Reef aquarium collector attacks conservationist underwater

[reeffirstaid]

VIDEO: Diver Attacked While Filming Reef Fish Collector | Maui Now

So what are your thoughts? How do you think this will effect the already delicate situation, regarding fish collection in Hawaii, and how will it effect the hobby in general?

 

[hatfielj]

Well, its obviously poor form on the part of whoever that was collecting fish. It instantly makes the other side look very bad. I don't think this one incident will have any real effect on the whole situation in general, but it goes to show that this is a fight that's not going away any time soon.
Personally, I don't agree with outright banning of collection of fish or corals. It needs to be carefully regulated so that there's not over collection or stress on the reef. Banning it completely would do nothing but strengthen the underground market and the government would lose their ability to regulate what's being taken.

 

[ReefMadScientist]

My thoughts are....the photographer should have a spear gun next time.

 

[cdness]

I have been down this road before and I won't type up the long responses I normally do but will provide my long winded response in bullet points:

1. Ripping the regulator out was a bad judgement call by the collector and makes them all look bad. However all trained scuba divers know how to get the regulator back in so if properly trained, she had nothing to worry about.

2. The video shows collection, not bad collection tactics. It doesn't show them out with cyanide. It doesn't show them ripping the reef apart to get a certain fish. This is hand collection which is the least damaging of all ways to collect fish off the reef.

3. She Shepherd is nothing short of a terrorist organization who themselves resort to violence, interference, and vocal attacks. We CANNOT and I repeat CANNOT judge a situation from this single viewpoint as the video was provided by the terrorist organization. We have no idea what happened in the past or what happened immediately before this incident. For all we know, the collecting divers were recently attacked by the terrorists and they personally felt threatened... Be sure to keep an open mind when viewing these things...

4. Regulation for banning will hurt everyone. Regulation however is not a bad thing if it has the fishery's best interests in mind. There needs to be a compromise somewhere in the middle to protect our fisheries while still allowing those who make a living off the waters can still do so. Remember, those making a living off the waters are not against protecting them to ensure their survival. That just extends their livelihood and ensures they can still make a living into the future without the fear of overfishing or other damage to the reef.

Anyone who supports the actions of the Sea Shepherd organization needs to open their eyes and really look at the situation. Look for the truth yourself and do not fall into the net of lies drawn up by this group and others like them. When possible, speak out against them but enforce that you are for protecting the fisheries through regulation not outright bans.

Rant over...

 

[jschultzbass]

I have been down this road before and I won't type up the long responses I normally do but will provide my long winded response in bullet points:

1. Ripping the regulator out was a bad judgement call by the collector and makes them all look bad. However all trained scuba divers know how to get the regulator back in so if properly trained, she had nothing to worry about.

2. The video shows collection, not bad collection tactics. It doesn't show them out with cyanide. It doesn't show them ripping the reef apart to get a certain fish. This is hand collection which is the least damaging of all ways to collect fish off the reef.

3. She Shepherd is nothing short of a terrorist organization who themselves resort to violence, interference, and vocal attacks. We CANNOT and I repeat CANNOT judge a situation from this single viewpoint as the video was provided by the terrorist organization. We have no idea what happened in the past or what happened immediately before this incident. For all we know, the collecting divers were recently attacked by the terrorists and they personally felt threatened... Be sure to keep an open mind when viewing these things...

4. Regulation for banning will hurt everyone. Regulation however is not a bad thing if it has the fishery's best interests in mind. There needs to be a compromise somewhere in the middle to protect our fisheries while still allowing those who make a living off the waters can still do so. Remember, those making a living off the waters are not against protecting them to ensure their survival. That just extends their livelihood and ensures they can still make a living into the future without the fear of overfishing or other damage to the reef.

Anyone who supports the actions of the Sea Shepherd organization needs to open their eyes and really look at the situation. Look for the truth yourself and do not fall into the net of lies drawn up by this group and others like them. When possible, speak out against them but enforce that you are for protecting the fisheries through regulation not outright bans.

