Philosophical Debate about Taking Young Divers Spearfishing

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Splitlip

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This topic has been split off from a thread describing a "near miss" situation discussed here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...80-video-scuba-failure-80-feet-yesterday.html


On the discussion of spearing; I think spearing is much more humane than hook and line. The hunter knows what he is shooting so there is no fish getting stressed then released because it is out of season or undersized. The speared fish will likely die more quickly as well.
 
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Never saw an eel act so aggressively.

On the discussion of spearing; I think spearing is much more humane than hook and line. The hunter knows what he is shooting so there is no fish getting stressed then released because it is out of season or undersized. The speared fish will likely die more quickly as well.

I have to agree....While many divers don't like seeing "Bambi" skewered underwater, the vast majority will eat seafood....

Dumpster Diver getting this fish, is a billion times more responsible than someone here on Scubaboard, going to Publix ( local Grocery or seafood store) and buying fish to eat....that means supporting mile long nets, and tons of by-catch that will be killed and dumped like garbage.....and this daily.

As to the eel, Back in the 80's when we used to spearfish in the Palm Beach inlet by the jetty or submarine canyon( in the nav channel) we would carry fish in a bag hooked to our waiste like that.....We did this for a maybe a year, and then after MANY incidents with big morays following ..and one time, a huge moray actually grabbing the fish through the bag, and pulling my dive buddy along till he could un-hook the bag, we decided this is not the way we wanted to transport our fish......

One way, if you positively have to tow the fish, is to have the bag about 10 feet above you, on a line....This worked better, in that there was much less chance of being accidentally bitten by an eel or a shark, going after the fish in the catch bag.....It was not perfect, as on one occaision, my buddy Craig Suavely had the catch bag about 12 feet above him on a deep Fort Pierce dive, and a big Bull took the entire bag on a fast run without warning....suddenly Craig was flying through the water, and not too happy about it....
Today, I like getting the fish right up to the surface...either we swim it up, or send it up in a Brownies Bell Bottom Bag ( has air cell and OVP valve).
I think DD likes the adventure of doing it his way..... Fine with me, it keeps us entertained with videos. :)
 
I have to agree....While many divers don't like seeing "Bambi" skewered underwater, the vast majority will eat seafood....

Dumpster Diver getting this fish, is a billion times more responsible than someone here on Scubaboard, going to Publix ( local Grocery or seafood store) and buying fish to eat....that means supporting mile long nets, and tons of by-catch that will be killed and dumped like garbage.....and this daily.

It is difficult for me to enjoy a shrimp cocktail these days having seen shrimpers dump their catch with all the soft corals and juvy fish among the shrimp.

Aside from the by-catch issues that Dan describes, bottom trawling plays havoc on the bottom. Damaging hard corals, soft corals, sea grass beds, habitats, etc.
 
Dumpster Diver getting this fish, is a billion times more responsible than someone here on Scubaboard, going to Publix ( local Grocery or seafood store) and buying fish to eat....that means supporting mile long nets, and tons of by-catch that will be killed and dumped like garbage.....and this daily.

... not to mention "fish farms" that pollute local environments by raising imported species in pens and dumping tons of antibiotics in the water because the farmed fish are literally living in their own sh!t ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
Yeah, I felt sorry for the fish too and am glad the eel didn't get shot. Still, I eat fish so I'm a hypocrite to diss you about it I guess.

Your son is the hero of this. What a little champion! I love how he pointed to your pony reg and indicated out of air and you misread him. I imagine his father is his hero :) I wish my dad and I had been able to share experiences like this.

AS I was thinking about how all the viewers on SB deal with a video that has a fish being shot in it...some are fine, some are knocked off-balance by it, I am thinking DD could change his avatar to indicate his posts might be showing something some may be uncomfortable with...see the image..
HUNTER.gif
 
On SB, and within the UW Hunting Section, people are not allowed to really attack the activity or ethics of spearfishing. However, on the open board, people are given a little more leeway.

I don't hunt on land with a gun and the whole idea of killing mammals is somewhat repugnant to me, but I eat meat and have no problem with other people hunting responsibly, particularly if the animal is used for food.

As others have mentioned, spearfishing is probably the most ecologically sound means to take fish.

There is very little by-catch, very little waste, no unintended release mortality (as occurs in many hook and line fisheries; even "non-consumptive" ones), no discarding of fishing line and gear, no harm to undersized fish... it is a very selective and responsible means to take fish.

I guess the video also shows that even my kid knows that a speargun would be used as a poker, and not to actually shoot at something we are not going to eat, (except maybe in a last resort situation).

I had the last of the fish taken in that video for lunch. Those 5 or so small fish were enough for two dinners for a family of 5 and my lunch.
 
I have to agree....While many divers don't like seeing "Bambi" skewered underwater, the vast majority will eat seafood....

Dumpster Diver getting this fish, is a billion times more responsible than someone here on Scubaboard, going to Publix ( local Grocery or seafood store) and buying fish to eat....that means supporting mile long nets, and tons of by-catch that will be killed and dumped like garbage.....and this daily.

As to the eel, Back in the 80's when we used to spearfish in the Palm Beach inlet by the jetty or submarine canyon( in the nav channel) we would carry fish in a bag hooked to our waiste like that.....We did this for a maybe a year, and then after MANY incidents with big morays following ..and one time, a huge moray actually grabbing the fish through the bag, and pulling my dive buddy along till he could un-hook the bag, we decided this is not the way we wanted to transport our fish......

I think DD likes the adventure of doing it his way..... Fine with me, it keeps us entertained with videos. :)

Ya think maybe the "double D" stands for "DareDevil, the Man Without Fear". c. Marvel Comics.
 
We did see a big bull shark, but it was not interested in us and moved off within 5 -10 seconds.

Nothing on your stringer or your catch bag I suppose. :)
 
Nothing on your stringer or your catch bag I suppose. :)

Nope slim pickins on Saturday.... Got one snapper and one lobster elsewhere...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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