Should we feed the fish?

[Rick Murchison]

I don't agree at all. Are the fish supposed to be there. Feeding the fish turns the environment into a fish bowl instead of a naturally wild space. It is kind of like feeding the deer in Austin. If you don't feed them, they will die because there are too many. Should they be feed? I know you said there are only .1% but still, nature can take care of itself.

Of course the fish are supposed to be there - the owners put many of them there, and go to a great deal of trouble to keep an interesting and diverse population there for our enjoyment. What do you have against fish bowls? Or pastures full of cattle, or other (human) engineered habitat?
If you're a vegetarian, you probably like farmed veggies... because of farming and the "unnatural" food it produces, (and sane, managed culling through hunting) there are more deer in Alabama today than before the Europeans came.
Artificial (unnatural) reefs in the Gulf of Mexico are a major "force multiplier" in providing the substrate for benthics and the entire food chain they support. You want to get rid of those too?
We're a pretty major part of the world's "environment." There are more choices than the "don't touch" and "destroy" ones. While we have the capacity to destroy more of the world than any other species, we are also the only species who can improve, enhance, and make habitat more productive - and where we can do those positive things, I believe we should (with attention to secondary effects, of course). This may mean "feeding the fish" directly or indirectly from time to time. And oh, by the way, "nature" does a monumentally sorry job of "taking care of itself" an awful lot of the time.
Rick

 

[khacken]

I agree with Rick. CSSP is far from being a natural habitat. It is a manmade lake. It was populated with fish by man. Even the variety of fish is not really natural. I mean come on, albino cats are everywhere. As long a native species are used, I don't seem any harm in pumping up the population beyond what the lake can support naturally.

I think it is funny how people go on and on about feeding the fish at CSSP, then give the dogs all kinds of food.

So really the only argument at CSSP is that it makes the fish agressive. I say put on a beanie and enjoy the fish. However, I will absolutely respect the rules at the park and follow them. I am on other people's land and I will respect the conditions for being there.

 

[LVX]

Of course the fish are supposed to be there - the owners put many of them there, and go to a great deal of trouble to keep an interesting and diverse population there for our enjoyment. What do you have against fish bowls? Or pastures full of cattle, or other (human) engineered habitat?
If you're a vegetarian, you probably like farmed veggies... because of farming and the "unnatural" food it produces, (and sane, managed culling through hunting) there are more deer in Alabama today than before the Europeans came.
Artificial (unnatural) reefs in the Gulf of Mexico are a major "force multiplier" in providing the substrate for benthics and the entire food chain they support. You want to get rid of those too?
We're a pretty major part of the world's "environment." There are more choices than the "don't touch" and "destroy" ones. While we have the capacity to destroy more of the world than any other species, we are also the only species who can improve, enhance, and make habitat more productive - and where we can do those positive things, I believe we should (with attention to secondary effects, of course). This may mean "feeding the fish" directly or indirectly from time to time. And oh, by the way, "nature" does a monumentally sorry job of "taking care of itself" an awful lot of the time.
Rick

No, I am not a vegetarian.

Here is what happened. I was teaching a group of students. An instructor from another group opened up a can of whatever meat substance he had and threw it all up into the water column. The fish became very aggressive and scared the living crap out of 2 of my students. Both took off to the surface as fast as they could. I barely got to their legs to slow them down. I was very scared for their safety.

Another time, no food was introduced to the fish but they expected food because they had been fed so much. As more and more fish gathered and started biting my students, another student took off to the surface.

I just don't think it is a good idea because it is not natural, and I believe it can turn a safe environment unsafe for those who are not ready.

Now, you can sit and laugh all you want but you were not in that situation.

Also, when we create reefs, we are not supplementing the natural order of things, we are providing a base for a reef to develop. Once it does, the fish feed the way fish feed. We are not providing food they are not used to...

Lastly, nature only does poorly when man gets involved...

Layne

 

[scubatexastony]

From beef cattle to tomatoes, we grow and feed em all...

Feed the fish to your buddies, fried up in corn meal, hot out of the peanut oil.... and if the buggers get fatter on weeners, go for it.

 

[MSilvia]

I just don't think it is a good idea because it is not natural

Not natural? In what way? I was under the impression that humans occur in nature, as do the fish and (excepting maybe the cheez wiz) the food. It may be an unusual interaction, but I don't know that it's necessarily unnatural, supernatural, or any of the other alternatives.

I'm not in favor of feeding wild fish for a lot of sensible reasons that have already been mentioned, but I'm not sure I follow you on that one.

Besides, there are a lot of natural things I wouldn't want any part of, like tsunamis, Oxyuranus microlepidotus venom, ebola virus, and cyanide. Being natural seems like a poor criteria for determining if something is good.

 

[LVX]

Not natural? In what way? I was under the impression that humans occur in nature, as do the fish and (excepting maybe the cheez wiz) the food. It may be an unusual interaction, but I don't know that it's necessarily unnatural, supernatural, or any of the other alternatives.

I'm not in favor of feeding wild fish for a lot of sensible reasons that have already been mentioned, but I'm not sure I follow you on that one.

Besides, there are a lot of natural things I wouldn't want any part of, like tsunamis, Oxyuranus microlepidotus venom, ebola virus, and cyanide. Being natural seems like a poor criteria for determining if something is good.

I guess what I am trying to say is that in the open ocean, are fish fed by humans.? In lakes and rivers are fish fed by humans. These animals feed themselves. We don't feed bears, we don't feed gorillas, and we don't feed sharks or wild dolphins. This is just my personal opinion. I don't feed the fish at the lake and I don't really think it is a good idea... That is all that I am saying...

 

[nereas]

Tuna in a foil pouch works best for this! Slice it open underwater with your knife, and shake it, and then the fish come running. (Actually, they are finning, but they come so fast they look like they are running!)

 

[Rick Murchison]

...Lastly, nature only does poorly when man gets involved...

Now that's a hook, line & sinker statement!
Reminds me of a case out west several years ago when young female sea lions were showing up dead. All the "friends of the sea lions" were up in arms at the fishermen, and literally ready to hang the guilty party when caught, or at least make sure he ended up in jail for the rest of his life. Turned out it was a rogue bull "raping and murdering" the young females. Well... that made it all OK, 'cause it was "nature." HA!
Take some real ecology courses, not the pseudo-intellectual pap being passed out as hard science by the popular "man's the only bad guy" crowd. You'll find out that critters ain't as smart, or as nice, or as "balanced" as you think they are. Species have managed to drive themselves to extinction without our help since the beginning of life. The only difference is that now we have a chance to be good stewards and actually save a few.
I'm all for dropping hay to the elk herd in an extra hard winter.
(Oh, I forgot, the extra hard winter's our fault, too!)
Rick

 

[texdiveguy]

...............

 

[cruiser]

Tuna in a foil pouch works best for this! Slice it open underwater with your knife, and shake it, and then the fish come running. (Actually, they are finning, but they come so fast they look like they are running!)

I'm assuming water packed?