Off topic of The Zombie blog....but....On ignorance...

Over the last couple days I have been harassed by an individual over the fact that I Spearfish. All of my responses to said individual have been with complete understanding and with the utmost of respect. Now however, I am losing my patience.  If you are going to make an environmental and legal argument against me, know the facts before you open your close minded ignorant mouth.

Here are the facts:

1-    1-  Spearfishing is NOT illegal in Costa Rica. If you have your basic one year fishing license that costs 24$ you can spear fish in any ocean water that is not prohibited by the Silvestre conservation law, (I have a Silvestre conservation map of CR and know exactly where I can legally fish). For all information on protected areas and regulations on fish and wildlife, you can check at www.minaet.go.cr

2-    2-  Spearfishing is very difficult. If you have never spearfished, (freediving) and believe that we have an unfair advantage with a spear gun, I highly suggest you hop in the water and try it for yourself, because, you are wrong. You are submersing yourself into the fish’s environment and hunting outside of your own element with nothing more than the amount of air that you can contain in your own lungs. We are physically meant for land hunting, and therefore, are loud, sloppy, and awkward in the water in comparison to our targets. Fish are basically solid muscle built for swimming; a fifteen pound fish while in the water is stronger than you. They are also easily spooked and skittish. While hunting larger fish, there are many things that can go fatally wrong for the human in the water. Here are a few.

-A large fish can easily pull you down so quickly that you black out and drown.

-A large fish can dart high and circle, wrapping your line around your neck or limbs, leaving a high possibility of drowning.

-A large fish can push you to a point of depth and/or a critical physical point where shallow water black out becomes a huge concern.

-You are not at the top of the food chain while in the water. Sharks, Whales, Dolphins, etc.

- A speared fish will bite you if it can. Some have very strong or sharp teeth.

-Strong currents can take you away, or bash you into rocks if you are not completely 100% aware.

        

3-     3- From an environmental standpoint, a person taking only what they can hunt and eat is much better for the ecosystem than supporting the fisheries that use long lines and giant nets. This is where most of the fish meat you find in your local grocery stores comes from. Massive damage is done “accidentally” by these fishing enterprises who are meeting the consumer demand. –When a couple friends and I go out and get a couple 10-15 pound fish each, we have pounds of meat that WE WORKED FOR, and we don’t have to support the ecologically damaging fishing companies. Nor do we have to support the equally, “morally wrong” beef and pork slaughter house industries.

4-    4-  Even with catch and release sportfishing, more fish die of sheer exhaustion,(or are too exhausted to escape a predator that they normally could), and many times they die anyhow from internal injuries due to a long fight with a swallowed hook each year than me and all of my friends combined could hunt in all of our combined life spans.

5-    5-  A traditional fisherman with a rod and reel can easily catch much more fish than I with a spear gun. ( You can pass the whole day sitting on a boat. You cannot swim and chase fish underwater all day. A couple of hours is exhausting.)

6-    6-  Spearfishing is the most humane. The fish dies much faster than in other forms of fishing. (this is partly why we immediately put our dive knife to the fish’s head.)

This harassing person, who is a local here to Hermosa CR, made many racist remarks against me. One in fact was that I must be “half Gringo half Japanese “, because Gringos do not respect life, and I am “sowing death everywhere I go, murdering the ocean, an enemy of the ocean, and an enemy of Costa Rica.” He told me he will stop my “massacre of the fish”.  Write letters to PADI and that he knows people in MINAET. Well guess what?? I don’t scuba dive so… what has PADI anything to do with me? I have a fishing license and fish in legal water, (most of the central coast has unrestricted fishing) so MINAET will pay no mind.

Before someone decides to attack someone, it is wise to actually KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. I’ll bet you are a Vegan who has leather shoes, a leather wallet and a leather belt. If you want to actually make a difference in this world, Lobby against the giant fishing empires. I eat everything I kill, and try very hard to only kill edible fish. I DO NOT just randomly shoot fish for fun/sport.

So who is the more environmentally minded person?? Go on buying your fish from the store buddy. Support all that you hate. Then, attack me for hunting my own food.

Time to pipe it down and get off of your ignorant high horse you chump.



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