Let’s take a closer look at your positions. First of all, you are talking about two issues. One, the way in which fish are harvested for consumption. That is the issue at hand. The second issue you bring up is the ethics of catch and release which involves catching fish for the sport of it and is worthy of another debate, but does not apply to this issue.

You make your argument based on the assumption that a spear fisherman is going to take a “breeding stock fish”. The person taking a fish to eat, be it a spear fisherman or a hook and line fisherman, gill net fisherman, fish trap fisherman, long line fisherman, etc, are presumably going to be after the same fish i.e. one good to eat. The spear fisherman spears that one fish. The hook and line fisherman may have to catch numerous fish before he gets the one he wants to eat. Every time a fish is caught it suffers some damage, be it a hook in the gills, damage to its mouth from the hook, damage to it’s bladder from being brought up from deep water too fast or just fatigue from being caught. Some that are released survive, some do not. And, all of the other methods catch fish that are not desirable to eat and are discarded.

You go on to put blame on the “declining fish stock” to over fishing by both sport and commercial fishing. In an objective analysis of this, one must also take into consideration the damage to the environment from dredging, pollution from the increase in population on the land and the increased boat traffic and the pollution it brings. It is a big ocean out there and just because there might be less fish around Ambergris Caye does not lead me to the only conclusion that there are less fish. I think an argument can be made that fish move to a better environment.

You also bring up the issues of regulations and the limits which any fishery can sustain. But this applies to all that partake in the harvesting of the fish. If a fisherman is allowed to take, let’s say a limit of 10 fish, then I maintain that the spear fisherman will do less damage to the population in taking his 10 fish than any of the other fishermen for the reasons I have stated.

PS: Gaz, "I agree spearfishing should not be encouraged when we make our living off showing visitors the beauty of the underwater life".

Does this mean you do not serve "underwater life" to your guests or suggest that when they go into town for dinner they only order rice and beans or something that did not come from the ocean?

was that last paragraph directed to me Mr Bywarren
if so I suggest you dont entice me into a confrontation

Yes Gaz, it was quoting your words and inquiring as to if you are consistant with your principles. It would seem to me that not serving sea food would be consistant with your principles, unless your principles are only self serving or that they are just prejudice.

And if you consider discussing ideas to be confrontational, I suggest you only participate in this forum when you are promoting your business and leave the discussion to the rest of us.

SimonB If Spleen should leave his speargun home than rod and reel should be disallowed also?
bywarren: there are many methods of harvesting fish less detrimental than a spear gun. Try an otter trawl for shrimp. Tons of juvenille fish and crustacean destruction after every "tow". A tow can last 15 minutes or 3 hours everything captured is "dead" 100% mortality rate. That as destructive as a speargun? I think not!
Many more examples if necessary.
The never ending battle between: commercial -recreational fisherman - and environmentalists will surely not be solved on these boards.
Then again its certainly worth trying?!!

Sure glad I didn't run into any of the know it all expats when we have visited.

Rykat, you have me completly confused. Isn't what you are saying about shrimp trawling supporting my argument that it is more detrimental?

Am I the only one that doesn't get his point?

PS: Phyllis&Ray, if you had maybe you could partake in this discussion with an intellegent comment. :p

I fish with rod and reel and I spearfish. When I spearfish, I have the choice as to which fish to shoot and which fish to not shoot. With line and lure, there's an awful lot of luck involved.

I can assure you that I kill a lot less fish with spears than I do with hooks, and I try not to kill any more than I'll eat or share with others.

What a crock, kids. Spearfisherpersons (and there are damn few of them, comparitively) are, almost exclusively, divers. Divers, in general, make it a point to preserve and protect the marine environment. Can we agree on that?

I've seen exactly no spearfisherpersons haul in hundreds or thousands of fish and, to that point, very, very few spearfisherpersons haul in even ten or twenty fish on multiple day trips. My educated guess is that one or two, probably moderately-sized, fish are taken per dive--free or, where permitted, on scuba. Period.

Sounds like more uninformed sea-hugging and holier-than-thou commentary to me.

Mr Bywarren

I merely made a comment about spearing a lobster being illegal and a guides proffesional conduct by allowing that I did not give you my views on the pros and cons of spearfishing I merely made the point that encouraging tourists to spearfish is not smart as with the growth of the island will quickly deplete stocks and I have been here long enough to support simon B saying that there is definaltey LESS fish.


I wont waste my time biting at your inuendos YOU HAVE NO IDEA of what my principles are

Maybe you should try doing something a little more productive with your time instead of trying to incite people.

Dive safe

Gaz

People that need to earn a living which depends on tourism and the beauty of the environment tend to be a little more contientious and cautious about the fragile ecosystems which we have grown to love.

Others plan to visit once or twice then move on to another beautiful spot.

Others still don't need to earn a living.

Opinions are like noses, everybody has one.

TGIF!

Gaz, I deleted the post I just wrote in response to your post prior to you editing it in which you called me an idiot. Maybe you should take more time to think about what you are going to say before saying it and then having to retract it. And, maybe you should also take more time and give more thought before advising me what to do with my time. After all, it is mine.