Posted by Jeff Shaw on December 04, 2004 at 10:38:38:
In Reply to: Uh, yeah... posted by Skep Tic on December 04, 2004 at 07:38:17:
I am one of them kelp-hugging, weepy-eyed, Patagonia-wearing, late-sucking, NPR-listening, tools packed into Priuses.
I do not see this as other than a classification, not an insult.
However I admire many hunters. They have a passion that is hard not to respect. Some just want to bag all they can, but there are a majority that understand that conservation is extremely beneficial to their sport. It seems to me that unlimited trapping may be a serious problem since the trappers like the rest of us, wind up with escalating bills, their at-hand option is to place more traps. Like any business becoming more efficient is the rule. This means that improvements in the trapping methods can lead to exponentially higher yields. If F&G does not keep a watchful eye on the issue, It seems possible that the lobster population could wind up with a serious blow.
I don't think that we can expect the Lobster fishermen to self regulate since their bills are not going to go away.
It is up to us conservationists to say "Hey, we need to address this." The idea is not to hurt the industry, but to help keep it and the eco system healthy.
-JS