How would you handle this?

[hotsoup631]

It seems to be a terrible waste to take a GPO just for bragging rights. It's not clear if the diver realized how big of a deal this is to the PNW local dive community, but it sounds clear that he knew that the GPO was sitting on eggs. I think that he was lucky that he only tangled with Bob, who tried to talk some sense into him. Pretty disappointing that he and his buddy showed such a poor sense of judgement.

much thanks for the updates Bob!

 

[spoolin01]

I think you have every right to shame him - and it looks like it's working - IF, he really is as uncaring about the resource as you and he made him out to be (and not just that he was pushing back at your challenge).

This subject of legal hunting at favored dive sites has come up before here. There's no perfect resolution of that tension. I don't think one can expect their favorite dive sites to be 100% off limits to legal hunting. Both uses can co-exist with a little restraint and respect on both sides.

ETA: I should have added: in this guy's case, taking a mother off the nest (if indeed he did), alone would have been grounds for something 'responsive'. Sounds like you did a good thing.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I think he knew ... he posted pictures on his Facebook page this morning bragging about it.

Update ... just got a phone call ... apparently WDFW (Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife) is going to be interviewing this young man about some of the things he's posted on his Facebook page.

Oops ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[spoolin01]

I'm always amazed at those, especially young people, who obviously relish the outdoors, but who are wanton and cruel with wildlife. Hopefully mother nature can enlighten him, with a little helpful prodding.

 

[tdtaylor]

Excellent news.

Several years ago, in Northern Maryland, we had a person entering an island in the middle of a river that was a within migratory stopping area for about 200-250 Bald Eagles every year. Photographers traveled from all around the Country to spend several days here. The individual was distruptive enough that the eagles left early and didn't return in numbers that season.

He forgot he had literally a hundred 600mm and 800mm lenses (some with multipliers) aimed at him and his boat, many with video capability, and all I imagine with email accounts and "friends." He also partook in a little bragging online. Happens a Park Service employee also was a photographer on one of those days, and evidently provided additional contacts. In the end, we were throughly surprised the powers the Park Service possesses, especially when "harassing" a national symbol!

In the end, nobody (that I am aware of) confronted him directly, for he traveled by boat and we were onshore, but got the info to the proper authorities and they did quite a nice job of putting it to an end.

Hope WDFW is successful in your situation. Best of Luck!

 

[xyrandomyx]

I think he knew ... he posted pictures on his Facebook page this morning bragging about it.

Update ... just got a phone call ... apparently WDFW (Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife) is going to be interviewing this young man about some of the things he's posted on his Facebook page.

Oops ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Hehe.

I'm glad that all my favourite local dive sites are in protected areas. It avoids the tricky ethical problem of what to do about something that is not illegal but is certainly inconsiderate and unpleasant. I hope that you manage to get the area designated off-limits for hunting.

 

[freewillie]

If it is legal to take an 1 octopus daily then it would be a very difficult task to prevent him from doing an activity no matter how distasteful if he is not breaking any laws.

Public shame does not seem to be too effective in this case, but continued awareness and vigilence can go a long way. If the Dept. Fish and Game continued to receive complaints daily even if it was legal they may just be able to check on him every day just to ensure that he is in compliance. The scrutiny itself may make him go elsewhere.

As the media attention and public awareness increases I would hope that in the future making this site a no take zone would eliminate the problem entirely. I dive in Laguna Beach CA and the entire stretch of beaches are now all Marine Protected Parks. Invite him down and let him hunt some lobsters here. The state needs all the extra income we can get.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Hopefully shaming works. Otherwise, it is, as you say, a big ocean and things happen in it every day.

 

[fjpatrum]

I haven't read all the other comments, yet, but my thoughts on this are that what is legal isn't always ethical and what is ethical isn't always legal. Trying to reason with people who don't understand that is futile. I suspect the only way you would be able to fix it is to find some way to shame him but, from your post, he seems impervious to that so far.

It seems to me similar to the issue at BHB in West Palm, where, technically, hunting is legal still (I believe) but most people really frown on it and try to hide as much info as possible from the hunter/gatherer types.

I have no issue with hunting but I agree that there are more appropriate places than where the hunting is "easy" because the prey have been acclimated in some way to not be as wary of the dangers of people. I don't like baiting deer on land and shooting from a tree stand either... maybe it's just me.

To answer how I'd deal with it, I'd like to believe I'd handle it as you have indicated you have so far. More likely I'd cause too much of a fuss or ignore it, depending upon my mood for confrontation at the given moment.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Puget Sound has been on my "dives to do before I die" list just because of that Octopus. If all of us were to take an octopus a day from those waters then I wonder how many days it would take to eradicate it completely from there. Having said that, I would not consider it appropriate to walk up to a total stranger, who has done nothing against the law, and confront him making him look like evil while role playing the "hero" of the situation. Instead I would get a group of concerned divers together, have a petition signed on Scubaboard (and other forums) and then approach the city administration along with some wild like conservation groups. I would also send press releases out to news papers, TV news networks and diving publications. If anyone decides to do such a petition I would personally want to sign it.