Release Trophy Lobsters
CDN:
I see in your February issue you are once again touting the laurels of another taker of trophy lobster.
This one quite obviously is now dead. What will it take bug hunters in California to realize that dwindling resources of lobster are in part due to the catching of trophy lobster. Why can't it be enough to catch, take a picture of and return a lobster to its natural environment to reproduce and live for future generations of divers to see? Let's face it. We, the sportdivers, are the only natural threat to the trophy lobster. Why can't several smaller lobsters be as good and one 10-pounder? Anyone who has dived for 10 years or longer can't possibly say that there are as many lobsters available to catch as when they started diving.
If not for now, for future generations, please release the large bugs. A picture is worth a thousand words, a meal is only one night. Soon, it will just be something someone saw a picture of and never saw in the ocean.
Donna Ewald
PADI Divemaster
Avid Hunter
Donna:
I commend the spirit of your sentiments but there are flaws to your arguments. First, hundreds if not thousands more times lobsters are taken by commercial trappers than by sport divers&emdash;and they would not think twice about taking a big lobster. The sport diver is NOT the only, nor the biggest threat to big lobster. Other natural threats to lobster, big and small, include octopus, sheephead and bottom-feeding sharks.
If one is to release a trophy lobster, do so in an underwater preserve. Unfortunately, they are few and far between and often not enforced. An example is the Vedder Ecological Preserve in Laguna Beach. Divers cannot take lobster off popular beaches such as Picnic Beach and Diver's Cove, yet lobster traps dot the area. The Anacapa Preserve (on the east end of the East Island) is an example of a preserve that is well policed and in excellent condition.
Dale Sheckler, Editor
Dale:
I was glad to see the substantial write-up you gave to SB241 in the March CDN. This is one of the reasons I regard CDN as a valuable resource and a "must-read" magazine for Southern California divers.
I was a bit amazed, however, when I downloaded SB241 and found out that every decommissioned oil platform would be designated a nature preserve where "all fishing or removal of any marine life" would be prohibited. I view this as somewhat of a betrayal of game divers and fishermen, who were the force behind the origination of the "Rigs-to-Reefs" effort. Certainly, this aspect of SB241 should have been a salient part of your coverage.
Phil Bergeron
via email
Phil:
Good point and, yes, that point did slip past us. Even so, I think the rigs left in place as preserves is better than having them just ripped out.
Dale Sheckler, Editor
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