Male
Last Wednesday (Oct 31), my Seattle-based dive buddy and I witnessed a pair of young gentleman violently taking a 70lb giant pacific octopus (GPO) from a very well-known dive site (Alki Beach) and throwing it in the back of their pickup truck (for more information visit http://www.raptureof...eep.net/alkigpo). Quite surprisingly this species has been given very little protection, and GPO harvesting is completely legal year-round in the state of Washington. While their behavior is not technically illegal, the event has ignited a huge nationwide controversy and the story has been picked up by several national news agencies including the Associated Press. Rather than dwelling on the negative aspects of this event, however, we have begun a campaign to change these archaic laws and limit the harvesting of GPOs from this and potentially other popular dive sites. Many of you have visited the Pacific Northwest in search of these majestic creatures, and I would like to respectfully ask for your help in petitioning our state fisheries department to change the rules on GPO harvesting. The link can be found at the following site: http://www.divenewsn...84-save-the-gpo
Thanks for your help in saving one of the most amazing underwater creatures I know of!
Scott Lundy
Rapture of the Deep Digital Media
www.raptureofthedeep.net
