Can fishing and scuba co-exist?

[ScubaDiver]

For many years now there has been a certain animosity between Divers and Fishermen.

The root cause of this seems to be that Fishermen are seen by some Divers as indiscriminate killers, over fishing an already depleted resource, leaving their tangling lines on the bottom of the sea and their never rusting stainless steel hooks in the mouths of Grey Nurse Sharks.

Divers on the other hand are seen by some Fishermen as part of the "Green Left", scaring all the fish away, taking over spots originally discovered by Fishermen and bent on restricting all fishing activity as much as possible whilst leaving their own activities relatively unchecked.

Of course both of these statements are a ridiculously broad generalisation akin to branding all Muslims as Terrorists or all Priests as child molesters.

Surely the two groups share the exact same goal. The preservation and even the enhancement of our waterways and oceans for the enjoyment and survival of all those who use it and live in it.

The joining of the diving and fishing lobbies would surely give us a much stronger voice on issues such as those currently faced in Moreton Bay.

Does anyone know of any attempts to achieve something like this?

I have posted something similar on a diving chat board with some positive and negetive replies.

It seems to me that our two communities share so many things that neither activity needs ot be exclusive of the other.





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The less you know the more you believe

[blaze]

Hi scubaman
I used to dive one day and fish the next etc. There is beauty below and above, There is other members on this board that do both. I dont dive much any more but I still jump in when the chance arrives (getting to old). Most people are like me and just quitely go about there chosen sport, maybe that needs to change
cheers
blaze

[bugman]

Welcome Mattman,

Good to see you can cross over. You may have a wealth of knowledge that you can share with these guys.

By the way - you never mentioned your interest level in rec fishing.

Bugman

[ScubaDiver]

I used to fish a fair bit.

We had a holiday house NSW South coast near Sussex Inlet and I used to fish there. Also when I moved to Coffs Harbour I used to fish up there and also on the Gold Coast in the Broad water.

I have never been that good at it.

A little while ago my Father inlaw and I went out with a guy on the Broad water on the Goldcoast and I cuaght some fish for the first time in a long time.

It was a lot of fun and we ate all that we caught.

[Lucky_Phill]

Yes we have similar interests in the outcomes of regs and laws for the water usage.

Problem being, recs are coping it hard, pros are winning the day, and the Scuba Lobby is gettin their way. re:- GBRMPA Green zones.

The Scuba guys do damage to the reef system as well. But the powers think that by restricting rec fishing, and pro fishing, the place will be back to normal ( whatever that is ).

I too, participate in Scuba ( not gettin in the water, but skipper ), but what really piss's me, is when I'm fishing and the Scuba Charter plonks it's dirty great anchor within ( well within ) the 30 meters. Yet, should I attempt to anchor / fish when turning up after the Scuba Charter, I'm abused by the skipper.

If that crap keeps happening, I'll just put up my Blue & White and pretend.

Can we co-exist ? sure !

With the restrictions imposed on us rec anglers as from December 13 this year. Not a Snowballs chance in hell, can we " pillage " the fishery.

May I just throw in the Scuba guys that take the spearguns down with them. Yes, it does happen, I'm sure you know.

Cheers Phill

[ScubaDiver]

Yes there has been a lot of debate on spearing with scuba.

The pro's are that you can ber very selective and if in fact you are eating what you spear you will only take the 2 or 3 you need with no by catch.

The con's are that it is sometimes taken up by complete knobs who sit down there for 40 mins and kill everything that passes their cross hairs.

Divers do damage the reefs as evidenced by sites which are heavily dived. Divers have the capacity to damage a reef eco system far worse than fishermen ever could.

In defence of that however I would state that damage done by divers is USUALLY done by inexperienced/learning divers and on the whole it is considered VERY bad form to touch the bottom with any part of you at all.

Divers must accept the resposibility of the degredation of habitats along with fishermen.

[Gazza]

"
In defence of that however I would state that damage done by divers is USUALLY done by inexperienced/learning divers and on the whole it is considered VERY bad form to touch the bottom with any part of you at all."------------------------------------------------


Touche Scubadiver #:)
and I'm sure "ditto" similar examples with novice RecFishos ,lets say "not meaning to, as well"

Maybe you guys have to cop a darkness ban ,for now , but maybe also you guys should focus on 1200metre MIN exclusion zones ,and consider 200M ,with 'fishing method' restrictions ,and in the future make SURE you aren't ,as well, excluded to 1200METRES MIN. #;)

Think about it mate ,long and hard. #;)
p.s. like your website ,and understand the 'nature' of some bias bothways!

Regards
Gazza

[Kerry]

Many divers (and especially commercial type tourist operators) come across with a thinking they are a cut above the rest of the boating community and think they are mostly inert when it comes to accepting some responsibility for what everybody else is blamed for.

In just about all changes divers have generally come out smelling roses being the inert industry they think they are, but maybe masks clouds one vision just a little in reality. #

In a commercial perspective it's obvious that any organisation that sees themselves as being inert will defend that so called right with vigor at the expense of others, rec fishers or otherwise.

Cheers, Kerry.
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