Fish, food or friend?

[Thorndog]

Let me pull up my soapbox.
So, who likes to see fish while they are diving?
Who likes to eat fish while they are not diving?
Am I the only one who is noticing that our reefs around the world are getting fished out?
If 10 million divers or so stopped eating seafood, there would be at least 100 million more fish and probably 20 million more lobsters and maybe 500 million more shrimp, scallops etc in our oceans every year.
We can make a difference but apathy gets us nowhere.
I am trying to speak out on this and other issues and start dialog wherever possible. Overfishing is a worldwide problem, see
http://www.oceanlegacy.org/about_us.html for instance.
Read Sylvia Earle's A Sea Change if you want to learn a bit about this topic from a famous diver and scientist.
On the other hand you could go and have a look at http://www.ljsilvers.com/ Long John Silvers as an example of where it all goes. 1200 restaurants in one chain that sells exclusively seafood. How long do you think that's going to last?
He rants, he raves, Thorndog even bites.<br><br>Post edited by: Thorndog, at: 2007/12/17 17:30

[Thorndog]

So, no sooner had I made the posting than I look over at the cool photo thing on the right and there is a photo that looks like a seafood feast, so I download it and enlarge and sure enough it is, the title of the photo is 2006_lobster_dinner.


Maybe I'm talking to the wrong people!<br><br>Post edited by: Thorndog, at: 2007/12/17 20:43

[sharky]

I don't think people eating sea-food is wrong. It is wrong when destabilizing nature and thus causing for extinction to have its way. But, if everybody would just catch fish with sense, with logic and not with greed, I think there wouldn't be a problem at all. Men has been eating fish since time immemoriable.

It are the industrialized, automized features that are to blame most of all. Not the single-handed 'lone' diver or fishermen that come home with one or two fish.

[Thorndog]

Sharky,
Yes men have been eating fish since time imemorial, however, there are far more people living today than all those that have died before us. If we were to see the seas of 1000 years ago we wouold all be astounded at the amount of life that there once was. Industrial fishing methods are to blame for destroying whole ecosystems and this type of disregard is unfortunately the rule not the exception.
The fundamental problem in any case is that 6 billion people cannot eat from the sea once a week and expect the seas to survive it. 3 trillion fish and animals from the sea a year! Think about that.

[sharky]

No, you are right. But that is solely from the sea. As I wrote above, and you agreed with in your posting, industrialized methods are to blame. People also eat specially cultivated seafood - from where the animals are specially bred for that purpose. That should be encouraged I think, because you are right intruding massively on the sea's balance (this goes for all nature actually) will lead to distinction.

[gidgee_guru]

hmmm...an interesting topic
there are only a select few spieces that have suffered from spearfishing to the point of danger...there is only one or two such fish in Tasmania, Australia (where i dive) that has been depleted (not dangerously mind you) through spearfishing...
but do note that over 70% of this planet is covered by water. There is more life in the marine environment then there is on land. The question is not one or the other(eating fish or no fish). it is using and managing our resources carefully.
Personally i believe that the whaling industry and blackmarket fishing is more of a risk of upsetting the balance of the sea then is local fishing and spear fishing.
Taking out the larger marine creatures can upset the whole balance of the ecosystem which can take years to form a new equilibrium.

[sharky]

Yep, you are right, Gidgee_guru Taking out the larger marine creatures sure can upset the ecosystem. Also do I agree that it is not a matter of eating or not eating fish but sensibly managing resources.

Spearfishing would probably be OK if(!) under certain rules and under control of an overseeing body.

[gidgee_guru]

There are certain regulations down here in tasmania relating to spearfishing.
One example is the long nosed boar fish...its a small fish (only up to a 12' or so) however it is illegal to shoot because of its territorial nature...it will actually 'attack' the diver when he strays into the fish' territory.
Also there are bag limits and holding limits on most fish within australian waters
are there similar regualtions in the rest of the world?

[sharky]

They will "attack" the diver? How would I picture this? Like a piranha? hmy:

There are obviously restrictions all around the world with regards to fishing. They tuna fish restrictions the most famous I think.


It would indeed be interesting to find out per region/country what those restrictions entail. Perhaps a good subject for a separate thread :blush:

[gidgee_guru]

haha...the fish that 'attack' the diver is a relatively measly attempt...quite pathetic really but the fish isnt designed to fight humans...i picture it as a small fish with a big ego:P
Thanks for the advice, i will set up a seperate thread (if i can work it