Can you explain this?

April 9, 2008

Dear Sir,

As an amateur fisherman (very amateur) I read and listen about bag limits and have to wonder how it will work or if it will work at all.

Questions I have are:

1. Where does Environmental Protection get their numbers from? (as per Tammy Trotts quote "recreational pelagic fish landings are quite substantial").

2. How, if bag limits are in place, do you police an angler who has caught two pelagic and a ½ hour later catches a bigger one then dumps one of the smaller ones over the side? That's not saving fish.

3. What will the penalties be?

4. Has the Department gone after offenders of selling fish without a fishing license?

5. Restaurants that accept fish from unlicensed fisherman, and/or even owners of restaurants who are not licensed selling their own catch. What is the departments stand on that?

6. Why do we hear from retired fisherman all the time and not from working commercial fisherman?

These are just a few things that come to mind when talking about protecting pelagic fish stocks.

Talk to any commercial fisherman, they will tell you who the offenders are ... Commercial fisherman see, hear and know what's going on out there, its their backyard! Ask them.

Do that, you will save fish. Do bag limits, you will not. Tell me if this makes sense to you: Environment Protection wants to impose bag limits on one hand, on the other they say you will have to police yourself. I don't know, I might need some help with that one!

BULLPIG

Smith's

What's that up ahead?

April 9, 2008

Dear Sir,

There was a cousin of mine who went by the name of "Birdie".

Years ago, on the Island, most taxis were a convertible model with some sort of umbrella soft top … and "Birdie's car was also designed after them; having even added lil' frilly-balls; dangling off of the bordering roof/top.

Anyway, one day Birdie was at the airport when this tall Texan with his little Missy climb into Birdies car and wanting to go to the Hamilton Princess Hotel… En route, they were crossing the bay bridge when this Texan taps Birdie asking "what's that place over there" Birdie replies, saying: "Oh, that's the Grotto Bay Hotel"…

"Yeah, how long did it take them to build that place?" asked the Texan.

Birdie said: "Oh, about three years."

The Texan says: "Well, back in Texas, we'll have that sucker up in 12 months."

Birdie ain't paying no mind to the guy and continues on … Well, now they're about half way to Hamilton City when the Texan taps Birdie again … (this time he now knows Birdie's name) saying: "Birdie, what's that place over there, (they were up near the Aquarium) Birdie looks across the waters at "Flatts" Inlet and says: "That's the Coral Island Hotel." The Texan again says: "Yeah, how long it take them to build that?"

Birdie took a guess and said five years …

The Texan said: "Well, back in Texas they'll have that sucker up in about 18 months."

Again, Birdie ain't paying him much attention & continues towards Hamilton City. As they were nearing the Hamilton Princess, the Texan once again taps Birdie on the back wanting to know what's that place ahead …

Birdie said: "What place?"

The Texan says: "That huge pink place up there…"

Birdie, who was by now tired of this fella hitting him on his back and not even worrying about a tip replies: "I don't know … it weren't there yesterday."

RAYMOND RAY

St. George's

Not far from Zimbabwe

April 8, 2008

Dear Sir,

I heartily agree with E. Raben's letter "For a free press" in your last Friday's paper. At first one just thinks how childishly and vindictively some of our politicians are behaving and is inclined to laugh at them and wonder when they will grow up and accept that in the free world politicians must expect to be questioned and criticised by the media.

That is one of the functions of an independent press and I am heartily grateful that The Royal Gazette is here to do it. For an island this size it is an extraordinarily good paper. And if there were another daily paper I would support it too, whatever its political leanings. Just as I support the campaign for a Freedom of Information Act.

However, the implications of what these politicians are trying to do is much more serious than that. To say they are doing it to save money is rubbish – every Bermudian knows there are more effective ways of economising. It appears that by attacking The Royal Gazette financially they are deliberately attempting to undermine the principle of freedom of speech. And this freedom, I think most of us would agree, is one of the fundamental pillars of democracy.

