While chatting to dive buddies on diving in Australia and NewZealand, a buddy commented that in those countries you are allowed to spearfish and remove crafish(lobster) from the sea on SCUBA. In south Africa we are very strict on the fact that we can only spear or collect lobster doing breath hold diving. Why are the rst of the world doing it on SCUBA? In my own country we can not remove all with breath hold diving but criminal elements with SCUBA has destroyed much of our resources. Mostly these resources are then smuggled out to the Far East as afrodisiacs. (imagine it me enjoying an afrodisiac as a child:-)) What are your feelings about it?

Comments

AirOn - 3/05/2008 2:08 PM Consider this too, How much life do you find on the beaches? Areas where people don`t visit have lots of shore life. Then people show up and the shores become almost empty. Stripping all the shellfish, kelp, etc. Kids kill most of the small crabs. The barnicles and rock clinging tidal animals are destroyed and removed. my point, its about the people (or should be) not about the scuba or not. Colder climate, less people on the beaches, more wildlife can live there, less rules needed.

AirOn - 3/05/2008 2:00 PM It varies in differnt places, I would observe that being on Scuba shouldn`t make a differnce. Some view it as more sportsman like to Skin Dive only. More people grab anything they can skin diving then on Scuba, just by numbers along. Scuba allows you to be selective and take your time. Assuming the person is responsible to start with. I think CATCH limits, and the expence of scuba gear would limit its abuse to some extent. Most of the animals are under 30-40 feet anyhow... Not really a problem for skin divers to reach. It does make them more prone to just TAKE what they can get like immature creatures. Thats more true if its an over harvested area too. Many of the colder climates don`t have as many skin divers taking things out of the water so its not an issue of scuba or not. Its about stripping the sea of life and over harvesting. Personaly I`d say a scuba diver who takes "The big ones" and allows more numbers of immature animals to take its place would enhance the environment.