After controversial kill, state considers ban on octopus hunting
SEATTLE -- A controversial kill has prompted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to consider a ban on octopus hunting at West Seattle's Seacrest Park.
Under the current law, divers can legally take one octopus from the water each day. That's exactly what diver Dylan Mayer did last week, but the 19-year-old had no idea his hunt would cause so much controversy.
Angry divers took photos of Mayer holding the octopus and shared them online, and since then Mayer said he's received dozens of threatening phone calls and hate-filled emails.
Bob Baily has seen a lot, but he's never seen the diving community come together like it did in the past week.
"We're looking at laws right now that have been on the books for about forty years and no one's ever thought to reexamine those laws because up until now it's never been an issue," Baily said.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is now trying to come up with a plan to preserve octopus in the area. Officials are considering banning octopus hunting throughout the state or designating Seacrest Park as a marine protected area.
At a Thursday Fish and Wildlife meeting, Mayor admitted his kill was a mistake and said he supports a ban
"I did not know that that place was so loved by the divers, otherwise I wouldn't have done it," he said.
Five thousand divers signed an online petition supporting a ban at the park, which attracts divers from around the world.
Fish and Wildlife is planning to hold meetings this winter so the public can weigh in on the options.
Under the current law, divers can legally take one octopus from the water each day. That's exactly what diver Dylan Mayer did last week, but the 19-year-old had no idea his hunt would cause so much controversy.
Angry divers took photos of Mayer holding the octopus and shared them online, and since then Mayer said he's received dozens of threatening phone calls and hate-filled emails.
Bob Baily has seen a lot, but he's never seen the diving community come together like it did in the past week.
"We're looking at laws right now that have been on the books for about forty years and no one's ever thought to reexamine those laws because up until now it's never been an issue," Baily said.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is now trying to come up with a plan to preserve octopus in the area. Officials are considering banning octopus hunting throughout the state or designating Seacrest Park as a marine protected area.
At a Thursday Fish and Wildlife meeting, Mayor admitted his kill was a mistake and said he supports a ban
"I did not know that that place was so loved by the divers, otherwise I wouldn't have done it," he said.
Five thousand divers signed an online petition supporting a ban at the park, which attracts divers from around the world.
Fish and Wildlife is planning to hold meetings this winter so the public can weigh in on the options.
I don't have a problem with this if:
1. The hunt was legal
2. He killed it humanely
3. He ate it
I have not seen anywhere that he was humane or that he was planning to eat it. So, if that is true, then he is a jerk and deserves the hateful emails.
 @Anarchy KOMO has left a lot out here;
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It was legal - He had shellfish license, season is year round 1 per day, taken by hand with NO TOOLS.
He ate some of it already, gave some to friends and prepared and froze the rest for later use.
Well, how do you kill it when the  state says you can't pierce the body? Come on, no one worries about the millions of fish pulled out of the water gasping for breath!
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The real solution is to make Cove 2 a protected area. The method of hunting (by hand ONLY) eliminates about 99.5% of divers from even attempting this. I have dived in PUget Sound and San Juans for 30 years (as of last month) There are just as many ocotopus as there was then. I have taken two octopus in 30 years, I know hardly any diver that has ever taken even one. Very few are taken, they are plentiful, taste good, and are good for you too.
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Most of the people screaming and hollering think they can legislate us all to veganism, but it is not going to happen
As someone that does hunt occasionally, I have been taught to have the utmost respect for my prey/kill by my father when we're out, and I'm grateful for his teaching. To have enough respect to try and make it a clean, one shot kill that minimizes/eliminates the animal's suffering and to collect and use every part of the animal's body.
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Watching this poor girl writhe around in pain and being punched to death in the back of a truck just absolutely sickens me to my stomach, ESPECIALLY after reading in other articles that she was sitting on eggs!
 @WAbornnraised WA state fish and game regulations prohibit killing the ocotpus, indeed the only legal method of collection the octopus is by hand. and Since you CANNOT use a speargun or a knife,  that pretty well eliminate most ppl from even TRYING.
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And have you ever fished with a hook and line - pretty much blows the one shot one kill idea - FISHING IS TORTURE you know!
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Don't get me wrong, I am all for PETA , I think all People should Eat Tasty Animals.
