How would you handle this?

[Zen Diving Inc.]

So I'm curious about what y'all would do. It's a big ocean ... and we all dive for our own reasons, which are not all the same. Do you think it should be OK to hunt at dive sites if it's legal to do so? Or do you think they should somehow be off-limits to this activity? Or something in between? It's a lot like other situations where people of different interests and perspectives have to share a common resource ... where would you draw the line between what's appropriate and what's not?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Its obvious how you feel... Regardless, what you are doing is no better. Unfortunately some of the best hunting grounds tend to be good dive sites as well. Chance's are if you think its cool, so do fish (to some extent). You like to dive on wrecks? Hey guess what, so do the fish. You like big coral reefs with an abundance of sea life, so do the fish. So what, its ok for people on boats to come fish there but not with a spear? Why, because they can see the fish? They risk out weighs the advantage in most cases. Wether I think the guy is a real "A" hole for shooting an octopus with eggs is irrelevant. The fact that your plastering this guys name and face all over the place is beyond me. Especially since in this particular case he is breaking no law. This is the kind of stuff that gets people hurt and i'm not talking about pride. I suggest if you feel so strongly about this dive site you seek sanctuary for it. That way you are justified in your actions and not inciting a fight or far worse.

 

[Reck Diver]

Like it or not, if you walk through the woods during hunting season, you might see a deer get shot.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

The fact that your plastering this guys name and face all over the place is beyond me.

It's too bad you feel that way, especially since in this particular case NWGD is breaking no law by doing so.

 

[danvolker]

yes, lets compare killing an octopus to rape. that doesn't seem out there at all.

They do have something in common..... Universally, any thinking person should come to the conclusion that rape is wrong, and needs to be stopped.....and universally, every thinking person should be able to come to the conclusion that harvesting/killing an octopus in what is KNOWN TO BE a petting zoo , is WRONG.
The issue here is right and wrong, and determining this for yourself. The fact that the Rape of the woman is a far worse wrong, does not change the fact that both of these actions are wrong, and this imposes a responsibility to acknowledge this, and in my mind, to do something about it.

 

[Zen Diving Inc.]

It's too bad you feel that way, especially since in this particular case NWGD is breaking no law by doing so.

How do you complain about someone's behavior or actions then turn around and behave or act just a poorly? Hey don't be a jackhole, by the way don't mind me while i'm being a jackhole. I don't think reducing yourself to another persons level of stupidity should ever be viewed as the best course of action.

---------- Post Merged at 06:20 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:12 PM ----------

what is KNOWN TO BE a petting zoo , is WRONG.

Why is it a petting zoo in the first place? Im mean you dive the same areas I do. Whats the big thing about the eels and turtles here? Don't feed and or play with... So why are they allowed to have a petting zoo's in washington and we don't? Oh wait that's because human interaction tends to be a bad idea, this being a prime example. Stop petting the damn fish people. Keep in mind in think the hunter under fire in this thread is a complete retard. What he was doing is essentially cast netting at the pike place fish market.

 

[Diver0001]

Maybe we need to get "The Office" closed to hunting.

Peter is right, lobby to get the site closed for hunting.

I recognise that site from the picture. We used to go there from Vancouver just to see the GPO's.

R..

 

[Dr. Lecter]

It's hard to compare a relatively civil (and effective--I hope this guy keeps having to get his air from that compressor he claims his friend keeps in his garage, as there's the real possibility of Darwin working faster that way) public shaming campaign to the initial and subsequent words and actions of this little darling. And even in so far as their actions are similar, there's a crucial distinction between taking an action without cause and taking the same action in furtherance of a just purpose.

Obviously the best long term solution is to get the site closed to scuba taking of GPO. But there's not a damn thing wrong with the short term solution being pursued, either.

 

[Kitty_Kat]

I think the overwhelming response from the dive community in the NW was amazing in this situation! Well done to all involved! It is "hunters" like this that give the rest of us a bad name and endanger the practices that we enjoy so much - legal or not.

Any responsible hunter should understand the importance of leaving brooding mothers alone, regardless of species. Anywhere that you go in the world that still has a sustainable fishing culture has laws in place protecting females with eggs/young, especially during certain times of year. A responsible hunter should be thinking: If I kill a brooding female we have no new offspring, which means I won't have anything to hunt in a year. Therefore, I'm going to leave this one alone. If killing an octopus is really that important (either for consumption or for sport), FIND ANOTHER ONE. There is no sport in killing something already half dead because of its dedication to its offspring. That octopus couldn't fight back or flee. I would be embarrassed to admit that I had "hunted" that octopus.

The attitude that this individual had when confronted was a d*** move. You really can't fix stupid. He likes the attention of this whole incident too much and as soon as the focus moves off of him (well underway) and onto the larger issue of what can be done, he will continue to get an appropriate response from the local dive community for a long time. For everyone who has never tried diving in the pacific northwest, dive shops aren't a dime a dozen like they are in many other places. If he wants to continue diving locally this is going to suck for him. Moving on.

Keep moving forward on some sort of legal protection for these areas since they sound like important breeding grounds! It doesn't have to ban hunting completely... it is possible for hunters and divers to coexist peacefully as long as both sides can respect seasonal/other limitations.

This whole incident is very similar to the Southern California issues with giant sea bass. They are legal to hunt in most areas (outside of MPAs) but many hunters here won't take them (especially large ones). They are one of our "trademark" creatures and are not as easy to find anymore, and most people here respect that. Hunters and divers love the opportunity to just see one. There are plenty of other fish to catch out there.

 

[gcarter]

I think it is clear that we can NOT trust these types of people. They have demonstrated that they have no respect for the ocean and the fragile ecology. This board is filled with many reported examples of other transgressions perpetrated by this user group. Their impacts are probably even more detrimental in tropical systems where the ecosystem is more diverse and less able to withstand disruptions and impacts. Their casual disregard for the fragility of the system is truely frightening (many of us have witnessed them in action, as they pursue their "sport"); not to mention there are many more of these types of clowns in warm water areas.

We need to do what we can to ensure that THIS CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN! If it is not this guy, then next time it will be another idiot. The area where this occured is just too fagile and too popular to condone these types of people impacting the ecosystem. It is already under assault from global warming, stormwater runoff and fishing pressure in surrounding areas.

We must ban together, petition the legislature, notify the dive shops, use our social media resources to benefit the ocean.... We must:
...
....

OUTLAW SCUBA!

I know that was said tongue in cheek, but the thought of possible unintended consequence has been in the back of my mind since this thread started.

It is entirely within the realm of possibility, particularly if those wanting to limit the hunt don't stay squeaky clean, that the effort to protect the GPO in this area could result not just in a ban on hunting but also on diving. Likelihood? Don't know. But possible, yes.

 

[rhwestfall]

It is true, so be careful how you go about substantiating your case.......