DEAR Editor,-
The full back page article written by charter boat personnel, (The Herald, March 21) complete with what looks like dead sharks and skates, makes disturbing reading for me and anyone concerned with conservation efforts.
Fishing is all very well if the fish caught are not in any way endangered and are indeed edible. In that article there was a reference to a ‘raggie’, most likely a ragged tooth shark, which is an uncommon species and some sort of legislated protection was mooted some years back. To hook a fish like that and presumably land it, is just not on. Ditto with the two hammerheads shown off, although still plentiful, but for how long?
Bear in mind the passenger pigeon, the former black clouds formed by flocks of thousands were cheerfully shot to extinction for so-called ‘sport’. As for the skates, apart from bland wings, is the rest edible? Palatable? In previous articles on prizes handed out, species like guitar fish (a rare bottom dweller) and almost inedible sailfish have been mentioned. Recently the scandalous trophy fishing just for shark jaws was exposed. Has anything been done about this? It looks like the wanton slaughter goes on for the sake of ‘fun’ or sport.
We, as a species, expect the natural world to provide fresh air, plus fresh water, plus fertile soil, but are quite happy to mindlessly destroy the bits and pieces of that same natural world, our life support, which we do not particularly care about.
Homo? Yes. Sapiens? Rather doubtful.
ROLF RAWE
Uvongo