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Please do some research.  The biggest threat the to Puget octopus is Ling cods and wolf eels.  It is a proven fact that ling cods eat octopus eggs and small octopuses among many other food items, and male ling cod are competing with octopuses for den sites as may wolf eels.  Man is not the problem here.  Ask a Puget sound diver that has done a lot of diving around the sound.  I personally been diving all over Puget Sound for over 15 years.  The lowest count of octopuses are in Marine sanctuaries, because no fishing is allow and the ling cods grow to be monsters in those parks.  My first dive at Edmond's underwater park I could find several octopuses, but today you are very lucky to find one.  Please be carefully what you ask for.  Sometimes man thinks he is helping, but nature has a way of fooling him.
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 @Todd Buzzetti I am borrowing this post, to share on FB - very well said and thought out.  Banning hunting is not the answer.  Banning taking females on eggs is a good idea.  Having a hunting season is another, Banning hunting in certain areas - ok...but statewide ban - probably not smart. Â
 @Todd BuzzettiÂ
 @Todd Buzzetti Yea,h I dove Edmunds yrs ago and never saw an ocopus, the Lings wer numerous. I still think the taking of nesting females is a bad idea. The Wolfies on Sunrise Reef are cool.
 @AvgDude I agree.  No need to take females, but please understand that Male octopuses protect the nest too.  I like to idea to band octopus hunting during mating season.  We are only allowed to spear fish ling cod for only three weeks out of the year.  Maybe Octopus hunting should be allow only in the spring.  Â
 @Todd Buzzetti I've never heard of male involvement in nest protection. Only the female on the nest and that males went their own way is the Red Octopi differant than other giant octopi?
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Yet the state can kill a whole family/pack of wolves and that's ok.
When they are killing private property (livestock), they should be thinned.
 @EASTSIDE 1 I don't think Santuary was saying it was bad to kill wolves. I took his statement to mean -  Oh this guy is evil for killing an ocotopus, but its ok for the state to kill wolves?
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Tastes like chicken. Its food. If there are areas where they want to limit harvesting octopus then do it. But banning octopus harvesting is just stupid. Look at how we're getting over run with bears and coyotes. Its because they changed the way hunters can hunt for them. Just need common sense hunting laws.
Keystone Underwater Park at Whidbey Island too.
Keystone is already a marine reserve.Â
 @Corey Gillespie It's been like that FOREVER
 @Corey Gillespie I wasn't aware of that, thanks.
Don't just consider it, DO IT - before we exterminate yet another species of life in our endless greed.
@comdown ...what makes you think they're endangered in any way at all?
 @bagsofdirt  @comdown hhmm, I was asking myself that too. But they are the only giant octopus on Earth, and they only live here. I will find out if they are endangered, but I still don't like this whole thing. It just seemed so wrong. Writhing around in the back of a truck. Why didn't they kill her immediately? I mean, I fish and I eat what I catch and kill them right away, quickly, my grandma taught me to thank the fish. I still thank the fish. I also wondered if she was writhing around like they said why didn't someone grab her and throw her back?? Maybe it was too late?
 @Yeah_and  @bagsofdirt  @comdown They are defnitely NOT endangered or threatened in any way. There are lots, few people take them.
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If hunting will not eliminate the population, regulate the hunting. I favor banning hunting where the octopus in question was taken, but establish other places where they can be taken. My understanding is that they are not that plentiful so that hunting might not be in the best interests of anyone.
 @Common-Tater There are ton's they are not in decline. Hunting is already regulated.
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The main thing that limits their taking is that you can only take them by hand, nothing that will pierce thier skin, no knives or spearguns allowed. This pretty well makes it that VERY FEW ppl will ever even TRY to get an octopus.
@Common-Tater ....Banning outright costs nothing except changing the Fish and Wildlife Handbook...making underwater parks and sanctuaries and actually posting signs costs money. What do you think they're going to do?
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 @bagsofdirtÂ
Brilliant comment.Â
When I read the origional article One of the biggest issues was that it was a female and was caring for her eggs, which need to me maintained or will not hatch. On suggestion in that article was to ban the hunting during that season and that makes sense. A reasonable requirement other hunters have to deal with that sort of regulation. It the same reason we have deer season in the fall instead of the spring taking does in spring would not only kill the doe but any fawn she had brought in that year. Also there should be rules to humanely as possible dispatch the animal as soon as possible after reaching the shore or vehicle hand caught fine but once subdued and on shore they shouldn't be suffering all the way home. On a side note I'm not sure I'd be crazy to be eating local critters in Elliot Bay with who knows what coming down the Duamish etc. So maybe Cove 2 would make a good sanctuary/park. Edmonds is quite successful with theirs.
