Octopus: dinner or pets?

[Michael Schlink]

<This side discussion was split from the Octopus? thread in the Hunter Gatherer forum.....

Snowbear>

Leave the Octo's alone they aren't hurting anyone and they aren't exactly blanketing the reef.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Octopus are smart, curious and harmless. Here in the Pacific Northwest, along with the Wolfeel, they are regarded as pets. Taking them to eat is like swiping the neighbor's golden retriever for a barbeque. It just isn't done in polite society.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Tastes like chicken. :11:

Golden Retriever?

 

[mech]

I'm OK with harvesting most game for table food.
For the most part I really don't care what the game is as long as it is eaten (sp?).
However there are certain creatures that I consider regal or noble (for a lack of a better term) such as birds of prey,mountain lions, bears, anything older than me and then there are the pet type creatures that octopi fall into.
It sure would be nice to see more of these in CA waters so leave them alone.
My son knows that if he ever so much as killed a lizard he would be eating it.
I realise that you want to eat it but as mentioned earlier they aren't blanketing the floor and they are considered pets by many of us.
I live in an area where there are mountain lions, even though they will harvest our chickens or the neighbors foo foo dogs it's our privilege to have them as neighbors.
Sorry for the rant.
Andy

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Simple fish aren't reported to be as intelligent as a dog, an octopus is...

Just something to think about

 

[Uncle Pug]

I spent some time with a 50# GPO tonight. Beautiful animal. It was asleep out in the open and it took some gentle prodding to get it to wake up and dance with us. I didn't have any desire to kill and eat it. But that is just the way I am. I petted Sandy the Golden Retriever when I got home... and didn't even think of BBQing her.

To each his own? Yeah, OK. But I'm sure glad you don't dive where I do.

 

[Nomaster]

I'm in Korea. I eat both. But I'm not thrilled with the
way they are prepared. I have the same problem with
eating crab and lobster. Being boiled alive isn't a pretty
site, nor do I thrill to eating squirming sucking tenticles.
Little yappy dogs, a completely different story. . .
though I prefer to know that they're humanely dispatched,
which, I understand, is not always the case.
Please; Not the retriever.

Tom

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

Comparing fish to octopi is like comparing fish a chimp in terms of intelligence. Octopi are gentle, incredibly smart creatures. IMO, it is selfish to take them to eat, but like you say, to each his own I suppose, as long as it's legal to take them.

But just because it is a strange looking animal, don't let yourself feel like you aren't killing one of the world's truly special creatures that no diver will get to see again. Sorry, but with extraordinary creatures, it's just how I feel.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I find it interesting that some have referred to an animals intelligence as a determiner when deciding if it should be taken as food. Pigs are pretty intelligent, but we generally don’t have a problem eating bacon.

I’m not against hunting animals for food, as long as we don’t hunt a species to extinction. I am fascinated, though, at what we decide is acceptable food. As was mentioned earlier, Korean culture tends to look at dogs as food, not pets. Are they wrong, just because our culture views dogs otherwise? I'm not so sure.

There seems to be a ‘cuteness’ factor involved here.

Anyway, I don’t currently hunt, but feel that it’s acceptable as long as laws protecting the species are followed.

 

[Rick Inman]

I spent some time with a 50# GPO tonight. .. I didn't have any desire to kill and eat it.

No, but a 50# GPO might eat you.