2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I'm a passionate fisherman. I love to catch fish, but I know that in doing so I'm inflicting "pain and panic" on the fish (as one of your contributors suggested). Another contributor in response, claims he doesn't think it hurts them much (an absurd self-justification). Fishing, ALL fishing, hurts the fish somewhat. If our first concern is for the health and well-being of the fish, fishing should be banned. If we allow fishing, we need to be mature enough to admit that we are taking something (either food, pleasure, or both) at the expense of the fish. I usually fish in managed fisheries that allow harvest (the proper word) while requiring the release of certain native species or fish outside a mandated size range. I always release those fish with the greatest of care and respect toward the goal of minimizing the trauma I have inflicted, not with some pretentious notion that I'm doing the fish some good.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
view in context