Rant over...

Perfectly said.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

While I agree with most of what's said here, this is not good... not good at all. SS and Snorkel Bob are buddy, buddy, and this will only provide fuel to the fire. All they have to do is send this video around and wham... "aquarium collector attacks filmmaker" goes viral. The general public might watch twenty seconds of that video, make their judgement and move on.

How childish can you get? 'You can't take my picture so I'll endanger your life'. I understand the tension this collector probably faces everyday, but in this day and age with videos/photos so easily shared this guy has landed an uppercut to progressive movements in favor of our hobby and sustainable collection in HI. He should have his dive and collectors license revoked.

 

[ReefMadScientist]

While I agree with most of what's said here, this is not good... not good at all. SS and Snorkel Bob are buddy, buddy, and this will only provide fuel to the fire. All they have to do is send this video around and wham... "aquarium collector attacks filmmaker" goes viral. The general public might watch twenty seconds of that video, make their judgement and move on.

How childish can you get? 'You can't take my picture so I'll endanger your life'. I understand the tension this collector probably faces everyday, but in this day and age with videos/photos so easily shared this guy has landed an uppercut to progressive movements in favor of our hobby and sustainable collection in HI. He should have his dive and collectors license revoked.

But but... cdness said the diver had nothing to worry about because she was trained lol.

 

[ReeferBob]

All I had to see was "Sea Sheppard" to know this was a setup.

 

[cdness]

But but... cdness said the diver had nothing to worry about because she was trained lol.

I said it was a bad judgement call on the collector's side. I do not agree with what they did and they can be prosecuted for it. However if the Sea Shepherd diver had been properly trained there was no imminent danger. If not properly trained, she shouldn't have been in the water. I never said she had nothing to worry about... I said if she had been properly trained, she would have known how to react and correct the issue with no danger to herself.

Stunreefer, you are right saying this fuels the fire against us. In today's world, nothing is private and anything considered shock news will go viral in no time.

 

[ReefMadScientist]

All I had to see was "Sea Sheppard" to know this was a setup.

Yep, I never knew SS were involved in diving now....

 

[reefsandrotts]

I don't see how anyone can pass judgment on the collector since it only shows the air supply being pulled.... nothing before that maybe he was being threatened or something. This doesn't show the whole story.
And who's to say this wasn't a setup video and all of them are from the SS and that idiot snorkel bob

 

[Xingu]

I bet there is MUCH MORE to this story. Who knows what has been going on before this. Perhaps the photographers put the other divers or their support boat in danger before all of this took place. We will probably never know the rest of the story.

 

[Tahoe61]

There is no justification for ripping another divers mouth piece out of their mouth in 50 ft of water end of story.

 

[Pete polyp]

I don't see how anyone can pass judgment on the collector since it only shows the air supply being pulled.... nothing before that maybe he was being threatened or something. This doesn't show the whole story.
And who's to say this wasn't a setup video and all of them are from the SS and that idiot snorkel bob

I agree it could be a complete.setup, and/or produced. I find it strange that the name of the collector is nowhere. I don't know about you people, but if someone threatened my life and committed a felony then I would be all over it.

 

[MrsDragon]

I don't think it helps our cause. I am for sustainable options and like the idea of sensible collections. Was very disappointed to receive the following comment on another forum when discussing the different collections of my tanks: marine is too much trouble and I'm very against it as 99% of fish and corals are taken from our reefs :-(

 

[reefwiser]

I am sure they where doing paparazzi and causing him problems doing his work.

 

[AJsTank]

This is copied and pasted from scubadiving.com - I wonder how accurate these stats are?

Also, there are comments of people saying that Sea Shepherd was harassing the divers up top and then they were trying to release the animals out of the jars.

