Posted by Jim on January 26, 2004 at 13:37:21:
In Reply to: Zero Tolerance for Poaching posted by Ken Kurtis on January 26, 2004 at 12:08:30:
Bravo:
When I once divemastered on boats out of SBA and VTU harbors, I had a zero tolerance, especially when someone would bring up a very short abalone (yes, this was sometime ago).
Shop owners and instructors would preach marine conservation, and then on a lobster dive take 7 per dive and then pass them out like business cards to people who didn't get any. On the next dive they would go back and get 7 more and pass those out. The shop owners explained he didn't want people going off the boat disappointed.
As far as measuring back on the boat, at that point they are in possession. Practice is to measure it underwater, it gives the bug a sporting chance and makes divers develop the skill to do so, that is all part of the game, otherwise its about the same as picking one out of the lobster tank at Safeway.
Accountability is the name of the game.
About a dozen years ago the boat operators around Vancouver Island decided that they would no longer allow hunting on their boats after someone wiped out a wold eel nest that had been an attraction.
Reminds me of the story of the Great American Fish Count at Channel Islands a few years ago. A big sheepshead was counted and as they were discussing it a spearfisher mentioned it now resided in the live well. Guess it became fish tacos that evening.
I agree with Ken. Let people take game, but tell them up front that zero tolerance in force, for everyone.