over-indiscriminate fishing?

Friday 21st March 2008 - came across a group of rod/line fishermen surveying their catch from the night before...







Note the size of the stingrays...rather small (about 20cm across) ...perhaps juveniles...(see pic above, the rays are at the top right)


The catch included another unusual ray...a spotted eagle ray! It is actually rarely seen in Singapore waters. This was also rather small (about 40 cm across) . (The largest specimens can grow up to a maximum wingspan of 3 m (10 ft) and a mass of 230 kg)!!!


If the local fishing scene does not realise that removing juvenile fish will impact reproduction and future generations...then we will see fewer and fewer fish in local waters. And then people will get bored with fishing seeing that they catch nothing....the demise of the fishing scene beckons.

Know your fish! If a small fish is caught, then please throw them back alive and well so that they can be a part of the replenishing team for future generations. Take a picture with your phone camera and release the small ones. Only take the much larger ones if you have to!

This will ensure that local fish stocks survive.

links on eagle rays :-
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/SERay/SERay.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_ray
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_eagle_ray
http://www.elasmodiver.com/spotted_eagle_ray.htm

The rays get even... (an unfortunate incident)...
Eagle Ray kills woman!
http://cbs4.com/local/marathon.stingray.woman.2.681445.html


Another eagle ray incident :-
http://cbs4.com/pets/Sting.Ray.Attack.2.681910.html