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RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Spearfishing
Hi Erik -
At the risk of getting sucked into this issue I would like to point out
the clause to which I took offense.
I am a gun owner, member of the NRA and (gulp) a Democrat ( social issue
thing). I am a Physician and also held a gun dealers license for 15
years. I target shoot for sport (not nearly enough) and hunt deer as
part of my heritage as a Hispanic Jew from Minnesota. As a society we
view animals as a resource from medical testing to wearing leather
shoes. I have been involved in both. I personally have reduced meat
consumption for the social fact that meat production is the number one
agricultural pollution generator in the world (the amount of waste
generated or water used to create 1 pound of meat is astronomical).
Hunters are attached to the issue of the feeding chain, conservation and
understand what it means to the Animal to eat meat in a way that people
who only buy cellophane wrapped steak never will. True sportsmen are
never the problem, but often get demonized in the pervasive liberal
media. Catching a fish by a hook is no more "humane" than spear
fishing, in fact, spear fishing likely catches the fish faster.
The part that I took offense to is your statement that "The next time I
feel like being a hypocrite, I can watch you wave your new, spanky,
high-powered rifle at me and hope that you have never have any little
kids in the house who like shiny things that go bang."
I have two small children in the house, at least 30 firearms, 2 gun
safes and a lock box. To suggest that my children are now unsafe is a
product of mis-information. Plus or minus on the Hunting and Fishing,
but safe gun owning occurs all over our country. Crimminey, leave the
kids out of it.
Wow - what does this have to do with submersibles?
I'll fade back into silent running mode now...
Sincerely,
Greg
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org
[mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of Brian Cox
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 10:15 PM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Spearfishing
Erik,
Did you even read anything that Bill said!!! You can't just
say " none the less" that is not even addressing any of the points that
were made. Did you read the parts about the giant fishing ships that
haul in tons and tons and tons of fish and also catch protected species.
Your points are absurd.
Don't you think a more worthy advisary would be those gigantic fishing
vessels that scoop up enormous amounts of fish and other species instead
of attacking a fellow psubber who is ultimatly trying to change things
for the better?
Brian
----- Original Message -----
From: "Erik Muller" <emuller@naic.edu>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 3:00 PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Spearfishing
> None the less,
> The philosophy of many scuba clubs is to leave the marine life
> untouched. There are good reasons for it.
>
> Its up to us to help where we can, not only in the interests of
> conservation, but also to set a precedent. Want to know how long coral
> will last if EVERY diver breaks off a piece? and how long will the
> grouper last if EVERY diver shoots one through the gills? Are you
> going to CARE when the last giant blue grouper gets skewered?
> Apparaently not.
>
> These comments are on very shaky moral ground: they smack of "everyone
> else is doing it, so why can't we?" - hardly a convincing or even
> remotely intelligent argument
>
> The next time I feel like being a hypocrite, I can watch you wave your
> new, spanky, high-powered rifle at me and hope that you have never
> have any little kids in the house who like shiny things that go bang.
>
> You should practice your bowling a little more.
>
> Erik M.
>
>
> On Thu, 31 Mar 2005, Akins wrote:
>
> > My thoughts on the morality of spearfishing while using scuba.
> >
> > I live in Florida. Most of the divers I know spearfish at least
> > some, but not always or on every dive. Myself and most of my dive
> > friends just do it enough to keep our freezer full. Have any of you
> > seen the programs on t.v. that occasionally air that show those huge
> > fishing freighters where the whole front end of the freighter opens
> > up so they can haul their giant fish catch aboard? This ship is big
> > and not only pulls in tons of fish but also catches protected
> > species which are injured and die on the deck sometimes before they
> > can be thrown back. Dolphins, sea turtles and other protected
> > species are injured and killed all the time. But does the government
> > put a stop to this? NO!
> >
> > These type of large fishing vessels are actually a floating fish
> > production factory. Not only do they catch quite literally many,
> > many tons of fish along with protected species, but they actually
> > process the fish, package and box them up so they are ready for the
> > shelf as soon as the ship docks.
> >
> > These type of vessels are what is most responsible for the depletion
> > of fish and marine life, NOT the few fish taken by the spearfishing
diver who gets a bad reputation because
> > "OH! you better do something Mr. government! He has a gun! He might
hurt somebody with that thing!" Guns have become so demonized in the
hands of civilians today that even the spearfisherman falls prey to the
> > antigun hysteria. But will the government stop those large fishing
vessels? Of course not! Why not? Because people like to eat fish in
restaurants.
