Non-underwater hunters please read

[Uncle Pug]

OK... finally awake after a turkey induced coma... and re-reading this thread I find it inappropriate for this forum. Even though it was started by a well meaning hunter it is a polemic *about the merits of hunting vs commercial harvest* and is directed to non-hunters. That is just as bad as a non-hunter coming in here and making the counter argument directed toward hunters. To start a thread about the virtue of hunting as opposed to commercial harvest would have been fine if it hadn't been directed at another group, i.e. the non-hunters. But in calling them out you invited a discussion (pro/con hunting) that we do not want in this forum.

I will discuss this with NetDoc and let you know what we decide.

 

[Uncle Pug]

OK... here is the verdict. This thread will stay here as an object lesson of sorts.

We don't want non-hunter vs hunter arguments in this forum. However if you invite a brawl into your own house don't complain about the furniture getting broken.

In other words don't bait non-hunters by addressing threads or post to them in this forum.

 

[CBulla]

Does this mean squids are off as well?

 

[Snowbear]

Does this mean squids are off as well?

No, squid were put on earth to be eaten

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

Shoot the big ones to make room for more smaller ones to grow. Big fish, big prawns...take up space and dominate an area. Get rid of one big one and smaller ones will grow. That's the farming concept with macrobrachium Rosenbergii.

Just a quick comment, they have found in this area, (central minnesota)certain lakes were being over fished.They have imposed "slot limits" on fish available to keep. This means if the fish falls into a certain size, throw it back. These are usually the most active breeders in the bunch. If your lucky enough to catch a whopper, you get to keep it. Although this action has been met with opposition, it seems to be working, the numbers have been steadily climbing. I don't know if this has anything to do with the conversation, please don't spank me!!!!

 

[100days-a-year]

Big slow growth fish tend to spawn with greater mass of young or eggs,hence slot size limits work well.This gives that fish a chance to breed before it's legal at least once or a season and then after it reaches a certain point where it's contribution to the gene pool is more valuable it becomes offlimits again.Example:Red Snapper,Red Bass
Fast growing fish normally need to be allowed also to breed before being legal but a max size limit is not needed.Example Mahi(dolphin fish)
Kinda simplistic generalization but oh well.

 

[JustinW]

earlier in the tread the idea of aquaculture came up, someone mentioned SE asia and the havoc shrimp farms have caused. I have heard that salmon farms in the NW have caused localized damage to areas. The massive amount of solid waste produced by thousands of salmon in a small area drop to the bottom, beneath the nets, and no light reaches there. So I guess that aquaculture doesn't mean better than wild caught in every case. But I understand the concept of the idea, responsible aquaculture is better than irresponsible commercial fishing.

 

[archman]

HI Dr. Bill, I was referring more to the terminal growth phase that many species reach. They eat, take up space but don't grow. I agree it's a delicate balance but one TG fish will be quickly replaced by numerous adults capable of breeding. The key is to maintain numbers of breeding adults capable of regenerating the schools, herds, flocks...best controlled by seasonal hunting.

Unlike crustaceans, many fishes don't have terminal growth phases. The rate slows, but the animal keeps growing, and growing, and...

This is how you end up with 2 meter rainbow parrotfishes off the deep Cancun reefs, and 3 meter dogfish.

Many big fish display Type II population structure, which differ appreciably from that of most mammals and invertebrates. They share more commonalities with birds. Type II organisms reproduce throughout most of their lives, and exhibit continuous growth.

Crustacean growth ceases at the terminal molt, except for some weirdos that continue to crank out new exoskeletons no matter their age.

Bill explained the enhanced fecundity of larger mature specimens pretty well. This holds true for both fish and many crustacean species. One big animal is often expected to crank out not only more babies than their equivalent weight in multiple smaller adults, but those young often have other advantages (i.e. more yolk, better genetics, ideal release locales).