sharks at new smyrna inlet

They go into that field because they're obsessed with marine wildlife. Sharks are 100's of different species. Only a few are dangerous to man. We've removed apex predators from ecosystems before and the planet didn't fall apart. A simple cull of a few sharks in near shore waters is not species elimination anyway. Look at the cougar making a comeback, while HUNTING is still allowed in western states.

 

a simple cull of a few sharks in near shore waters is not and will never be a long term solution to a "problem".

I like to compare culling to the mass shootings going on. People are depressed, someone makes them more depressed so they kill a bunch of people for no reason.

Awesome, now a bunch of people are dead and nothing has changed.

Shark hunts for food, thinks its going after food. people over react, kill a bunch of sharks. awesome now a bunch of sharks are dead and nothing has changed.

 

Really? Every marine biologist is obsessed(is that really the right word???) with sharks/marine wildlife?

As far as cougars, they're coming back east b/c of deer surplus. Hunting regulations vary quite immensely from state to state out west so you really gotta get more specific.

Overgeneralizations are usually not accurate.

 

Right, because scientists just follow their own agenda, rather then apply the scientific method to their research results (sarcasm).

 

Here is a little know shark fact: What species of shark has the highest bite incident in the state of Florida.
1. Tiger 2. Bull 3. Blacktip/Spinner 4. Lemon 5. Hammerhead? It's the Nurse shark. Why. Because idiots think they are harmless lying on the bottom, and their name is Nurse. So they pet them or pull them by the tail and get bit. One snorkeler at the Boynton Inlet had to have one of them removed from his a$$ by the jaws of life. Once they clamp down, they don't let go.

Another shark fact/opinion: What is the best tasting shark? Mako. Why? Because they eat swordfish mostly, and big tuna. What is the worst tasting shark? Blacktip. Why? They eat mostly mullet and taste like cat piss.

 

sharthuffers perception trumps science, duh!

 

I mean that sucks and all, but thats a HELLUVA story, I cant stop laughing about how that guy has to live that down

 

Why are you quoting me? I said I'd leave you alone now leave me alone. There's no beef.

 

No aggro at all dude, just a statement.

 

There's been numerous examples of "scientists" having an agenda. Look the psychiatry field. Being "Gay" used to be a mental illness. They make these outlandish claims about effectiveness of psychotropics yet we have so little knowledge of brain biochemistry. Scientists have been wrong many times in history. And I use the term scientist lightly in this regards because no serious scientist is a marine biologist. Someone who gets that degree wants to play with whales. A serious scientist is a physicist/biologist(studying molecular biology/biochemistry/medical research ect.)

If you can't see the absurd lies in many shark conservation documentaries as OBVIOUS manipulations than I don't know what to say. One shark "researcher" actually said that sharks attack out of "fear of people". LMAO

Does taking out an apex predator have an effect on other animal populations? Of course. But nature balances itself out. It's not the end of the world. And if you believe that fishing for a few sharks in a controlled manner in near shore waters is going to end the planet than I don't know what to say.

Many marine biologists/shark conservationists have deep seeded bias towards the sea and anti-human bias that clouds their conclusions.

 

Still plenty of time for that.

Killing off mountains lions and coyotes have led to a massive deer surplus on the east coast, costing lots of human lives and lots of cash due to car strikes, an increase in Lyme disease, the spread of non-native species as surplus deer overconsume native ones, that list goes on....

In Sub-Saharan Africa, overhunting of lions and leopards have led to a surge in baboon populations. The baboons are now destroying local agriculture, putting people's livelihood at stake....

The American West has a boom in coyote populations after decimation of wolves through hunting (largely by concerned ranchers). Attempts to control the populations are costing millions of dollars, dollars that could go elsewhere....

Overfishing of sharks, particularly hammerheads, has led to overpopulation of rays which have then wiped out shellfish fisheries...

You seem to be advocating that humans can just "control" animal, specifically predator, populations at will, and if there are repercussions, that we'll be able to "control" the issues that arise then as well. It's not up to us to play God with trophic dynamics - as it applies to marine biology, in particular, we are woefully uninformed to understand the complexity of what we are meddling with. And these repercussions are not only felt among other wild animals; humans are certainly not immune to the trickle-down trophic dynamics associated with the removal of predators.

Look at how successful reintroduction of the Grey Wolf into Yellowstone has been! Maybe you feel differently, because the increased biodiversity and general environmental stability has led to healthier grizzlies, and we can't have any of those mean nasty predators hanging around.

I don't have a problem with fishing for sharks. I DO have a problem with fishing for great whites, as we know so little about their actual numbers and I tend to subscribe to the precautionary principle as it pertains to stable wildlife populations. And I CERTAINLY have an issue with advocating a cull of all sharks that come near shore. First off, look at the West Oz cull - not a single maneater among them. Secondly, even if you manage to correctly target the sharks you want, and are somehow smart enough (we clearly aren't) as to not take so many as to cause an immediate consequence like those listed above, do you not believe that more will move in to take advantage of the vacated resource? If you kill every shark off the Cape, you don't think a few others might eventually make their way over to Monomoy? Those thousands of seals are begging to be eaten by something.

As it relates to areas such as the Cape, I agree some sort of ecosystem management likely needs to be implemented (namely, at the Cape, to diminish pinniped populations), but top down management via the elimination of predators is not the answer. It's short-sighted, and there's ample evidence in recorded history to point out why it doesn't work.

 

Us discussing this is going to start a fight between us and you know it. Just don't reply to me and I won't reply to you.

Oh and you disagreeing with me was never what my issue was. You know what it was about. I also never cursed you out and disrespected you like that and I don't see the difference between a pm and public forum when it comes to you talking about me shark fishing(oh btw I don't fish for sharks personally).

Just let it be and put me on ignore. Oh and you were the one that put me on ignore(just for having a different opinion) and pretended to be my friend all the while probably talking crap behind my back to these a-holes on here. You pretended to feel the same way as I did.

Anyway, it's history and forgotten.

All the best.

 

Well said. Bra-f**king-vo!

 

I have no interest in fighting with you seldom. It's over.

 

And there's plenty of examples of animals populations booming and busting without human intervention. Like the lemming/bobcat relationship.

 

Oh and new england flatness I said relocating/fixing seals could easily bring down number of whites in area. Read my hundreds of posts on that topic.

 

Yellowstone was fine before wolves were reintroduced. It all depends HOW you define fine.

 

If there is "no crying in baseball", there certainly should be no whining about the consequences of getting bit while surfing. Most are catch and releases performed by the shark. The chances of getting eaten alive are probably the same as getting killed by a beanball. I know three or four guys who have been nipped either on Singer Island, Juno, or New Smyrna Beach. They were all back out in a few weeks. Snaggletooth got bit twice. Thats why we call him Snaggletooth.

 

you best try and save this relationship with seldom, cause after him the last person you have is your wife, and chances are shes on the outs.