cheesepuff
Member
So I realize I'm going to catch a lot of flack from you guys, especially those of you who don't like me already. But its something I think we should talk about.
I go fishing. I use live bait, I eat what I catch. I give thanks for the lives that are taken to sustain my own. I assist with the Local Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Biologists and Conservation Officers to help prevent Illegal acts and keep track of certain species of fish as they move through the country,
But
I also keep fish. I give them a good happy life in perfect water. I even rescue baby fish from pet stores that would be eaten by their parents and then give them back when their old enough to bring joy to someone eases life. I speak out against chains that let their fish live in horrific conditions and let them die a slow death. I inform people I talk to on proper fish care when I'm at pet stores.
There is a deep contrast. But just because I'm an Angler doesn't make me evil does it? I know this is a fish keeping forum, but I want to try to help both sides understand each other. I sense a lot of hate for anglers here. I think a lot of the hate comes from misunderstandings.
Most of the members here would never dream of purposely hurting any fish. Aquarists love and raise them. But in contrast Anglers do the exact opposite, but with good reason at times.
Its the great debate of kill 1 save 1000. And in some cases, its required. There are some aquatic life that if caught in the wild are required by law to be killed immediately. relocation is not an option and it would save the lives of native species.
People get a gold fish and raise it and love it until it gets too big, and then without thinking release it into the wild trying to make it happy. Seams reasonable to an aquarist. but on the other side, the Conservation Officers later that year end up putting as much as $3000 bounties on your pet gold fish because its killing all the other wild life that can't compete for food. now your $5 fish has caused thousands in damage and killed hundreds of other fish, just for the fact that you loved your gold fish.
Anglers complain all the time of catching common Plecos, Goldfish, and other large fish that get released into the wild.
See where the head butting is?
The importance of human intervention in the wild is necessary to keep the balance of life. But it can be seen as cruel if its not looked at in the big picture.
And the aquarists are often responsible for causing the work that needs human intervention. Lets take a real life example.
The rusty Crayfish is an invasive species that has decimated native crayfish populations wherever it goes. But how did it get there? The public elementary schools use crayfish as a class pet for biology lessons. but at the end of the year the kids don't want their little buddy to die, so the teacher releases it into a lake to make the kids happy. next thing we know, ecosystems are destroyed as they populate. That's how they traveled to waters far from where they originated.
Good intentions can go very wrong, and Anglers have to do what they can to combat the issues. Now that's not to say Anglers never did anything wrong. Uninformed Anglers can worsen the spread of things like the rusty crayfish by using them as bait. However, laws are put in place to try and prevent that. In some cases game wardens have taken away anglers trucks, boats, fishing equipment and fined them for breaking the laws.
But what I'm getting at is that even thought Anglers and Aquarits are polar opposites, we are unwittingly intertwined with each other. None of us are evil. We all make mistakes. But so long as we learn from them, everyone benefits.
Just wanted to get that off my chest and unite us instead of divide us.
I go fishing. I use live bait, I eat what I catch. I give thanks for the lives that are taken to sustain my own. I assist with the Local Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Biologists and Conservation Officers to help prevent Illegal acts and keep track of certain species of fish as they move through the country,
But
I also keep fish. I give them a good happy life in perfect water. I even rescue baby fish from pet stores that would be eaten by their parents and then give them back when their old enough to bring joy to someone eases life. I speak out against chains that let their fish live in horrific conditions and let them die a slow death. I inform people I talk to on proper fish care when I'm at pet stores.
There is a deep contrast. But just because I'm an Angler doesn't make me evil does it? I know this is a fish keeping forum, but I want to try to help both sides understand each other. I sense a lot of hate for anglers here. I think a lot of the hate comes from misunderstandings.
Most of the members here would never dream of purposely hurting any fish. Aquarists love and raise them. But in contrast Anglers do the exact opposite, but with good reason at times.
Its the great debate of kill 1 save 1000. And in some cases, its required. There are some aquatic life that if caught in the wild are required by law to be killed immediately. relocation is not an option and it would save the lives of native species.
People get a gold fish and raise it and love it until it gets too big, and then without thinking release it into the wild trying to make it happy. Seams reasonable to an aquarist. but on the other side, the Conservation Officers later that year end up putting as much as $3000 bounties on your pet gold fish because its killing all the other wild life that can't compete for food. now your $5 fish has caused thousands in damage and killed hundreds of other fish, just for the fact that you loved your gold fish.
Anglers complain all the time of catching common Plecos, Goldfish, and other large fish that get released into the wild.
See where the head butting is?
The importance of human intervention in the wild is necessary to keep the balance of life. But it can be seen as cruel if its not looked at in the big picture.
And the aquarists are often responsible for causing the work that needs human intervention. Lets take a real life example.
The rusty Crayfish is an invasive species that has decimated native crayfish populations wherever it goes. But how did it get there? The public elementary schools use crayfish as a class pet for biology lessons. but at the end of the year the kids don't want their little buddy to die, so the teacher releases it into a lake to make the kids happy. next thing we know, ecosystems are destroyed as they populate. That's how they traveled to waters far from where they originated.
Good intentions can go very wrong, and Anglers have to do what they can to combat the issues. Now that's not to say Anglers never did anything wrong. Uninformed Anglers can worsen the spread of things like the rusty crayfish by using them as bait. However, laws are put in place to try and prevent that. In some cases game wardens have taken away anglers trucks, boats, fishing equipment and fined them for breaking the laws.
But what I'm getting at is that even thought Anglers and Aquarits are polar opposites, we are unwittingly intertwined with each other. None of us are evil. We all make mistakes. But so long as we learn from them, everyone benefits.
Just wanted to get that off my chest and unite us instead of divide us.
