In 2009 I went out on deep sea fishing vessels in New Zealand as a scientific observer. Although the conditions were tough you did get to see fish species that you probably would never encounter under any other conditions. Here are some of these strange sea creatures. 

So here is an interesting topic, which is bound to produce anger and anxieties on both sides of the fence. Today (Nov. 2) voters in Arizona, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee are going to the polls to decide whether hunting and fishing should be protected under each states constitution. When something is protected then it becomes very difficult for the courts to take that right away from you. So by doing this today it is ensuring that fishermen will have a right to catch fish for future generations. 

This has largely come about because recreational fishermen have become fearful of recent attacks by PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals) who have campaigns against fishing - viewing it as cruel and unnecessary. PETA are nothing to be ignored, and honestly, if I were a fishermen I would be concerned too. By implementing these laws they protect their 'right' to fish. I think that both hunting and fishing should be allowed if it is undertaken responsibly. 

The problem is that PETA have made this into an animal cruelty issue when it should be a conservation issue. With these laws in place it would be very difficult for any government agency to reduce fishing if this action was resulting in a significant reduction in fish populations. It is already difficult for these agencies to enforce current regulations to stop recreational fishers from overfishing, and the last thing we need is to make this job even harder! For example, what if fish stocks were depleted in an area and the government agency wanted to stop fishing in that area to help them recover? Fishermen might argue that it is their constitutional right to fish there. Recreational fishermen tend to be very resistant, maybe even a bit touchy, when it comes to other people telling them what they can do with their fish. This can sometimes be despite mounting evidence that that fish stock may be in trouble. One only needs to remember the arguments commercial fishermen made when the scientists told them the cod stocks were running out. 

In the end people need to remember that we all want the same thing. I want to be able to go diving and see fish in their natural environment. Fishermen want to be able to go out and fish. The emphasis should not be on protecting the right of the fishermen, or even PETA's animal cruelty agenda, the focus should be on protecting fish stocks so we can all enjoy them.