PDC bull sharks wiped out.

[DandyDon]

My point is, it's ok to bait a hook to kill a fish.

That would depend on the population I think. With so many shark species threatened and endangered, so much abuse, so many local populations taken as in this case, there are far too many abuses.

But it's not ok to bait to take a photo?

I don't care for that in general, but in the case of sharks like in this instance, they learn to associate boats with feeding so are more likely to be taken by overfishing.

 

[austinacoustic]

Don wrote..
(I don't care for that in general, but in the case of sharks like in this instance, they learn to associate boats with feeding so are more likely to be taken by overfishing.)


This is the first instance that I remember of local sharks being taken that dive ops. have been using for tourism. This is a new practice. (baiting for tourists). I do understand that they do associate divers with food.. (with bait)..
I also think the more awareness there is of the dangers of taking juvenile sharks before they reach mating maturity far out weighs this issue.. Remember, this would not be an issue if there were not ops. diving with them..
I don't agree with trophy fishing or ego fishing!!

 

[DandyDon]

This is the biggest instance that we know about. I doubt that it is the first around PDC. Fishermen have been taking the bulls, but not in such a big, known hit. The surge in dive Ops chumming must have added to it.

But it's not an isolated problem. Happens worldwide, along with other abuses.

 

[austinacoustic]

True it couldn't have been the first, but it did happen.. As I posted before, I am on the fence about diving with bulls that are being fed.. I would like to experience the beauty of seeing these creatures before they are a statistic..

 

[inventor]

Our selfish interests in sharks goes much further than diving with them. We cannot survive as a specie without sharks. They keep the oceans in balance as much as possible in spite of our pollution and over fishing. If the oceans die, the world dies.

Nice smackdown on me. I agree. I tend to post happy rainbow stuff, but also understand that if any of the two major food chain links fail, we're screwed. That being reefs or sharks. Oceans die, we die.

 

[DandyDon]

Nice smackdown on me.

Sorry, I certainly didn't mean it that way. Just offering views.

 

[warmwaterturner]

Well, it's Saturday, and it's been a flurry of activity here in PDC and all over the interwebs. First - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who signed the petition and passed it on. Right now, there 477 signatures, from every corner of the globe.

Please keep talking and sharing - "Like" us on Facebook! That's today's version of "and she told two friends, and she told two friends, and so on..."

Now, here's what you can do next. The loudest voice to the local authorities is that of the local business community. A meeting has been arranged by APSA - the Riviera Maya Association of Dive and Water Sport Operators - for next Tuesday at City Hall. The meeting is for dive shop owners. APSA will be visiting local businesses beforehand, but it's pretty short lead time.

So, what can you do? Well, if you have a favorite dive op here in the Riviera Maya, send them the message that you, who's dollars are spent every year here, think that something needs to be done. Point them to APSA and to the Blueheart website.

That's my rambling for Saturday - keep up the good fight!

Here's the resources again:

Facebook - Blue Heart Society | Facebook
Website - www.blueheartsociety.org
Petition - Riviera Maya - Help Save our Marine Ecosystem Petition

Good thought about contacting our favorite PDC dive shop. Mine is Geofish and I am sure that M&M will be there to be heard but I will send them a note wishing my support anyway.

 

[cavew0man]

Good thought about contacting our favorite PDC dive shop. Mine is Geofish and I am sure that M&M will be there to be heard but I will send them a note wishing my support anyway.

Kudos to Geofish - they were on it early. Thanks!

 

[cavew0man]

600 signatures - one more day. Thank you all!!! Please sign and share.

 

[warmwaterturner]

Good luck tomorrow! Is there any hopes for bringing the resorts into play? They too stand to lose bookings - no fish, no divers, no need for rooms!