Feeling like a hypocrite...

[DiverGirl1972]

I'm a big believer of the ethical treatment of animals and I don't condone baiting waters so that a dive is more entertaining. One of the reasons is because I don't think it's healthy for humans to interfere with the normal feeding habits of wild animals, marine or otherwise.

This weekend, I was at my favorite diving quarry and at the end of the dive, to amuse myself, I found myself turning rocks upside down, in search of crawfish to feed to the eagerly waiting bass. I guess I never really gave it much thought before, but this pretty much contradicts those convictions. I would never do this in the ocean, but somehow, I've justified it to myself that in the quarry, it's ok.

Am I overthinking this, or is it terrible that this is now a fairly common activity (not based upon scientific figures, just frequent observation)? I think it happens primarily on the "Student" side, but it's effects can be seen around other shallow areas - fish that beg worse than my dog does!

Does this type of practice happen elsewhere? Harmless safety stop fun or damaging the ecological balance?

.

 

[tplyons]

We do it all the time at our local quarry. Helps pass the time during a safety stop.

The way I see it, those crawfish are being eaten by the bass eventually.

Whether I flip the rock or a fresh out of the gate open water student.

We're not feeding them something outside of their normal diet.

 

[flots am]

Does this type of practice happen elsewhere? Harmless safety stop fun or damaging the ecological balance?.

It's a quarry. You're not disturbing anything.

There weren't any "native fish" before someone dug the rocks out of the hole, and the only fish that live there are fish someone tossed in.

In a lake or an ocean, you might have a case, but not in a man-made quarry.

 

[jcaplins]

I don't believe a quarry is natural to begin with. The Bass were probably stocked at some time and who knows how the crayfish got there.

I would have a problem at a natural lake, ocean or river; but not a quarry.

just my $.02

 

[TMHeimer]

It wouldn't be something I would worry about. The problem with fish feeding in the oceans is probably that too many divers do it in the same areas. I would doubt a little of that here and there would badly affect anything. It would be difficult to even do it here in NS as most of the fish (at least near shore) seem to be gone.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

You drove dozens of miles in a fossil fuel burning vehicle, spewing carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) to the site, you step on your breaks and you shed microscopic particles of asbestos into the parking lot which will eventually get washed into the water, you hook up a regulator made with polymers from our precious oil reserves, The metal components of the regulator and the plating was done with a chemical process that uses toxic chemicals and metals, you check the pressure on the tank that was filled with a compressor that runs on more fossil fuels, then you don a garment made of more fossil fuels, put flippers on your feet made from more polymers that were made in a chemical plant ... and you are worried about flipping rocks in a quarry?

 

[chrpai]

All the lakes in Texas (save one) aren't natural. Does that give me a free pass to do whatever?

 

[spectrum]

The quarry has become an ecosystem and should not be dismissed as a man made hole in the ground. A good many open water lakes exist only because of man made dams and they garner the same respect as bodies of water with natural origins.

That being said when diving in fresh water we don't think twice about prying clams open to the delight of the fish. Yes you are disturbing the natural balance but probably no more so than others who fish, dig clams, trap lobster and otherwise hunt. If you think to do otherwise moves you to zero impact you're kidding yourself.

Pete

 

[phoenix31tt]

agreed with chrp and spectrum... regarding man made quarries... it's an ecosystem and it's life doesnt matter how it came into being...

also agree with spectrum that you are indeed disturbing the natural balance and though some would say they get eaten anyway and they may be right... they dont get eaten right away and therefore their population numbers may have time to recover etc, additionally if done often enough and with as many divers you make the bass reliant on you.. they become lazy forget how to hunt etc..

Dumpster diver makes a good point that you're doing more damage to the ecosystem just by getting there... but why contribute to further damage that's totally unavoidable .. if you're feeling hypocritical then you don't have to do it

 

[beaverdivers]

Am I overthinking this, or is it terrible that this is now a fairly common activity (not based upon scientific figures, just frequent observation)? I think it happens primarily on the "Student" side, but it's effects can be seen around other shallow areas - fish that beg worse than my dog does!

Does this type of practice happen elsewhere? Harmless safety stop fun or damaging the ecological balance?

Excellent question! I believe it maybe a matter of " What we teach our childred? "
Our children being our new students. The real problem occurs later in life when they go to the real world - the ocean.

We have a plastic turtle in our OW hot spring. I am always careful to inform my students while it may be OK to pass this plastic one around, it's not appropriate in the real world. ( There is also a plastic alligator, but I don't think they will play catch with a real one. )