In Reply to: Bugz me, who's responsible? posted by Divebum Don on October 25, 2006 at 20:09:44:

The problem with many bug hunters is the feeding frenzy the go into. They get excited and "conveniently" forget the rules and consequences of breaking them. Putting a short bug in your bag is not only risky to the bug, but can cause around $500 damage to your wallet. It only takes a few seconds to measure, and if you are a frequent hunter you can usually tell by sight and feel if they're short without using the guage.
Taking any more than the legal limit is farm animal stupid. Last week there was a diver on a local boat who brought up 21 bugs from two dives and divided them up between his friends onboard. The Captain should have made him throw back any he caught over the limit on the first dive and not allowed him to take a bag with him on the second.
The reason the limit is as high as it is (7) is because DFG has managed the resource well. If divers think that the laws don't apply to them the lobsters will go the way of the Black Sea Bass. So many people were upset last year when the three poachers in La Jolla Cove killed the BSB, yet only one person spoke up about last week's incident, and was chastised for doing so. The DFG has a toll free number to report poachers. I suggest more of us use it.