to feed the fish.... or not to feed the fish...?

[shoredivr]

I'm a marine biologist. In answering your question it may be difficult to give a truly appropriate response. Although you state that there are fishermen in the area but they fish the outer reef, I do not know if there was any fkshing history on the inshore reef you refer to. If so, the fish population may be slightly depressed. If not, the reef may be at its carrying capacity already and providing more food artificially may actually shift things so the fish eventually over populate the natural capacity of the reef. If so, what happens when the artificial feeding stops?

Also, I've seen situations here on my island where artificial feeding has enhanced certain species only (ones that accept the artificial food being offered) and create unbalanced fish communities. That could also be an unwise result of artificial feeding.

So the OP is on better grounds building up marine habitat for the existing fish then, Dr Bill?

 

[DivemasterDennis]

My policy- never feed anything to any marine life for any reason, ever. It's an easy rule to remember and to follow. I don't want to add any outside input to the reef ecosystem. What would you feed them? Frozen peas, fish pellets, cat food? None of those are found naturally on any reef I have been dove near.
DivemasterDennis

 

[willfscubamadeira]

My policy- never feed anything to any marine life for any reason, ever. It's an easy rule to remember and to follow. I don't want to add any outside input to the reef ecosystem. What would you feed them? Frozen peas, fish pellets, cat food? None of those are found naturally on any reef I have been dove near.
DivemasterDennis

Hi Denis,

I do see you point of not adding anything into the ecosystem, but this reef has been artificially created, maintained and modified for the past 15ish years. I know there are many divers out there that believe as you do and I used to feel the same for many years till a diver with quite a lot of experience mentioned that it might be an idea to look at it. And to use in moderation.

I would like to know what your reason is why not to feed the fish is.

As for food i'd use a mix similar to the fish meal that fish farmers use to feed their fish on. Made from the off cuts of the fish from the local huge fish market here. Minced and then froze for a slower release. I already have already done some surveying of the fish, plant and crustacean stock levels and would continue to monitor these levels.

On a side note I happened to be reading the Underwater naturalist section of the PADI 'adventures in diving' manual during an AOWD course I was teaching and PADI actually state that feeding fish is ok.... as long at it is done in moderation.

 

[CT-Rich]

I think the stuff you are doing to improve the habitat sounds great. directly feeding the fish has the problem of unintended consequence. Now that you are increasing the food in the system, what are the fish doing when you are not around. you might give a predator an unfair advantage and see a decline in the prey species. In turn there might be a change ecosystem from the loss of grazers. I think you will be able to more for the health of the ecosystem by simply expanding the abiotic (non-living) parts of the ecosystem. Fertilizers from lawns add nutrients to the ecosystem, but the effect is never a good thing. I say let the ecosystem find its own balance. A million years of evolution trumps pretty much any thing you will come up with.