Possible change for retaing Octopus in PS.

[MotoBoat]

NEWS RELEASE
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

November 8, 2012
Contact: Craig Bartlett, (360) 902-2259
Commission Office, (360) 902-2267

WDFW considers ban on hunting octopuses off Seattle beach

OLYMPIA - The director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced plans to explore regulatory options for banning the harvest of giant Pacific octopuses off a popular Seattle beach and possibly elsewhere in Puget Sound.

WDFW Director Phil Anderson said the department will consider new rules to preserve the population of giant Pacific octopuses at Seacrest Park near Alki Point, where a 19-year-old scuba diver provoked a public outcry after legally harvesting one of the charismatic animals last week.

Under current state rules, divers can harvest one giant Pacific octopus per day in most areas of Puget Sound.

"The harvesting of this animal has resulted in a strong, negative reaction from the public and the dive community," Anderson said. "We believe this area may merit additional restrictions to enhance the traditional uses of this popular beach."

Anderson announced the department's plans at the start of a two-day public meeting of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, a nine-member governing body that has final authority over most new fishing rules.

With nearly two-dozen scuba divers in attendance, Anderson outlined several possible options to preserve giant Pacific octopuses, ranging from designating Seacrest Park as a marine protected area to prohibiting hunting the animals anywhere in the state.

Anderson said WDFW will hold public meetings this winter to hear Washingtonians' thoughts on those options.

All of the divers who spoke on the issue at the commission meeting supported new regulations prohibiting the harvest of octopuses at Seacrest Park and other popular scuba diving areas.

Scott Lundy, a member of the Washington Scuba Alliance, presented the commission with a petition signed by 5,000 divers supporting a ban on killing octopuses at Seacrest Park.

Dylan Mayer, the 19-year-old diver from Seattle who started the controversy, also told the commission he supports a ban on killing octopuses at the park.

"I didn't know they were so beloved, or I wouldn't have done it," he said.

While many of the divers called for an immediate ban at Seacrest Park, Anderson said Washington law requires state agencies to follow an established public process for developing new regulations.

"If the conservation of a species or the public welfare is at stake, we can take emergency action," he said. "But the killing of the giant Pacific octopus last week appears to be an isolated case at Seacrest Park, and the species appears to be healthy throughout Puget Sound."

He added, however, that the department may still consider taking emergency action if another octopus is taken from the area.

In other business, the commission heard public comments on management options proposed by representatives from Washington and Oregon to restructure salmon and sturgeon fisheries on the lower Columbia River.

Since early September, the two states have been working to develop a joint plan for phasing out the use of gillnets by non-tribal fishers in the mainstem lower Columbia River by 2016, as initially proposed by Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber.

Members of a bi-state working group are scheduled to reach agreement later this month on a final plan for consideration by both states' fish and wildlife commissions. Additional information is available on WDFW's website at http://goo.gl/MCG5q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .

On Friday (Nov. 9), the Washington commission will hold a public hearing on proposed new options for allocating the catch of spot shrimp between recreational and commercial fisheries. It will also hear public comments on proposed changes in state rules for compensating ranchers and other landowners who lose livestock to predatory carnivores.

The commission is scheduled to take action on both issues in set for Dec. 14-15. An agenda this month's meeting is available on the commission's website at http://goo.gl/HtqhI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .

[Bodofish]

Good, it's the only place on earth that the giant pussy's live!

[natetreat]

Oh, this is stupid. It's like when bass anglers get upset when I bonk a big one to bring home for dinner. The octopus in the sound aren't in any danger, people just got upset over a legally harvested fish! It's an overreaction and I can't believe they're taking this seriously. If ANOTHER octopus is legally taken from the beach it will be grounds for an emergency closure? That's just an invitation. I don't get it, we can take 'em, but not on their beach? Humbug.

[Mike Carey]

I gotta say, talk about peer (pier, ha ha) pressure at work. The guy that harvested the octi even spoke in contrition of his actions.

[MotoBoat]

Good, it's the only place on earth that the giant pussy's live!

Bodo, didn't ya mean to say "pusses"?

Seriously........lol!

[drysuperfly52]

i am sure that kid only agrees with changing the rules so he stops getting threats and nasty emails. he did legaly take the octopus and i am sure its not his first one either.

[Bodofish]

Good, it's the only place on earth that the giant pussy's live!

Bodo, didn't ya mean to say "pusses"?

Seriously........lol!

No.....

[coretron22]

I read the original article about the kid taking the octopus. He was punching it to kill it which struck me as odd. It was an octopus that many local divers were familiar with. Comments at bottom of article suggested the kid has previous unethical confrontations w/ animals based on his FB page posts. Sorry if it was already posted - http://seattletimes.com/html/fieldnotes ... it_be.html

[drysuperfly52]

Good, it's the only place on earth that the giant pussy's live!

Bodo, didn't ya mean to say "pusses"?

Seriously........lol!

No.....

[oneshot]

because it was in the media..

some serious ninckonpooops

[Bodofish]

Well I'm pretty much of the opinion they should be left alone period. They are a unique species only found in PS, nowhere else in the world. I'm not quite sure why anyone would want to eat them, they're about the toughest things this side of 304 SS and they just don’t taste that good. They were hunted near extinction in the 70's by using copper sulfate to drive them out of their dens. Copper has been linked to damaging the olfactory senses in Salmonid’s. This makes it real hard for them to find their way home to spawn.

