Disagrees with “Stop Trophy Hunting” Letter
I am also glad your magazine denounced the shooting of the black sea bass. But I must disagree with Alastair Bland of San Francisco, when he writes “shouldn’t we then, as the diving community, start being more active in discouraging trophy shooting of marlin and tuna and sharks?” Who are you talking about? How many divers do you know have ever speared a marlin, tuna or shark in California? If you really care about protecting our “remaining natural resources,” I would suggest you start with the commercial fishing industry. Commercial fishing takes 97 percent of the fish off the California coast, with marlin, sharks, turtles, sea otters, sea lions and birds as bycatch. The longlines, gillnets, traps and trawls have devastated the sea life off our coast. Divers take less than .001 percent.

As a freedive spear fisherman, I have spent days in the water, and not shot a fish. A true spear fisherman would not shoot a Black Sea Bass. Only an idiot would buy a speargun, slap a tank on his back, and go out and shoot protected specie. The spear fisherman, unlike commercial, and rod and reel fishermen, has the ability to “release and catch” as opposed to catch and release. Now as far as “some of these hunters also won’t hesitate to kill large sharks in defense of their subdued trophies,” spear fishermen don’t shoot large sharks to save their trophies. They might shoot a shark to save their lives, as did Terry Maas down off Baja. He was lucky he didn’t have a trophy at the time. How do they shoot the shark going after their trophy if their only spearshaft is in the trophy?

Sincerely,
Randy Fry
President,
Nearshore Chapter, UASC

Preserving Our Rights To Fish and Dive
To whom it may concern:

The move to severely limit the California Sportsman’s rights has to be addressed before it’s too late. As a California sport diver and fisherman for 25 years I feel qualified to put my two cents in. I am sorry if I offend anyone because that is not my intention.

I see the changes in human nature as people get older. Many of them become protectors of the earth and all living things. This is not bad in and of itself, but when a whole generation of baby-boomers age at the same time, we may get an over zealous amount of people causing the law to change to accommodate their views. The politicians, wishing to be re-elected, will take their collective voice serious. The part that bothers me is the ignorance that is being promoted by people who aren’t affected by their decisions, or so they think. Everyone knows that fish is better for you than red meat. The price of fish is determined by supply and demand. The people that want their cake and eat it too, say to close or drastically limit the ocean take by commercial boats, as well as the sport boats, fishing, and diving. I agree that industries that remove our ocean’s resources by the ton, day in and day out, will affect the regeneration of some species, more for some than for others. That is why laws are being made to limit gill nets and long liners from local waters. I am sure the commercial fishermen are screaming foul. They don’t like being run out of business anymore than I like being obsolete in my electronic repair business while I am working at it. Life in the big city, my friends.

I would like to give you a possible scenario of what is to come if these extremists have their way.

If we close 30 to 50 percent of the Channel Islands to fishing and diving, and that is not all what the extremists want to close, I think the following domino effect will occur. The fishing and dive boat owners who are just keeping their heads above water will sink. When it no longer becomes profitable for them to operate they will have to move to a new location or go under. Since the restrictions are not only proposed for the Channel Islands but for all of California, they will go under. Who else will be affected you ask? All divers, underwater photographers and video buffs included, all fishermen, all boaters and the industries that support them which includes, fishing tackle manufactures, skin and scuba diving manufactures, boat mechanics, welders, sporting good retailers, boat manufactures, etc. Basically anyone whose business or pleasure is related to the ocean. Because of the principle of supply and demand, anyone who survives will have to increase their prices to make up for the reduced business. California does not need another hit to its economy.

On a personal note. I was 32 years old when I became scuba certified. I was close to being ready for the grave. I was overweight, frustrated and worn out and to be truthful, unappreciated for my efforts. When my wife divorced me for those efforts I decided to do what I always wanted to do and that is become a scuba diver. After squeaking by the swimming qualification test for the college scuba class, my life started to turn for the better. The exercise, friends, adventure and great seafood rejuvenated me. My health not only improved dramatically but my attitude toward life. That is probably why I became somewhat of a diving fanatic and defender of the sport.

I believe in preserving our right to fish and dive and that includes spearfishing. We all know or should know that once the government takes away one of our freedoms, it will be a cold day in hell when they give it back.

Keep our waters clean, reduce commercial fishermen’s catch and exports, add fisheries, but don’t close off fishing and diving areas accessible to the poor and modest incomers.

Thank You California Diving News for enhancing the diving experience.

Sam Macaluso
Diver forever
via e-mail

We'd like to hear from you! Send your comments to EMAIL: mail@saintbrendan.com or P.O. Box 11231, Torrance, CA 90510; Fax (310) 792-2336 (please include include name , city and a way to contact you.)