Spearfishing Ethics...

[pescador775]

Spearslinger,
Six years ago, in VA Beach, a group of fishermen spoon fed a story to a sports writer for a Norfolk based newspaper. The resulting article claimed that spearfishermen were 'killing all the fish' and they cited tautogs as the species and wrecks as the scene of the crime. Later, the VA Marine Resources Commission, acting on behest of the fishermen, floated a rule to ban spearfishing in VA, including offshore waters. It was still being written in secret when the press got hold of it. The VA Beach dive shops and head boat operators lodged a strident protest. Dive clubs and folks like me got involved. Suddenly, the Commission said it was all a misunderstanding. When the dust settled and the coast was clear, the Commission set about formulating some laws of a more subtle nature. One thing they did was set a closed season for tautogs, the star of the dispute, which coincided with high Summer, the primary hunting season for divers. However, the Spring and Fall periods, when fishermen besiege those same wrecks and catch and sell thousands of 'togs, was left unregulated. There is no end in sight to this kind of crap.

Personally, I've caught plenty of fish with hook and line but I never tried to con anybody that is is/was a sport. Letting only anglers have access to so called 'game fish' is a fraud and outright discrimination in favor of a particular special interest group and against another, much smaller group, IOW, a minority.

There is no harm in pointing out that spearfishing is a legitimate sport, but when you offend someone they're a lot more likely to regard anything you have to say after that as being irrelevant.

LOL, these commissions are run by special interest groups with grotesque conflicts of interest. It's like dealing with the Mafia.

 

[CBulla]

For fishermans rights, support the FRA - it was started by spearos.

I've been thinking of this ethics bit of it though - its no different than hunting any other animal. Fish sense danger the same way others do. Its down to technique of the hunter be it human or otherwise.

 

[Hunter]

Anyone who thinks its unethical obviously thinks its like shooting fish in a barrell.. In actuality, unless your free diving, its like shooting ducks from an ultralite with slug shells... free diving is more like duck hunting from a hang glider. [/QUOTE]

Man, I like that quote! I will have to use that sometime. Is that something that you are speaking from expeirence on? Rabbit Sheriffs in Tennessee really tend to frown on shooting from the ultralite thing but I am willing to give it a whirl. Hunter

 

[CBulla]

Man, I like that quote! I will have to use that sometime. Is that something that you are speaking from expeirence on? Rabbit Sheriffs in Tennessee really tend to frown on shooting from the ultralite thing but I am willing to give it a whirl. Hunter

Actually, having both the experience of shooting shotgun at moving target and a few rides in co-pilot of an older aircraft drawing the comparison was pretty easy. Sooner or later I'll get a ride in one of those ultralite buggers and I'll get to see how close that comparison really is.

 

[SpearSlinger1]

LOL, these commissions are run by special interest groups with grotesque conflicts of interest. It's like dealing with the Mafia.

I know this of what you speak. It's like a certain national service that covers the marine fisheries and trying to deal with them in the interests of the recreational angler when sitting members of this service have direct ties, and make money from, commercial fishing. Extemely frustrating. But think CBulla has posted the answer, or at least something to give us a stronger voice.

 

[padiscubapro]

Hi all,

I have been diving for 15 Years... last weekend was the first time I ever Spearfished in my life ... Used a RIFFE gun (wow)...

Anyways... There has always been this issue with everyone I talk to about whether its ethical to spearfish with SCUBA... Most scuba instructors I spoke to tend to think it is unfair etc...

Any thoughts on the matter?

I don't have any problems with it.. In fact for many species spear fishing on scuba is harder because of all the noise..

In some areas spear fishing by freediving is impossible.. Take the northeast us for example the viz is generally terrible, so you couldn't cruise the suurface to spot you pray, everything would be sheer luck..

The one group of people that does have a HUGE advantage or CCR divers (its illegal in florida and TEXAS to spear fish on a rebreather).. You have no noise like a freediver and can just take you time stalking your prey like a scuba diver.

 

[100days-a-year]

Really hard to determine what is ethical for others,I don't have the cultural perspective they may have.As for me I abide by all game laws,try to shoot only enough to feed myself,family and maybe a few friends for a coupla meals.I avoid species I believe to be stressed even where legal.I can draw from experience of all sides of the scuba/freedive/fisherman issue.I have done all 3 in quite a few placesand find them seperate sports even tho the speies overlap.They require different technique and equipment not really any difference in difficulty if you are accomplished.
As for line fishing being any less sporting :11ztongue I challenge anyone to catch and muscle up a 40# gag grouper,80#AJ or 80#cobia.

 

[scbababe]

I'm glad i found this thread. Hubby just planted the news on me that he wants to try this "ethical addition" to his scuba experience. It scares me a little, diving is already such a fun yet risky sport. To add this to it worries me somewhat. However, i'm glad to read that he'll have you guys to refer too.. Still worried though!

 

[pescador775]

Let a man be a man and the kids will remember it. The girls will dote on his accomplishments and the boys declare that they will follow in his footsteps. They will say that their mother was tolerant, understanding, brave, very pretty and a great cook. I know.
Pesky

I'm glad i found this thread. Hubby just planted the news on me that he wants to try this "ethical addition" to his scuba experience. It scares me a little, diving is already such a fun yet risky sport. To add this to it worries me somewhat. However, i'm glad to read that he'll have you guys to refer too.. Still worried though!

 

[scbababe]

very pretty and a great cook.QUOTE]

How true... :dazzler1: