Sad day for Blue Heron Bridge

[Wookie]

A grad student from A&M? A "scientist and professional"? And that's the one with enough brain power to get into the grad school, who knows what the others are like.

There was a grad student from A&M. Sea Ledford is their Diving Safety Officer. If he tells me they were grunt labor, I believe him. The Moody Aquarists, TAMUG, TPWD, and others collaborate on a lot of projects, including artificial reef fish counts, etc. We took a large group on the Spree on a collection trip many years ago, but the whole thing was a sad joke. They caught a number of sharks, all of which died on the way home. The only survivors of maybe 200 tropicals caught were 5 or 6 Gray triggers (can't kill them with an axe) and a trumpetfish. The Flower Garden Banks would not issue a collection permit, so we collected on High Island 376, a gas production platform just outside the sanctuary.

I hope Moody Gardens got way better since then....

 

[The Chairman]

A grad student from A&M? A "scientist and professional"? And that's the one with enough brain power to get into the grad school, who knows what the others are like.

Is this an Aggie joke? Any post graduate student (working on their masters or doctorate) is a scientist and the guys they hired are professionals. Again, staying within the law is essential, but they should also get the ethics, or lack thereof, of what they did.

 

[lowviz]

Again, staying within the law is essential, but they should also get the ethics, or lack thereof, of what they did.

And who do they get this from?

 

[Wookie]

And who do they get this from?

Professor Domsky teaches Ethics at TAMUG, so if the parents forgot it, they can still get it at school....
Darren K. Domsky - Texas A&M Galveston, TX

 

[Johnoly]

...Personally, I'd like to see the water around BHB turned into a Sanctuary Preservation Area like we have in the keys....

Although it sounds easy just like Pennecamp, but it's not. There's 3 jurisdictions involved, FWC, PBC & RBch. (and with a stretch - CG). The biggest argument I've heard in the past is as usual " Who's gonna pay for the annual costs? " Good luck getting the 3 wicked sisters to all talk nice.

 

[The Chairman]

Although it sounds easy just like Pennecamp,

Pennekamp has been anything but "easy". SPAs (Special Protected Areas) are highly contested by fisherman and it takes a lot of grit to get it done. Both candidates for Governor seem to be more inclined to environmental issues than our current one, so it will be possible. Scott and Putnam gutted our environmental protections leading to all the red tide we have on both coasts. Either way, we win.

 

[rjack321]

We had a similar event up here about 5 yrs ago when a young man took an Octopus (legally, I recall but there was some dispute if it was on eggs or not) from a very popular aquarium like dive site. Took about 8 months, but the outcome of that is we have a series of new octopus MPAs where tourists can - if they are lucky and more often than not - see a giant pacific octopus. Hopefully this event will stimulate the laws at BHB to catch up with the ethics that 99% of us already respect.

 

[lowviz]

Professor Domsky teaches Ethics at TAMUG, so if the parents forgot it, they can still get it at school....
Darren K. Domsky - Texas A&M Galveston, TX

So there is no excuse for this behavior. They are both professional and have direct access to proper instruction in ethics.

So the only reasonable thing left to reasonable people is to have it made a protected site and confiscate materials of trade, vehicles, and gear next time it happens.

 

[Johnoly]

...confiscate materials of trade, vehicles, and gear next time it happens.

The lobster poaching history has shown that govt lawyers won't pursue confiscation,,,,,but our new mandatory Jail Time rules have been an OUTSTANDING Success and the prosecutors love them. Last I heard, there's still almost a dozen people who can't make bail from breaking the bug rules. Forget the gear, jail time works!

 

[lowviz]

And there is the solution! You won't be going home at the end of the day. I love it.

I'll bet S Fla defense attorneys would love it too...