tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post4858086553634392188..comments2012-01-19T13:39:41.183-10:00BNShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709074385552082635noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-73086325043839695472010-03-16T11:10:36.152-10:002010-03-16T11:10:36.152-10:00I think that if your diving you provoke a shark and it gets closer don&#39;t just shoot it with your spear gun just jab it with your dive knife.<br /><br />now i am no expert that&#39;s just what i heard form my uncle who used to dive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-35413614200423409062010-01-17T13:31:58.866-10:002010-01-17T13:31:58.866-10:00ScienceGuy288, you do realize that Hawaiians hold the shark as sacred, right? That we believe they are our aumakua sent to help guide us on our paths, right? I am doubtful that the locals would meet any such trophy hunting with a lot of aloha. Although I now live on the mainland, I do know that the locals are pushing back regarding shark tours.<br /><br />Anonymous, you should have slapped those kids&#39; heads! I know I have when I&#39;ve seen them doing cruel things like that. How will they learn? <br /><br />HealaniHealaninoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-25156644503895210152009-01-21T18:39:00.000-10:002009-01-21T18:39:00.000-10:00Great story, Will. Thanks.<BR/><BR/>BobbieBNShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709074385552082635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-65318456677733129782009-01-21T18:16:00.000-10:002009-01-21T18:16:00.000-10:00I used to be a big ocean fisherman. I always ate what I caught and often that was lingcod, one of my favorite fish. Once I had the opportunity to snorkel with a friend who spear fished. He also only killed what he ate. We were in prime lingcod water and I found I could not pull the trigger when looking the fish in the eye. I had to stick to fishing from the boat. I have not been fishing for many years and the only part I really miss is all the fresh fish to eat.Willhttp://willtaft.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-76709410661047349282009-01-21T09:00:00.000-10:002009-01-21T09:00:00.000-10:00The latest round of comments on this post tells us the story hit a nerve with a lot of our readers. Thanks, all of you, for adding your thoughts.<BR/><BR/>@ ScienceGuy - I have very mixed feelings about that issue, too. It may not be so bad in the case of very abundant animals, but I am generally against trophy-hunting activities of any sort -- and definitely if the goal is ONLY to obtain a trophy. Re income for local people -- I'd rather see the income come from photo safaris (on land and underwater) rather than killing. Similar process and income opportunities for the locals, but without unnecessary killing.<BR/><BR/>@Pua - Well said. You have just reminded me that I should write specifically about shark-finning in another post.<BR/><BR/>BobbieBNShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709074385552082635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-846686204201094632009-01-21T02:48:00.000-10:002009-01-21T02:48:00.000-10:00I've always held that view of fishing of any sort. I make no apologies for occupying my place at the top of the food chain, but if I take it out of the water it's to eat it.<BR/><BR/>And your point about there being no catch-and-release option is one I hadn't considered, but is absolutely valid.<BR/><BR/>Killing any animal "just because you can" is as abhorrent a concept as there is to me. I don't suppose these two suffered any consequences for their actions, did they? Other than perhaps being publicly called out in the press.<BR/><BR/>Certainly nothing commensurate with the consequences of the shark they slaughtered.Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498213932233245032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-45860134979929355582009-01-20T19:58:00.000-10:002009-01-20T19:58:00.000-10:00Great shot. I couldn't agree with you more on your issue. It has never made sense. It has always been a problem with some people it seems, to destroy so senselessly. It's really sad. :-(2sweetnsaxyhttp://eyesmindheart.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-66436951521072216092009-01-19T20:07:00.000-10:002009-01-19T20:07:00.000-10:00today I watched some pre-teen boys torture a large beautiful reef fish to death in a tidal pool up by Mokopu'u. I tried to talk them into letting it go, as did the little girls watching them. But they were having too much fun tossing it, dragging it around, holding it half out of the water, exhausting it as it tried to get away, all with the parents watching just a few feet away. These are the boys that will grow up to kill something just because they can, and won't care how much pain they cause. Very upsetting. I had to walk away.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-82623627842935022002009-01-19T16:51:00.000-10:002009-01-19T16:51:00.000-10:00Bobbie, thanks for bringing this incident about spearfishing a shark right 'just for the excitement of killing a shark' to our attention. That it happened in Hawaiian water is especially disturbing. <BR/><BR/>We all hope there will be some laws set up soon to prevent such mindless acts in the future, even though we are aware that not everybody gets caught breaking the current regulations.<BR/><BR/>But to tell you the truth there are many more stories about animal cruelty out there which are really upsetting me just think of catching the sharks for shark fins, cutting the fins off - just for making a soup! - and throwing the still alive sharks back into the water. Who would want to eat that shark fin soup? Not me!!!!Puahttp://kohalacoastweb.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-76364539669917022022009-01-19T15:14:00.000-10:002009-01-19T15:14:00.000-10:00I may not complegely agree with this, but there is a school of environmental thought which states that since trophy hunting brings income to local people, who often kill animals for killing livestock, etc. that it should be condoned. Thoughts?scienceguy288http://scienceguy288.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-79941621608437684172009-01-19T14:41:00.000-10:002009-01-19T14:41:00.000-10:00These morons better hope that they don't meet me underwater. Perhaps a game of reverse underwater hunting? It sickens me when I see this type of behavior. Something as beautiful as this should never be killed for sport....kind of reminds me of a good Clint Eastwood film, "White Hunter Black Heart"....<BR/>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100928/<BR/>If you haven't seen it, check it out.... rjsRJShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13051468812274312550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-79343375670897733102009-01-19T13:35:00.000-10:002009-01-19T13:35:00.000-10:00Morons. Utter morons.A Free Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01038930031019179647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-9326673854141416102009-01-19T12:18:00.000-10:002009-01-19T12:18:00.000-10:00Fishing and hunting regulations usually have some clause about "waste" or "proper disposal". There is probably something they could be charged with for simply leaving a kill.Andrew Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16404795276468632488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-85941705103688612252009-01-19T07:32:00.000-10:002009-01-19T07:32:00.000-10:00@ Lavender - Yes, you are right. Killing "just for sport" is abhorrent on land as well as in the sea.<BR/><BR/>Re your scrolling glitch -- we set that up by remote control, just so you'd notice that line. (Just kidding, of course.)<BR/><BR/>@ Dennis - There is a movement afoot to legislate some sort of protection for these animals, but so far they are 'fair game', so to speak. At the same time I should mention that even animals that are officially protected still are taken from time to time. Enforcement can be difficult: someone has to witness an illegal kill and notify authorities. The latter may or may not arrive at the scene in time to nab the bad guys.<BR/><BR/>BobbieBNShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709074385552082635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-27517402928497149152009-01-19T05:26:00.000-10:002009-01-19T05:26:00.000-10:00I wish I could say I was surprised that some idiots would kill a shark "just because we can", but I'm not. I further wish these clowns could be charged with something, because it seems criminal that they would kill such an animal and then just leave it to be washed out to sea.Dennis the Vizslahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16894063884048051561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067507179347221008.post-66352584171375431372009-01-19T05:20:00.000-10:002009-01-19T05:20:00.000-10:00Makes sense to me. I can't imagine why anyone would kill a land animal or bird "just for sport" either.<BR/>I think you're doing a great service to sharks in giving them such good press. Interestingly, because my computer's a bit slow, as I tried scrolling down your page one line got stuck and repeated itself over and over. It was:<BR/>"We do not fear them, but we do respect the sharks' role".lavenderbayhttp://lavenderbay.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com