Comments on: Hunting, Fishing and Ecotourism http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/ Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:00:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Barbara Soldi http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/#comment-4690 Barbara Soldi Tue, 13 May 2008 07:30:21 +0000 http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/#comment-4690 Thanks for your comment. We are not talking about the locals going fishing to eat, we are talking about charging travellers to 'sport' fishing, whereas we could offer them some other forms of entertainment involving conservation rather than killing, like wildlife watching. I am afraid I do not consider fishing a 'recreational' activity. Thanks for your comment.

We are not talking about the locals going fishing to eat, we are talking about charging travellers to ’sport’ fishing, whereas we could offer them some other forms of entertainment involving conservation rather than killing, like wildlife watching. I am afraid I do not consider fishing a ‘recreational’ activity.

]]> By: fishing http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/#comment-4685 fishing Mon, 12 May 2008 20:56:39 +0000 http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/#comment-4685 I agree, ecotourism is a broad description that doesn't mesh well with hunting. Yet, when it comes down to survival, would you rather go fishing and live or die of starvation? This may not seem relevant, but it is, when we have world hunger issues. We just need to figure out a way to send more of our food to people who cannot obtain it easily. I agree, ecotourism is a broad description that doesn’t mesh well with hunting. Yet, when it comes down to survival, would you rather go fishing and live or die of starvation? This may not seem relevant, but it is, when we have world hunger issues. We just need to figure out a way to send more of our food to people who cannot obtain it easily.

]]> By: Tim Day http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/#comment-2634 Tim Day Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:26:45 +0000 http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/#comment-2634 Hi, it's me again climbing back up on my soapbox. Well, once again Barbara, you've hit on a subject that I have quite a bit to say about. You can always hit the back button or delete key as you see fit ;-}. I have been an avid fisherman all my life since the first time, I was about five, that I pulled a 6 inch long Rudd out of a small pond in England and it was such a beautiful creature to see that I was instantly hooked myself. We never ate any of the fish we caught when I was a child in England, mostly because they were probably inedible no doubt, but I went fishing every chance I got. Now I am a dive Instructor and have my own dive shop, coincidence? I think not. I tell this little part of a story because I want some people to understand that there is definitely more to fishing than killing for meat for many millions of people around the world. Fishing is one of the most popular outdoors activities in the UK and almost all of those fishermen are exclusively practicing catch and release. I went through a phase myself when I did kill and eat many fish, mostly in Canada but also in the USA and The Bahamas and I mostly regret that now. For me the pleasure of paddling quietly along a lake at dawn to sneak up on a good fishing spot, trolling a lure as you go or humping a small aluminum boat through the shallows on a small river to spend a day on an inaccessible river fishing away the hours or even trolling along on a rough day on the ocean waiting for that big hit are all some of my most cherished memories and it has nothing to do with killing or eating fish. I don't really even understand the lure of it (sic) myself. Barbara, I don't think you should necessarily take fishing tours off your site. I do think though that you should only be promoting catch and release operators. Yes they may still kill some fish, but the increased awareness of wildlife and the great outdoors that many fisherman gain from spending time in a new area could possibly be a powerful resource for assistance in the protection of that local environment. Almost all flats fishing operators that are pursuing Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit are for instance a pretty safe bet that they are releasing almost all that they catch. In many of the places where this kind of fishing is done it becomes a very significant part of the local economy and gives locals a vested interest in preserving the flats' health. It also gives them some cash income that they can live from instead of what in many instances would be the only other alternative, commercial fishing. by contrast, very few Deep Sea charter operators however release anything other than billfish (Marlin and Sailfish) and some will kill even those, so if it matters to you, know who and what you are dealing with and support only catch and release fishing and in my opinion you will be promoting awareness of the importance of conservation that can have far reaching effects. As Ron says, calling it ecotourism may not be correct but that is a label that is overused in any case. All that aside, in my opinion, we all need to eat a lot less or no fish or else our rivers, lakes, seas and oceans are going to die, especially with modern commercial techniques. As you may have guessed, I could go on like this for hours but then everyone would stop reading which would defeat the purpose. Recommended reading on sustainable fishing: The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts also on the <a href="http://www.york.ac.uk/res/unnatural-history-of-the-sea" rel="nofollow">web</a> Comments any one? Hi, it’s me again climbing back up on my soapbox.
Well, once again Barbara, you’ve hit on a subject that I have quite a bit to say about. You can always hit the back button or delete key as you see fit ;-}.
I have been an avid fisherman all my life since the first time, I was about five, that I pulled a 6 inch long Rudd out of a small pond in England and it was such a beautiful creature to see that I was instantly hooked myself. We never ate any of the fish we caught when I was a child in England, mostly because they were probably inedible no doubt, but I went fishing every chance I got. Now I am a dive Instructor and have my own dive shop, coincidence? I think not. I tell this little part of a story because I want some people to understand that there is definitely more to fishing than killing for meat for many millions of people around the world. Fishing is one of the most popular outdoors activities in the UK and almost all of those fishermen are exclusively practicing catch and release.
I went through a phase myself when I did kill and eat many fish, mostly in Canada but also in the USA and The Bahamas and I mostly regret that now.
For me the pleasure of paddling quietly along a lake at dawn to sneak up on a good fishing spot, trolling a lure as you go or humping a small aluminum boat through the shallows on a small river to spend a day on an inaccessible river fishing away the hours or even trolling along on a rough day on the ocean waiting for that big hit are all some of my most cherished memories and it has nothing to do with killing or eating fish. I don’t really even understand the lure of it (sic) myself.
Barbara, I don’t think you should necessarily take fishing tours off your site. I do think though that you should only be promoting catch and release operators. Yes they may still kill some fish, but the increased awareness of wildlife and the great outdoors that many fisherman gain from spending time in a new area could possibly be a powerful resource for assistance in the protection of that local environment. Almost all flats fishing operators that are pursuing Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit are for instance a pretty safe bet that they are releasing almost all that they catch. In many of the places where this kind of fishing is done it becomes a very significant part of the local economy and gives locals a vested interest in preserving the flats’ health. It also gives them some cash income that they can live from instead of what in many instances would be the only other alternative, commercial fishing. by contrast, very few Deep Sea charter operators however release anything other than billfish (Marlin and Sailfish) and some will kill even those, so if it matters to you, know who and what you are dealing with and support only catch and release fishing and in my opinion you will be promoting awareness of the importance of conservation that can have far reaching effects.
As Ron says, calling it ecotourism may not be correct but that is a label that is overused in any case.
All that aside, in my opinion, we all need to eat a lot less or no fish or else our rivers, lakes, seas and oceans are going to die, especially with modern commercial techniques.
As you may have guessed, I could go on like this for hours but then everyone would stop reading which would defeat the purpose.
Recommended reading on sustainable fishing:
The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts also on the web

Comments any one?

]]> By: Ron Mader http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/#comment-1663 Ron Mader Mon, 19 Nov 2007 01:35:47 +0000 http://www.blog.glocaltravel.net/2007/11/15/hunting-fishing-and-ecotourism/#comment-1663 There is often a great conservation ethic in hunting, but to call it ecotourism is a mistake. Kudos to ECOCLUB for hosting such a valuable exchange. There is often a great conservation ethic in hunting, but to call it ecotourism is a mistake. Kudos to ECOCLUB for hosting such a valuable exchange.

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