Views on underwater hunting

[Rhone Man]

Of course, this thread is more about the "morality" of hunting than it is about diver safety.

Well, I think diver safety is also up for discussion (although maybe the poll options don't reflect that). Recently there was a thread posted by a newly certified 12 year old girl who wanted to go lobster hunting with her Dad in Virginia. I didn't want to sound like a grouchy old man, but part of me is really worried about younger and inexperienced divers task loading and engaging uncooperative marine life. Probably goes double for spear fishing.

 

[DennisS]

A 16 year old was speared by another 16 year old this summer. They were being towed by a boat so it was gun handling procedures, not visibility that was the problem

Teen injured in spear gun accident remains in serious condition, but doing well, friends say

 

[Blackwood]

Shrug. I don't enjoy it, but I won't begrudge others who do.

 

[DevonDiver]

If it is done responsibly, no endangered species are taken, breeding periods are left alone and the natural food chain is not impacted, then ok.

Do I trust the majority of spearfishermen to respect the above points?..... No.

 

[diver 85]

I am an occasional underwater hunter and only catch what I plan on eating. This season I have only taken 4 fluke, 6 striped bass, 3 blackfish, 2 monster lobsters, and about a bushel of shellfish(mussels, clams, scallops) I spearfish on SCUBA and while free diving, and I will not go in with the speargun if there are lots of people around, vis is bad, or I will abort a dive if there are too many idiots who shouldn't be diving, let alone spearing; in the water. I have heard to many idiots say "it is hard to mistake a person for a fish".

Only 'catch' here too-----@ TWO legal red snapper a day, good thing cabrera and mangrove are there(sometimes)......It's absolutely re-dick.....

 

[danvolker]

Well, I think diver safety is also up for discussion (although maybe the poll options don't reflect that). Recently there was a thread posted by a newly certified 12 year old girl who wanted to go lobster hunting with her Dad in Virginia. I didn't want to sound like a grouchy old man, but part of me is really worried about younger and inexperienced divers task loading and engaging uncooperative marine life. Probably goes double for spear fishing.

If one of us let a 12 year old drive a Corvette on a "joy-ride", this would not be an indictment against cars or corvettes....it would be about putting children or the mentally/emotionally ill equipped, into scenarios where they do not belong.

Maybe there is a 12 year old out there that has all the mindsets and skills required for spearfishing....there are 1000 that don't, for any one you could find....

I am totally for spearfishing, when it is for the responsible taking of one or 2 fish, for your own consumption.

Eliminate ALL commercial fishing, only allow individuals to get their own fish...and you will absolutely fix the current problems of global overfishing!

Regards,

DanV

 

[Peter_C]

I do not hunt myself. Many of my friends hunt and do so respectfully taking only what they will eat. That is good by me.

When the local yahoo's go out and clean a cove out of Vermillion and post pictures on the web...I despise those type of people.

We have few beach diveable sites in Nor-Cal and at the easy access points there are not many fish. On a scooter we can get out further and see the change in fish count once outside the hunters range.

One of my friends was diving and had a hunter come by and shoot the fish he was observing. Once back on shore the hunter, with a stringer full of fish, states "Man I didn't see a lot of fish on that dive"

 

[danvolker]

I do not hunt myself. Many of my friends hunt and do so respectfully taking only what they will eat. That is good by me.

When the local yahoo's go out and clean a cove out of Vermillion and post pictures on the web...I despise those type of people.

We have few beach diveable sites in Nor-Cal and at the easy access points there are not many fish. On a scooter we can get out further and see the change in fish count once outside the hunters range.

One of my friends was diving and had a hunter come by and shoot the fish he was observing. Once back on shore the hunter, with a stringer full of fish, states "Man I didn't see a lot of fish on that dive"

Agreed. That was one of the defective people...There are MANY defective people in the general population of humans....see Wars, Big Pharma, Career politicians, etc. Unfortunately, spearfishing has defective people that get into it, as well as the "normals".
In north Florida, there are defectives like this we call "Farm Animal Stupid". This would apply well to the jerks you friend encountered.

Regards,
DanV

 

[Mike Boswell]

I used to spear fish, but not anymore. With Scuba you can wipe out a tropical reef very quickly, and in Hawaii the divers did just that, all the way down to 200+ feet.

The problem isn't that some people take more than they eat. The issue is not trawling versus spearing. The problem is there are far too many humans, and we are exhausting the planet's natural resources. If we don't find a way to limit our population, we will all be eating much lower on the food chain.

If you procreate like a rabbit, you will have to eat like a rabbit.

 

[smokn']

I think bag limits should be strictly enforced just like they are on land. I haven't had the chance to do any underwater hunting but I plan to get into spearfishing and lobster gathering. Like others have said, it's no different than hunting on the land...and both are much more eco-friendly than commercial hunting!