[ricki]

I used to go to some of these fisheries management meetings, did some pelagic and reef fish stock assessments, artificial reef design/installation and studies, etc.. There are a lot of politics and confusion in the meetings and policy to be sure, the human condition. The FRA's intent to use "good science" is an excellent one. Developing useful, good data is another matter but if they are true to their aim, they should get somewhere helpful.

Question, do you recall some of the spearfishermen back in the day, talking way back in the late 1950's and early 1960's down here in SE Florida. Not talking about identities but about catches. We're talking about massive groupers and plenty of them in some cases. Have you seen the pictures from back then? So, when was the last time you saw catches like that from our area, in these times? I never have myself. The sizes are smaller as are the quantities in the catch as a broad generality. This is where "Sustainable harvest" ties in. What is the FRA effectively pursuing to insure this happens while apparently trying to increase harvesting and access to currently closed areas in the face of diminishing stocks?

Spearfishing is highly selective as has been said, far more so than line fishing. It is also fairly effective at taking out well mature higher order predators, i.e. grouper, large snapper, etc.. Where and how are replacements recruited or are they harvested before they attain these larger size classes? One problem with consistently taking out the largest individuals is you also remove genes of highly successful individuals from the population. Good fisheries management? I'm not against spearfishing but I doubt that expansion of the activity or line fishing for that matter is a good idea in these times.

Last point, free diving is on the rebound in a big way. I think that is a great thing. It takes far more skill than SCUBA diving, is a great conditioning activity, is good for the mind and more. There is a potential problem in the USA however unlike some other countries seeing this sort of growth. There is a big emphasis on spearfishing as the primary outlet for the activity. With sustainable stocks, no big deal, I don't believe we are at that point anymore from what evidence I've seen over the decades. Free diving can give tons more satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, outlet for stress than focusing primarily on taking out some fish in an already stressed environment. For the sustainability of the activity, I would advise widening the pitch to new divers.

Question, why do people ski and snowboard if they can't blow away caribou and elk on the mountain? What possible benefit could they get from the experience of riding down the mountain if not for harvesting meat? Maybe there is more to it?