental disaster that contributes significantly to global warming and sea habitat destruction, even when land based.
By eating commercial seafood, you are part of a system that decimates ocean food chains and can lead to collapse of keystone species.
Heck, even a single flight to a tropical dive destination probably causes more net harm to the marine environment than a photographer hitting a reef with their console.
I eat meat, I eat seafood, and I travel by air. I'm not telling anyone not to do these things. I'm glad that people are aware of the problem and can take steps to minimize their impact, and find some balance.
But I also have a bit of perspective with respect to the virtue signalling.
I'm no vegan, or even a vegetarian. And I suspect that the thread was started just to stir up conflict. But as a photographer, I find this topic a bit annoying.
Startle a fish? You are evil, a terrible diver who has no skills and doesn't respect nature
Pick up a burger at McDonalds? Meh.
By eating meat, you are part of a system that slaughters hundreds of millions of sentient, intelligent mammals after a short lifetime of misery. Plus, the industry is an environmental disaster that contributes significantly to global warming and sea habitat destruction, even when land based.
By eating commercial seafood, you are part of a system that decimates ocean food chains and can lead to collapse of keystone species.
Heck, even a single flight to a tropical dive destination probably causes more net harm to the marine environment than a photographer hitting a reef with their console.
I eat meat, I eat seafood, and I travel by air. I'm not telling anyone not to do these things. I'm glad that people are aware of the problem and can take steps to minimize their impact, and find some balance.
But I also have a bit of perspective with respect to the virtue signalling.
kaylee_ann
crazy diver
this is a ridiculous question. SOME photographers harass them. but you can easily get a zoom lens and take awesome shots from far away that look like you were right next to the fish. which is what good UW photographers do.
Gone for diving
Contributor
kaylee_ann
crazy diver
Maybe fewer photographers would harass wildlife if more DMs would stop digging, poking, and prodding the creatures out of their hiding spots to help set up "the shots" and encouraging all divers in the group to come look, and worse yet--touch.
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