Posted by Jim Hoffmann on April 27, 2005 at 13:03:20:
In Reply to: The Sportsman's Opinion posted by grousseau on April 27, 2005 at 10:14:23:
Dear Mr G
You don’t understand, I’m not against harvesting in areas that are not stressed. I’m against harvesting in areas that are clearly stressed. Like the whole front side of Catalina, or most of our coast line. Mr. G I first free dove our coast and outer island in 1969. At that time the marine life looked like the underwater park at Avalon does today (Divers Cove had sheephead, kelp bass, abs, PV was full of life and Catalina was a wonder land).
Now you are very lucky to see a 6 in. male sheephead.
One of the big problems, is that we continue to take divers to the same spots and let them hunt. We have stressed these areas so bad that there is nothing left.
The community leaders need to limit the selling spear fishing gear, the charter boats need to outlaw spear fishing on there charters (to the stressed areas).
If it was up to me, all hunting on scuba would be banned. Pole spears, small spear guns, people that take a green goody bags and fill them with everything in the ocean would be outlawed.
WE need to stop defecating in our front yard.
Of course nothing will be done, because there’s money involved. And we will go along until there is nothing left......oh, wait a minute I think that we already reached that point.
Jim Hoffmann
Scuba Toys and Schools Inc.