Offended??????

[Mandy3206]

I believe that if it's a marine park, Spears are a no-no, everywhere else, I believe is OK to spear, so it's up to the operator to decide what he permits in his boat in a non marine park area.

Below the boat, there no way of knowing what you'll find.

You may want to talk to your local DNR and find out where are the marine parks located and anywhere else that may be prohibited by law.

Enjoy your dive, dive Safe

Mandy

 

[CBulla]

Spearfisherman have their legal rights to hunt. I have mine to stay away from them. I have been on a boat with spearfisherman recently and found it a bit offensive. No big deal but there are other boats I can and will use.

It is unfortunate that the diving world is divided between those that wish to preserve and those who enjoy killing things. We could accomplish a lot otherwise.

:viking: just like the dry world, buddy. There are those of us who will shot a hog or deer and have no problems and there are those who don't. C'est la vie!

When I'm out relaxing, if I shoot a HOG I know I'm eatin good.. dry or wet

 

[Brian Gilpin]

Brian, because I enjoy eating then I guess I enjoy killing things.

OK so you do enjoy killing fish.I see people coming aboard with fish whooping with joy so I assume they are having fun.This behaviour is deeply rooted in the survival instincts of man for better or worse. I do not judge it I simply don't share these feelings. For whatever reason it doesn't bother me to see our farm animals slaughtered. Go figure. I guess I have a respect for wild heritage.We are not in danger of killing all the chickens.

Why should killing a fish to eat be morally somehow worse than going into the local burrito joint to get a fish taco?

Never said it was. Certain honesty to it actually. There would be a lot less obesity and a lot more vegans if we all had to kill our own food.Maybe it should be required.

The few fish that I kill pales in comparison to the bycatch of any comm. operation.

True enough. However I don't see the efforts at preservation from spearos that I see from groups like Ducks Unlimited. Possibly they exist but I am aware of them. All I see are groups pressing for larger limits and longer seasons. Right now pressure groups are lobbying to reopen abalone hunting along parts of the California coast where they have been decimated by hunting and disease. I have starting doing REEF surveys so that authorities and scientists can make responsible decisions about marine life management. Care to join?

 

[Wristshot]

Mandy,

Please Chill.

1) You did recommend finding a spearo, and I made a sarcastic remark about that. Perhaps it is you that needs to read some posts again.

2) Frankly, most of the places I dive are nature reserves or such, and it never occurred to me that spearos might be on any of those boats until thios thread appeared. If I book a dive somewhere new I will definitely ask.

3) I commended someone for answering Lauren's questions, and I reiterated her comment that several people made "remarks" to her before any bothered to answer her question, and I pointed out that I had also essentially asked a similar question with no response. I disagree that it is a moot point. Personally I (like Lauren) felt it was important enough to point it out.

4) I have certainly never attempted to shove anything or any idea on anyone. I don't have any idea where you got that concept. I merely expressed my opinions, and mentioned some things that had not been covered previously in the thread. I have only spoken respectfully of spearos and I have never denegrated them or you.

That's all.

Wristshot

 

[cra2]

There was no blood in the water when Randy was attacked.

a) i wasn't there, i couldn't comment on the amount of blood in the water either way
b) noone said there was blood in the water so what's your point?
c) scientists say sharks can be drawn towards a kill by signals we can't even detect
d) it doesn't change the fact that the scientists (and statistics) say sharks are attracted to, and excited about, spearing their food.

 

[cra2]

the fear from non hunters stems from ignorance about sharks,

Noone's claiming to be shark experts. Fortunately we don't have to be, in order to make (informed) decisions.
The experts have already spoken, and they say statistically, that spearing is more dangerous than not.
This is old news,... and common sense, not "ignorance".
Ignorance is ignoring a body of evidence in order to unnecessarily repeat a behavior that increases your chance of suffering.

"ignorance about hunters and ignorance about how hunters operate."

impossible, and pointless.
you can't know EVERY hunter and how that particular one operates. You can meet several who seem responsible and considerate and then run into the one who bought his spear yesterday and has no idea what he's doing.
This has nothing to do with ignorance.

all of which is beside the fact that no matter how responsible the hunter is, accidents do occur. most would not like to be around high-powered pointy things when they do.
This is fact, not ignorance.

And regardless of how nice & friendly Mr. Hunter is.. others are concerned about the effect Mr. Hunter's activity is having on possible predators in the area.
This is a feeling, based on fact,.. not ignorance.

"Do not let ignorance lead you to irrational fears, just because a spearo is in the area does not mean you will be shot or eaten by a shark!"

noone said that.
though the experts say it increases your chances.
call the experts ignorant.

 

[JustinW]

a) i wasn't there, i couldn't comment on the amount of blood in the water either way
b) noone said there was blood in the water so what's your point?
c) scientists say sharks can be drawn towards a kill by signals we can't even detect
d) it doesn't change the fact that the scientists (and statistics) say sharks are attracted to, and excited about, spearing their food.

response to line b and c. They were abalone diving, abalone diving gear is designed so as to prevent the animals from bleeding in the first place. Furthermore, if an abalone were to bleed, it would only be a knick and the amount of smell put out would not be enough to drive a white shark to want to eat a non-prey item. Abalone do not put out the signals of distrress you are thinking about, those are caused by vertebrates not mollusks. Again, more ignorance, but alas I can answer more questions for you if you have more irrational fears.

 

[JustinW]

And regardless of how nice & friendly Mr. Hunter is.. others are concerned about the effect Mr. Hunter's activity is having on possible predators in the area.
This is a feeling, based on fact,.. not ignorance.

Psychologists have proven over and over again that in most cases, and certainly has been demonstrated in this argument, that feelings are based on emotions, and emotions are generated independent and on the opposite side of the brain from rational and logic thought. Feelings are more often than not, irrational as you have proven by your previous statements and assumptions.

 

[scubapro50]

what really concerns me is a "NEWBIE" with a speargun ..... most of them barely know which way to point it and I haven't seen any training courses at the dive shop on spearfishing ....

 

[CBulla]

what really concerns me is a "NEWBIE" with a speargun ..... most of them barely know which way to point it and I haven't seen any training courses at the dive shop on spearfishing ....

Actually, the NAUI hunting and collecting course should teach that very thing - at least the one at the shop here does. I took the class to learn more about the spear gun I had and gather some tips or tricks about hunting and collecting I could. The instructor is a very experienced spear fisherman who did a very good job at explaining anything that was asked as well as had a fantastic lesson plan for the class.