[oneshot]

I don't have an opinion one way or the other.. i do have an opinion on how the media pursuades decisions though.. and the media sucks IMO.. but i think we are all of that opinion

[Bodofish]

I don't have an opinion one way or the other.. i do have an opinion on how the media pursuades decisions though.. and the media sucks IMO.. but i think we are all of that opinion

Yep X10.

[coretron22]

I don't have an opinion one way or the other.. i do have an opinion on how the media pursuades decisions though.. and the media sucks IMO.. but i think we are all of that opinion

Yep X10.

Indeed.

[MotoBoat]

I don't understand why it is legal to hunt, kill, and retain one GPO per day! Who could eat that much Octopus each and every day? Unless you were serving it in restaurant. And as Bodo has said. The eating of the GPO is not very delectable.

Also, how long would it take to decimate the GO population, at that rate? Apparently all you need is a shellfish license. What do they cost, like less than $15.00?

Reading some of the blog post's. There is a large community uprising over the killing. It did not help when the masses, viewed the divers FB page and tweet's, he made. HIs FB page had some disturbing animal cruelty pic's on it. He has since privatized his FB page. This was brought to light, due to the witnessed (by another diver) punching of the Octopus, at the surface by the diver that killed it.

Apparently there are dive shops across the country, refusing to serve him or the person he was with at the time of the incident.

When a WDFW officer questioned the diver about how he killed the Octopus. The diver stated he lured it out of its den, by knocking two metal rods together. To agitate it out. The diver then stated when asked, it was on eggs, then changed his story.

Well, maybe this guy is a big game hunter and will have it mounted, then donate the meat. Who knows. Is it a waste? That is a personal opinion.

I think due to there size alone, prevents someone from eating one a day, no matter how large a family. That, and the curious George type nature of the GO, allows for easy encounters.

[MotoBoat]

I don't have an opinion one way or the other.. i do have an opinion on how the media pursuades decisions though.. and the media sucks IMO.. but i think we are all of that opinion

Yep X10.

Indeed.

I too would concur. The media has a track record for sensationalizing. I would not blame the Media for the public outcry that is occurring. Due to the killing of the Giant Octopus.

It is what he killed (GO), where he killed it (Popular, public Dive spot), and how he was witnessed finishing it off at the surface (punching it). That, and his questionable actions with other animals, that he publicized on his FB page and boasted about in tweet's.

I see how some people on FB, treat it as though the public is not viewing. It is incredible what some post. From the trivial, to the incredulous.

[racfish]

Why do people get so concerned over 1 octopus and never do you read about snaggers on Spokane Street or snaggers on the upper river. You never see the media on Tribal gilnetting pulling in fish with white eyes from drowning and being in the net for days. This young man caught a legal octopus . He caught it legally according to the laws. The media needs to spend time filming sea-lions wiping out salmon runs or illegal gillnets left in the river past netting days or snaggers butchering the salmon. Besides I have a wonderful recipe for pan seared octopus I had a a Greek restaurant. I bet now that the news showed that fat Octopus that others will there shortly getting theres. The media does more harm then good.

[coretron22]

some good points RAC. I seriously doubt he was gonna eat it though...he spread it out on his garage floor to measure it and pose next to it. can't imagine that improves the flavor/texture.

[Bodofish]

Why do people get so concerned over 1 octopus and never do you read about snaggers on Spokane Street or snaggers on the upper river. You never see the media on Tribal gilnetting pulling in fish with white eyes from drowning and being in the net for days. This young man caught a legal octopus . He caught it legally according to the laws. The media needs to spend time filming sea-lions wiping out salmon runs or illegal gillnets left in the river past netting days or snaggers butchering the salmon. Besides I have a wonderful recipe for pan seared octopus I had a a Greek restaurant. I bet now that the news showed that fat Octopus that others will there shortly getting theres. The media does more harm then good.

Now why do you think they're all over it? Let’s see.... Did they hike down a muddy trail and crash through soaking wet bushes to sneak a peek... Did they go down under the first AVE bridge because it's a cool place to hang........ No to all of them, just like catching an Octopus, it was an easy catch. If he would have been anywhere else no one would have seen. He chose to hunt his Puss off of Alki where the news teams like to hang out. It's a kin to deer hunting at woodland park. The area under question has been on the list be an underwater park and sanctuary and most divers out of pure respect are not taking any animals from there. Sure it's legal, but just because you can doesn't mean you should. If you want videos of the netters on TV, shoot some footage and sent it to the TV stations. They aren't going to go after footage unless it's hot. Anything at Alki is always hot if you haven't noticed.
The giants are not good for any pan seared yummies, too big. The only thing you eat are the suction cups or if you're in the far east, the ground beak for dubious reasons. In my opinon, the only reason to kill a Giant Octopus is to say you did.

[oneshot]

seriously though., one of my favorite bond movies ever.. I remember seeing it in the theaters in Sunnyvale Ca. the La Hacienda cinemas right off the El Camino Real BLVD.. seriously tho..