> >
> > When a person goes hunting in the woods today. They have a wide
> > selection of repeating firearms to hunt with. Even the bowhunter can
> > shoot faster and without distorted vison (and without worrying
> > about sharks) than the spearfisherman can. The spearfisherman only
> > has the equivalent of a bow and arrow to hunt fish with. Kind of
> > like a ancient American Indian hunting a deer with his bow and arrow
> > (except the Indian can reload faster), plus the spearfisherman is
> > looking thru a mask that somewhat distorts his view and makes the
> > fish appear to be larger than it actually is which can throw off his
> > aim. He has to deal with the equivalent of a Grizzly bear (sharks)
> > coming along and trying to either take what he has hunted or
> > actually eat the spearhunter themself! There are no trees to climb
> > to get away from those underwater grizzly bears nor can you run like
> > you can in the woods. You have to hug the bottom and hope the shark
> > goes away or try to make it to the surface and hope he doesn't
> > follow the bloodtrail of your fish catch. I hate sharks, there are a
> > lot of bull sharks around here. I also have a healthy respect for
> > them.
> >
> > Yet there are people who say this is not sporting enough! Some
> > regions have
> passed laws that do not allow a spearfisherman to wear scuba. So now
> not only
> does he have all the above to deal with, but he has the added risk
> > of being dragged along underwater and drowned by a large grouper he
> > just
> speared because "it isn't sporting to wear scuba!!" How many of you
> have ever
> speared a large fish and been dragged along underwater by it? You damn
well
> > better be good at holding your breath or else you will have to cut
> > your
> line. Why don't we make bowhunters in the woods wear a plastic bag
> over their
> head when they hunt so they must hold their breath when they hunt??
> > Sound ridiculious and silly? Of course it does. Get my point?
> >
> > Actually I feel the government hampers spearfishermen because they
> > don't
> make as much on taxes on spearfishermen. Oh yes we pay for our fishing
> license
> but that is not enough for the government. They get more taxes from
the
> > commercial fishermen for them to fish, they get taxes when the fish
> > are sold,
> they get taxes when you buy the fish. They only get taxes ONCE from
> the
> spearfisherman from his fishing license. Also hassleing the
spearhunter goes
> > along with the agenda of disarming the people and taking guns and
> > any weapon
> away from them so they will have to rely on the government for
> protection and
> buy their food which makes the government taxes and regulates.
> >
> > When I am hampered by low visibility, a tank and bcd and other
> > equipment on
> my back, watching out for sharks, looking thru a distorted view in my
> mask,
> and only having one shot before I have to retrieve my spear and
reload......
> >
> > I'll be damned if anyone can say that is not sporting! Besides, who
> > says it
> has to be sporting? Why does a spearfisherman have to be sporting? Why
> is it
> susposedly immoral to spearfish with scuba but it is not immoral for
> > the floating factories to catch them by the tons with nets? Why not
> > make
> commerical fishermen only able to catch their fish with a hook and
> line or a
> spear? IT'S UNSPORTING TO CATCH THEM WITH NETS! Now isn't that silly?
> > Would you like to pay the price it would cost you to buy your fish
> > if they
> had to catch them that way?
> >
> > Was it sporting for you to eat your fish last night at your favorite
> restaurant that was caught by a floating factory??????? I really am
sick of
> the hypocracy. I am also a member of the American N.R.A. (National
> Rifle
> Association)
> > I apologize if I sound cranky and disgusted about this but this hits
> > on my
> last nerve and I am tired of the bullsh_t. Of course this is just
my
> opinion from experience. I think I am entitled to that.
> >
> > Nuff said.
> >
> > Kindest Regards,
> > Bill Akins.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Brian Cox
> > To: Personal_Submersibles@psubs.org
> > Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 1:04 PM
> > Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Spearfishing
> >
> >
> > Alec, Simon, Cliff, and All ( changing thread name)
> >
> >
> > My main interest in the spearfishing thing is that I would
> > like to
> use my sub for a possible fishing purpose. Actually farming fish
> would be a
> more responsible way to get fish. People need to eat and using a sub
for that
> purpose I think would be a good thing. Afterall many types of fish
are
> getting depleted from over fishing. But there are those who are also
against
> farming fish, They point to diseases that are spread when fish
farming
> operations are set up. I guess those people (PETA) don't want you to
utilize
> the ocean to feed the hungry in any respect .
> >
> > Brian
>
>
>
>
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