Originally Posted by
OceanSunfish
The bottom line is that the initial proposal to allow spearfishing in inland waterways was, unfortunately, not vetted to the extent that it should have been, etc. The proposal went through without much notice or consideration by, I believe, the Fish and Game Commission..... who have probable made other wondrous blunders (and some good decisions) over the decades....
From a common sense point of view, a spear gun is a GUN no different than a crossbow or other weapon that is construed as threatening. It has no place in waterways/parkways considered in a urban/sub-urban area, especially populated areas where people/families-children leisurely recreate. This is just stooopid to even debate. It's just plain common sense in today's times.
The culture of sport fishing in CA is vanishing/being marginalized by the week as CA is on the verge of 40 million people. As a result, it's getting near to where it looks odd to even fish with rod/reel in an urban waterway. Yet, someone with a spear gun can discharge said gun in an urban waterway. It's uncouth..(but so is everything the "me" generation displays on their FB page an there-in lies the real problem...... everything, bad behavior and all, is being justified....... it's not illegal to go up to someone and sneeze in their face, but do you do it anyway?) BTW, I can get cited for discharging a .177 pellet gun in that same urban parkway or worse, be ID as a mass-gunman and get taken out by LEOs.
To substantiate or validate the legalization of spearfishing in inland waters by adding that Striped Bass are invasive is not applicable either. That's an added justification (that word again) to those that oppose anything or initiative that comes in the way of water exports to southward Junior Water right holders, et. al. Beside, there are other more highly efficient methods of reducing the number of an invasive species..... like destroying the habitat they reside in, i.g., the SF Bay and Delta. Oh, that's already being done!
This spearfishing thing has been discussed/debated ad-nauseam and therefore, I do not wish to continue this further as it will not change anything. This discussion only proves just how selfish, divided, and greedy our society behaves today and how far it will go to justify such behavior too. There's no more "right way", just "my way".
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