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Thanks Brian. I appreciate your support of logic
and common sense. I guess Erik is entitled to his opinion just like I
am. The only
difference between his post and mine were that
my thoughts on the morality of spearfishing
while using scuba were written as a commentary on the reality,
current state of affairs
and misperception of spearfishing from my own
personal experience, and not written to, nor attacking, no
one individual in particular.
It is much easier to attack and stereotype someone
so that the public has a bad perception of them, than it is to address their
points. But eventually the points still come up and do not go away.
Kindest Regards,
from the stupid, southern, non educated,
redneck, beerswilling, N.R.A. spanky shiny highpowered brandnew rifle
waving and pointing, irresponsible, baseball capped, coral breaking,
grouper murdering, has a cousin named Bubba and Billybob, destroyer of the oceans.
Were those enough epithets and
stereotypes? Was it too over the top? I never can tell. I just wanted to
make sure I covered them all since some stereotypes might have been left
out.
Oh! wait, I forgot Bowling (which I don't do). Or
even better getting drunk and bowling with cousins Bubba and Billybob!
Then on the way home in our rusted out pickup truck, we "stop bye tha raod ta
pee and takes Bubba's shotgun
outta tha truck rifle rack and shoots us a
female deer in that thar medium rat bye tha
roadsign, ant tak ham home fer mama ta cook up. Yep, that thar is me alrat, let
me point my shiny new gun at ya!". Oh yes, we musn't
forget....YEEHAAAA!
Bill Akins.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 11:14
PM
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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