Consider these stats:

• An estimated 350,000 reef animals are taken off the Kona Coast of Hawaii alone each year and sold to the aquarium trade.
• More than 90% will be dead within one year either initially from 1) the stress of capture and transport or 2) the stressful conditions of captivity.
• 11 million reef animals are imported into the US each year.
• The USA is the largest importer of reef wildlife in the world.
• There are 1.2 million household and business (lobby) aquariums in the US
• Most people are under the impression that the animals they purchase for their tanks are captive-bred, but in reality more than 98% are wild-caught.
• The impact of this "hobbyist" trade is devastating reef ecosystems in Hawaii and worldwide.

As the aquarium trade expands, the reefs will continue to suffer as a result of the removal of species from reef ecosystems. Just in Hawaii, the top ten aquarium fish species have decreased by 59% over the last 20 years. Full tanks mean empty reefs, and empty reefs mean dying oceans. Sea Shepherd will continue to defend the reefs, preserving the future of the oceans on which all species on Earth depend for survival.

 

[Kworker]

This is copied and pasted from scubadiving.com - I wonder how accurate these stats are?

Also, there are comments of people saying that Sea Shepherd was harassing the divers up top and then they were trying to release the animals out of the jars.

Consider these stats:

• An estimated 350,000 reef animals are taken off the Kona Coast of Hawaii alone each year and sold to the aquarium trade.
• More than 90% will be dead within one year either initially from 1) the stress of capture and transport or 2) the stressful conditions of captivity.
• 11 million reef animals are imported into the US each year.
• The USA is the largest importer of reef wildlife in the world.
• There are 1.2 million household and business (lobby) aquariums in the US
• Most people are under the impression that the animals they purchase for their tanks are captive-bred, but in reality more than 98% are wild-caught.
• The impact of this "hobbyist" trade is devastating reef ecosystems in Hawaii and worldwide.

As the aquarium trade expands, the reefs will continue to suffer as a result of the removal of species from reef ecosystems. Just in Hawaii, the top ten aquarium fish species have decreased by 59% over the last 20 years. Full tanks mean empty reefs, and empty reefs mean dying oceans. Sea Shepherd will continue to defend the reefs, preserving the future of the oceans on which all species on Earth depend for survival.

Don't know how they can accurately come up with stats. While I do agree. We need to make vast improvements in the foreseeable future as far as getting out fish in this hobby. We need more tank bred species like there are in the freshwater side. I said it before, the environment > my entertainment.

Bottom line is, they get all upset about the trade.. meanwhile people catch and kill fish for sport. Where are they for that? Or is it only because the fish we are keeping are deemed pretty and exotic?

I feel troubling from the thought that because I want to keep the species it was stripped from its home and shipped to me and its genetics forever removed from the ecosystem. The reality of it is, that happens with trophy fishing and commercial fishing. Commercial fishing probably kills more sea life each month than the aquarium trade does in a year.

In my opinion, the saltwater trade is in the process of contributing more than taking. We are learning more about species of fish/inverts and corals by keeping them in home aquariums which further benefits protecting the ocean from things like pollution and the shifting weather patterns we are experiencing. Also dont forget they just found out coral contains a protein that can prevent HIV, good thing we are here and know how to properly grow coral in the home aquarium. Otherwise forget warming, our society would be breaking apart the coral reefs.

 

[Aloha Corals]

I think the video was in perfect timing. Well played i may add.

Sea Shepherd Launches Anti-Aquarium Trade Campaign in Hawaii | Good Catch Blog

Kevin

 

[Aloha Corals]

3. She Shepherd is nothing short of a terrorist organization who themselves resort to violence, interference, and vocal attacks. We CANNOT and I repeat CANNOT judge a situation from this single viewpoint as the video was provided by the terrorist organization. We have no idea what happened in the past or what happened immediately before this incident. For all we know, the collecting divers were recently attacked by the terrorists and they personally felt threatened... Be sure to keep an open mind when viewing these things...

You don't know how much truth there is to this statement...