an "eco friendly" dive shop promoting fish dissection...***?!

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mocrumbo

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Location
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While digging through some old emails, I came across one from Eco Dive Center in Culver City, CA. They were recently promoting a fish dissection class, using a "local species." Here is the email they sent:

<<<Subject: Fish Anatomy & Dissection Class this Thursday Night - 40 bucks
Reply-To: scuba@ecodivecenter.com

This evening class on Thursday, July 10 is one of our most popular programs. Participants will get a hands-on opportunity to dissect and discover a local species of fish. The Marine Biologist / Instructor will answer your questions, guide the dissection, and teach you what features are unique to different species and how these impact the fish.

Course Fees and Materials: This program is $40.00 and includes all of the course costs
.>>>

Interesting, this is clearly a conflict of interest based on their own mission statement:


Our Credo - What Eco Dive Center stands for.

<<<At Eco Dive Center, our credo is “Exploration, Conservation, Education.” Appreciation of the natural environment is the foundation of our business. Recreational scuba divers literally immerse themselves in nature’s largest playground and witness first-hand the beauty and sensitive nature of the ocean. Given our unique position, we feel it is our duty to promote environmental awareness and responsible behavior in our student divers, embrace sustainable business practices, and actively pursue community and global stewardship efforts.

As student divers learn about and witness marine life, they realize its intrinsic value and importance as part of the global ecosystem. Our divers are certified by PADI, the world’s largest recreational scuba organization and founder of A.W.A.R.E., Aquatic World Awareness Restoration and Education, the dive industry’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the aquatic environment. For each student we educate, Eco Dive Center donates to A.W.A.R.E. to support their conservation efforts.

Educational programs offered by Eco Dive Center such as A.W.A.R.E. Diver, National Geographic Diver, Underwater Naturalist, and the new Eco Diver specialty certification are designed to increase awareness of issues threatening aquatic life, develop knowledge and appreciation of marine ecosystems, and stress proper interaction with the underwater environment. We also offer hunters an opportunity to trade in their spear guns for underwater cameras.
>>>

Funny how this class is not mentioned in their educational programs, yet they say it is "one of their most popular programs."

Furthermore, there is no evidence to substantiate that dissection is an effective method of teaching; never mind the obvious moral and ethical considerations. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is an excellent resource for humane alternatives: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) - Neal Barnard, M.D., president
Specific article on dissection:
PCRM Online Newsletter &#62;&#62; Dissection Alternatives Victory &#62;&#62; July 2008

Dive shops need to be promoting the concept of being a responsible diver. Killing these animals then hacking them up will only desensitize us. There are other ways to learn about the fish that we love to swim with! Come on, Eco Divers! What an utter disappointment as well as a gross misrepresentation of what you claim to stand for.
 
I could see this under the following scenario: fish are purchased for food and dissected as part of the cleaning process. If they are going to be eaten anyway, I think it serves a dual purpose to dissect them as well. Otherwise, bad idea IMHO.
 
Thanks for your reply, Dr. Bill. I agree with you- even though I am vegetarian and I don't partake!
 
What immediately pops into my head upon reading this is that some former marine science teacher from one of the "seacamps" is also a scuba instructor... and is using part of his/her old lesson plans at the dive shop.

There are a *royal crapload* of these folks loose in California, Florida, and Hawaii. Fish dissection workshops are a primary component to many outfits' curricula.

If this is the case, that instructor was not very well trained. Fish dissections are meant for fishing, fish biology, and fish behaviour classes only. It should not be promoted as an activity associated with "Eco-Friendly".

Dissections are however, quite FUN.
 
I understand the thinking of those who oppose dissections as a teaching/learning skill, but I must admit, I learned a lot in the the courses I took in high school and at university that had dissection components. Could I have learned it as effectively in a two dimensional media? Perhaps, but I have my doubts. I know that my fossil preparations would never have been as good.
 
Going back to the OP, I agree that hosting an animal dissection course would not fit well into the mission statement of the scuba shop hosting it. Particularly when said shop so emphatically embraces and advertises such mission statement.

"Eco-Dive Center". Ha ha. Maybe they dissect exotics... now THAT would be eco-friendly.
 
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