Once you start to get politicians threatening to throw reporters off the island, or to set gangs on them, for making perfectly justifiable comments about poor sporting performances, we are not far off Zimbabwe. Who has benefitted there? No one but a few politicians and their cronies. Wake up Bermuda before it is too late.

MARGARET LLOYD

Warwick

What the child didn't learn

April 9, 2008

Dear Sir,

I recently heard an interview with KBB on the radio. One of the queries was to the effect of "Why are we Bermudians are so prone to throwing our litter in the street?"

This is a conversation I overheard at the Agricultural Exhibition at least ten years ago, between an adult (female) and a young girl (about four to five years old), sitting up on the bleachers by the show ring. It has stuck in my mind ever since, and I recall it every time I see litter:

Adult: "Where you going."

Child: "To put my trash in the trash can."

Adult: "Sit your ___ down. Drop it down on the ground, someone else will pick it up."

That child learned:

1. We don't have to take responsibility for our own trash

2. It is okay to throw our trash on the ground for "someone else" to pick up

3. What she was probably taught in school about putting your trash in a trash can doesn't apply outside the school gates. (this probably also applies to everything else learned in school too!)

What that child didn't learn is that:

1. The adult, presumably a tax payer, is actually paying for someone else to pick the trash up. That person would be coming in on a Sunday to do this, so it would be double time, costing the taxpayer more.

2. The reason there are so many bees and wasps around the bleachers at the Ag Ex is because they are going after the soda tins dropped there by people expecting someone else to pick them up.

That one incident probably changed that child from being a law-abiding correct litter-disposer to being a law-breaking litterer.

On a very slightly different tack, I have noticed a recent trend of beer drinkers to very carefully place their beer bottles upright on walls once they've finished the contents. I must say thank you, as at least that way they don't puncture my car tyres when I drive over them, and it also saves the lives of countless lizards who now don't get trapped inside them. Here's an even better idea: as you are obviously able to carry these bottles while they have beer in them, why don't you carry them, even when they are empty, back to your house and put them in your trash, so I don't have to pick them up and throw them away properly?

D. LEWIS

St. George's

Where will we draw the line?

April 10, 2008

Dear Sir,

As a young Bermudian studying abroad, I am studying the controversial issues of stem cell research. It can be divided into two factions; using adult cells and using embryonic cells. While the US has regulated laws on embryonic and adult stem cell research which, involves extracting DNA from an adult or embryo; an unborn child, I have come to notice that Bermuda has no laws at this time to provide jurisdiction on stem cell research and allows a clinic to operate freely without any regulations of any kind. How can we do this?

How can we as Bermudians allow our government to run a clinic when stem cell research is still in its infancy stage. Stem cell research has not developed into a safe practice yet. Most major countries like the US, UK and Canada provide laws to govern companies who study stem cells; we too need to modernise our Health Council and bring it up to speed in today's medically advanced world by establishing laws to restrict stem cell researchers from practising under their own jurisdiction.

Also looking at the liberation paradigm principles of stem cell research; is it morally right to dispose of developing human beings to enhance the quality of life for others? where can one draw the line?

BERMUDIAN ABROAD

Virginia

Worth a try

April 10, 2008

Dear Sir,

I would like to make a suggestion about the controversial maximum fish catch that is being suggested for private boaters. I would think it should not be too hard to introduce the system that is used in some parts of Europe. It is working there.

Any non-commercial fisherman/woman that lands any fish must (before it gets back to the dock) cut the tail off each fish caught. This can ensure that it was caught by a private registered boater i.e. not for sale. Commercial fishermen leave the tails of their fish on, the fish or most can still be prepared for sale i.e. gutted, skinned, head removed etc. but left whole with of course the tail on and final prep done at the restaurant, supermarket etc.

Then Fisheries or whoever inspects boats can stop the outrageous catches that private boaters make at certain times of the year to sell off to make money at the expense of the fish that are spawning at the time i.e. off of St. George's, so that on North Shore now the fish stocks are nowhere near what they were ten to 15 years ago. It is worth a try first.

FISH & CHIPS

Hamilton Parish