# Fishermen open fire on fur seals **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 31, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988 "2006-08-31T21:32:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/1 "2006-08-31T21:32:47Z")
[Rotten things people do.](http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/fishermen-fire-at-seal-colony-leaving-40-dead/2006/08/31/1156817035312.html) Apparently the fishermen were a bit pissed off that the seals have been nicking their fish and frustrated that the gummint wouldn’t do anything about it, so decided that shooting the blighters was the best course of action. :dubious: I really don’t think that this was the best way to draw attention to problems in the fishing industry somehow. I think our heroes might just live to regret their actions, especially if they get the max penalty of 12 months jail and a hefty fine. That’ll put a bigger dent in their enterprise than a few hungry seals ever could. Stupid fuckers. Hope they rot. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/2 "2006-08-31T22:51:37Z")
I feel for these fishermen, it’s a enough hard living without some seals that should be extinct eating all your profit. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/3 "2006-09-01T04:46:46Z")
[QUOTE=kambuckta] Rotten things people do. Apparently the fishermen were a bit pissed off that the seals have been nicking their fish and frustrated that the gummint wouldn’t do anything about it, so decided that shooting the blighters was the best course of action. [/QUOTE] Let’s see. According free market theory you shouldn’t need the government to do anything about the seals. The fishermen who can’t make a profit because the seals ruin, or eat, too many of their fish will leave the business and do something else. This will reduce the supply of fish and the price will rise. If some fishermen still can’t make it there will be another turn of the screw. Eventually the remaiing fishermen will be able to make money or else fish will be priced out the market and people will eat something else. The seals are in effect just an additional item of overhead that affects all competitors the same on average so the fishermen don’t really need to shoot them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/4 "2006-09-01T12:47:17Z")
[QUOTE=David Simmons] Let’s see. According free market theory you shouldn’t need the government to do anything about the seals. [/QUOTE] Well since the government is not suppose to get involved, this lets the fishermen deal with competing predators in a way to reduce competition for the resource, as has been done throughout history (farmers killing off wolves, homesteaders killing off large cats). ---
**Author:** ![Madame\_Defarge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@Madame\_Defarge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madame_Defarge)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/5 "2006-09-01T20:32:48Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] I feel for these fishermen, it’s a enough hard living without some seals that should be extinct eating all your profit. [/QUOTE] I sympathize with the fisherman, but how can you seriously say that the seals should be extinct? The ecological balance was just fine before humans depleted the fish stocks. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/6 "2006-09-01T20:55:47Z")
[QUOTE=Madame Defarge] I sympathize with the fisherman, but how can you seriously say that the seals should be extinct? The ecological balance was just fine before humans depleted the fish stocks. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Don’t know how new you are **MD** but around here that’s called a “whoosh”. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/7 "2006-09-01T23:03:40Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] Well since the government is not suppose to get involved, this lets the fishermen deal with competing predators in a way to reduce competition for the resource, as has been done throughout history (farmers killing off wolves, homesteaders killing off large cats). [/QUOTE] Of course free market theory doesn’t exclude non-economic actions by a government, does it? I mean, as a representative republic if the people want seals protected the government can do that, can’t it? So the question your post raises is, I guess, does the public want seals protected? ---
**Author:** ![Madame\_Defarge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@Madame\_Defarge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madame_Defarge)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/8 "2006-09-01T23:35:33Z")
[QUOTE=BubbaDog] Don’t know how new you are **MD** but around here that’s called a “whoosh”. [/QUOTE] Oops, I retract my comment. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bluezooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@bluezooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluezooky)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/9 "2006-09-01T23:43:59Z")
Whist not actually endangered the seals are protected and were in fact in a National Park! I have certain sympathy for the fisherman in some ways but how would you expect to shoot forty seals in a National Park and get way with it, are these guys stupid or what ? They should take their boat over this . ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/10 "2006-09-02T00:16:55Z")
[QUOTE=David Simmons] Of course free market theory doesn’t exclude non-economic actions by a government, does it? I mean, as a representative republic if the people want seals protected the government can do that, can’t it? [/QUOTE] The government protecting seals is an economic action. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/11 "2006-09-02T01:04:43Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] The government protecting seals is an economic action. [/QUOTE] So are speed limits for trucks in that they stop truckers from delivering as many goods as they otherwise could. Hell, I guess everything is economic. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/12 "2006-09-04T15:57:28Z")
[QUOTE=David Simmons] So are speed limits for trucks in that they stop truckers from delivering as many goods as they otherwise could. Hell, I guess everything is economic. [/QUOTE] Yep, pretty much. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishermen-open-fire-on-fur-seals/370988/13 "2006-09-04T17:08:08Z")
[QUOTE=BubbaDog] Don’t know how new you are **MD** but around here that’s called a “whoosh”. [/QUOTE] Actually, coming as it does from **kanicbird** , i wouldn’t be so sure of that.