| Login |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, 23 March 2007 |
Among fishermen, from commercial fishing fleets to weekend warriors, there are few topics as warmly debated as the exploitation of our ocean’s most valuable resource. There is some research and rhetoric which points a finger towards commercial fishing. However, most commercial fisherman are honorable, hard working men and women, fixated on making a living while operating within the rules. Indeed, there are bad apples out there but certainly the same can be said of recreational sport fishermen. It’s usually that tiny minority that hurts perceptions of the much larger group. So what can you do and how do those who disobey the rules become that way? Let me tell you how I got from ‘keep whatever I catch’ as a young kid to a proud conservator of our ocean’s plenty.
I first began to fish when I was 7 years old. My dad was a banker in Manhattan. Then one day, in 1982 he came home to announce to us that he had received a promotion to a position in the bank’s Miami branch. My younger brother Tony and I rejoiced! Within months we were living in a beautiful, fishable lakefront townhouse in South West Dade County. To overuse a common euphemism, ‘the rest was history’, and every waking minute between school, and later work, was consumed by the pursuit of our newfound passion. Having caught and speared the largest of South Florida freshwater fish, we eventually made the logical progression to saltwater fishing. At that time my brother and I didn’t know or care about declining fish stocks, since every time we went fishing we caught plenty of every kind of fish we wanted. My parents, not understanding the profound impact this kind of irresponsible behavior, never objected. Instead, mom rejoiced when we brought home fresh fish for dinner. This created a sort of double incentive for keeping fish. Consider that what many of us wanted most when we were young, was to feel like a grown up, and here I was catching tons of fish and putting food on the dinner table to boot.
Herein lay the problem. South Florida is a diverse melting pot of cultures from all over the world. Because of that, it sometimes lacks the awareness and education about our fragile eco-system and marine environment. Many of my closest fishing buddies who have parents of foreign backgrounds, as I do, agree that in their countries the term “fisheries management” doesn’t even exist. It might even be laughed off because “we all know how big the ocean is and how many fish are in it”. This attitude towards conservation, regulation, and limitation is then passed on to youth, and fostered for years to follow, until they start to make their own decisions for what’s fair and reasonable which may already be tainted by innocently flawed logic.
I do not purport to be any kind of ecology expert. I can’t tell you much more about “global warming” than any politician already has, but I pride myself in being a somewhat tactical thinker. After considering all the formal mandates and regulations and their feasibility, effectiveness, speed of implementation, regional impacts, etc. it occurs to me the real answer is to simply be a good individual steward of the sea. It’s easy to place blame or take a position on one side of the political fence. But not everyone takes the simple step of doing the many powerful little things that add up to one powerful movement. So considering that most of us aren’t lobbyists or politicians but everyone on this site is presumably interested in fishing, here are some simple steps to making an immediate impact on your local fishery:
1) Obey all size regulations. Whether you are Captain of a mighty sport fishing vessel or dunking baits from the local bridge, your small decisions can influence others.
2) When possible keep less fish. If you are putting food on the table, keep whatever the limits allow. But if you really don’t need them, take some pictures and leave a few extra in the drink to grow, multiply and fortify the fishery. Personally, I fish by a rule that says never keep more fish than you’re going to eat that day. Usually, that translates to just one or two fish.
3) Use the right equipment. The advent of the circle hook has been heralded by many. It increases hook-ups but greatly decreases gut-hooking which kills a fish. Get on the Circle Hook bandwagon.
4) Communicate conservation-Talk to others about conservation, surf sites like SWO and the other great ones out there and learn a few tips that you can share with others.
5) Hold bad apples to account. Whenever possible, mention any indiscretions to the offending party. Most often, they may not know what they were doing and you may be helping to unwittingly educate another angler.
6) Get a replica mount. Not everyone knows that if you want a beautiful mounted trophy dolphin, there are great companies out there that will take your measurements and a photo and create a terrific, realistic replica mount for you. No dead fish needed.
Some fishermen were raised on the water and already know what’s right while others are learning. Look into your own past and current attitudes and see what you can change to help conserve our marine resources. A healthy, sustained fishery will be your thanks!
| Write comment |
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet. |
 |
|
Last Updated ( Friday, 22 June 2007 )
|
|
|
|
.jpg)
