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scubapro5

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Torrance,Ca.
Spearfishing,underwater hunting and fishing with rod and reel is the purest form of catching seafood meanng that there is almost if not ZERO bycatch.

Everything I catch I eat so no waste or bycatch.

Just because you chose not to hunt while diving doesn't mean that you are not in a way promoting the killing of fish or other sealife.

Everytime you go to a sushi bar,resturant,seafod market,Mc'Donalds for a filet'o fish,etc.. to buy seafood it comes from the ocean or freshwater lakes and streams.

Which means it has to be caught by commercial fisherman and in which most of the seafood is caught by Purse Seiners and Bottom Trawlers in which there will be tons and tons of bycatch wasted and thrown overboard and just the target species will be kept.

This is no way a slam but a eye opener and I hope that there will be more of a understanding of why people might chose to hunt then buy from a store or other source.

The real problem is not the taking of seafood but the method on how its caught.

2seiner2-med.jpg


Sorting out the shrimp all the rest is bycatch and thrown back over

2seiner4-med.jpg


2seiner1.jpg


2seiner-med.jpg
 
Very well said but there will always be those who bad mouth you for spearfishing but the same people will go have a nice halibut fillet for dinner without a second thought. I could never understand that.
 
scubapro5:
The real problem is not the taking of seafood but the method on how its caught.
Methodology problems only apply to certain fisheries. The actual "real problem" is overfishing, plain and simple. If your fishery is non-sustainable, it'll eventually crash. The majority of fisheries worldwide happen to be non-sustainable. Many have already been depleted to non-commercially viable levels. Even certain recreational fisheries are now reporting overharvesting. Yes, we're talking rod-and-reel type stuff. Spearfishing activity did a serious number on the California kelp communities from the 1960's to the present. Winnowing out your slow-growing, apex predators is bad. Don't shoot large fish.
 
You raise some very valid points and I agree with the essence of your post. I stopped taking marine life 30 years ago, although I actually have no real opposition to those who do (in part for the reasons you mention).

I spend most of my underwater time with a camera in hand. I do have concerns when diving with spearfishers. It has nothing to do with the fact they are taking marine life (as long as it is done legally). Speared animals have drawbacks: (1) some species release shreckstoff when injured, which warns other fish there is danger, (2) fish carried in a goody bag may attract larger predators (although that could be a real plus if I can get some good footage) and (3) I don't want someone to carelessly spear the subject I am videotaping! Generally the last of these only occurs with testosterone-rich younger members of my gender... perhaps I am just jealous since my testosterone levels have been on the (sigh) decline for decades.

Other than those concerns, the issue of bycatch alone makes a major point in favor of any type of recreational fishing for food!

Dr. Bill
 
archman:
Even certain recreational fisheries are now reporting overharvesting. Yes, we're talking rod-and-reel type stuff. Spearfishing activity did a serious number on the California kelp communities from the 1960's to the present. Winnowing out your slow-growing, apex predators is bad. Don't shoot large fish.

Which California kelp species are you stating are being depleted due to spearfishing? I think you are inquiring about Sheephead and Sheephead are commercially harvested like lobsters with traps all along the kelp areas.

http://www.californiafish.org/1993_TrapAnalysis_DFG.html

And blaming sportfishers on the decline of the fish population is like saying I ate the whole bag of chips when I just ate a few crumbs. Maybe a bad example but you get the point.
 
archman:
Methodology problems only apply to certain fisheries. The actual "real problem" is overfishing, plain and simple. If your fishery is non-sustainable, it'll eventually crash. The majority of fisheries worldwide happen to be non-sustainable. Many have already been depleted to non-commercially viable levels. Even certain recreational fisheries are now reporting overharvesting. Yes, we're talking rod-and-reel type stuff. Spearfishing activity did a serious number on the California kelp communities from the 1960's to the present. Winnowing out your slow-growing, apex predators is bad. Don't shoot large fish.
This is a NO-TROLL AREA! TAKE IT ELSEWHERE!
 
scubapro5:
Which California kelp species are you stating are being depleted due to spearfishing?
Uh... none. I didn't say that. However, you will find stocks whose reductions can be partially attributed to spearfishing. The maximum percentage I've ever seen is around 7%. Usually it's far less. Species at highest risks from spearfishing in California waters were the sheepshead you mentioned, giant black seabass (which I believe are now protected), and kelpforest rockfishes. Within the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico (my area of expertise), your "problem" fishes are the larger sea bass species. Australia I believe also has problems with their resident serranids. As commercial viability falters with these stocks, recreational take becomes a greater problem.

This is where any fishing activity becomes a problem, even the relatively miniscule recreational spearfishing one. Where we scientists have issues are in MPA's where all fishing activity except spearfishing is off limits. Over time we find that all our big territorial species go AWOL; that or they were previously AWOL and never get an opportunity to recover. Fortunately this industry has regulations, just like every other fishery. That slows degradation down. Doesn't appear to stop it, though.

If anyone would like to explain how shooting large fish isn't bad for the ecology, myself and the other marine ecologists would be glad to hear it. Personally I limit my own takes to fast-growing, common species that are not unusually large. I'm sure many of you other hunters do the same. The younger ones tend to taste better anyway.

And I very rarely troll, quetzal. Spend some more time on the board, and read my posts.

Technically I shouldn't even be posting, as this thread is for non-underwater hunters. That's puzzling, as this IS the underwater hunting forum.
 
I applaud your post, and agree whole-heartedly. It's a much more ecologically responsible way to fish.

...and I'm vegan (and obviously, a non-hunter)
 

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