 @AvgDude Most all other hunting permits have restrictions on hunting females while nesting or nurturing their young. It shouldn't be hard to add this into law. I don't think its appropriate for divers to harass someone for legal behavior.
 @Xirxious I agree whole heartedly, I don't think I implied harassment for legal activity was a good thing, it would have been a better thing to communicate that she was at the end of her life and all those egs will die without her oxygenating them and she will die of starvation when done. Female Octopi do not eat while tending their brood and basically starve themselves to death in the process and don't live long after. Calm and reasoned disscussion usually generates better results.
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The good thing I hope will be some good decisions made for fair regulation, maintaining opportunity yet maintaining a good population. Out right banning could be a desaster for the local crab population.
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Make Ocean parks, but don't ban it from the whole State coast.
 @DDG logical I suppose
If these guys were allowed to hunt an octopus legally I don't see the problem. If the state wants to change the law to ban the practice that's ok too. I don't understand why people are so hard on these 2 guys for doing something legal. It's not like they threw the thing on the hood of their truck. If they plan to eat it then I don't see the problem.
If they plan to let 2 dogs play tug of war with it then I have a problem.
This killing was not controversial...it was legal....its others opinion that is controversial.
There are only two ways to get meat onto your dinner table. Â 1. you kill the animal, or 2. you hire someone else to kill the animal. Â As a hunter and a father, I believe it is important for people to know where their food comes from and I believe the majority of hunters harvest animals as humanely as possible.
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I don't know this kid and therefore won't judge him too harshly. Â It appears he made a bad choice. Â It is not good process when the bad choices of the few set the policy for everyone else.
So there was ONE controversial event, therefore let's punish EVERY OTHER octopus-hunting person while we're at it. Sounds exactly like disarming the law-abiding citizens so the criminals can be armed... Both can be summed up in one word: ASININE!!!!!
 @Crashbox Yes. Its a typical knee-jerk reaction where there isn't really an issue. What a waste.
I am very glad to hear that this issue is being considered. It is important to protect wildlife. This is their planet, too.
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 @Larry*X*K  @SouthofSeattle  @holes Larry, it seems to me also that diving is very expensive? So, I like to eat octopus, from the STORE, and now I will never eat it again. My point is they spent a lot of money and time to get this creature, so I don't believe the "people need to eat" statement when it comes to this particular subject.Â
Oh, and Puget Sound Red Octopus, the largest in the world, are very abundant, never been endangered or threatened, are mostly active at night, and few are taken every year.
ewEWWWW! an "octopus killer and eater", lets "suffocate HIM". Come on nutbags! Have you ever eaten a fish, or a clam (they get cooked alive you know)? or an oyster, they eat those by the thousand ALIVE every day in Seattle! ahhhhh, THE CARNAGE!!!!
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You have the kind of teeth you have either from evolution of God depending on your belief, either way you are dependent on proteins, and meat is an easy way to get it and seafood is good for you too.
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Also -Â It is illegal to use anything that pierces the skin of the octopus. It is required by fish and game regs to hunt octopus by hand in Washington. This reporter missed that important part, most articles have included that VERY important fact.
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Put the park off limits, of course, that is reasonable. after a lengthy and careful review period, let them make some minor modifications to the law if needed. I have dived for 30 years, I have taken 2 octopus, even though 1/day is alllowed, I know few ppl that have EVER taken one. Doing it by hand is certainly a discouragement for many, they aren't exactly easy to get, esp a big one. I'll bet the number of octopus taken in WA could be numbered in the hundreds per year. It is just not worth getting your panties in a wad!Â
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Get some perspective, spend your effort on something that actually makes a difference!
 @krismoa Good post. Even thought I found this to be really hard, I have to say you make a whole lot of sense.
I'm just never eating octopus again..it's ruined.
or "stop hunting animals until the population dwindles" or "animals raised for slaughter are clearly different than this"  WOW what happened to common sense?!?!?!?
@krismoa  Oh! Shut down Ivars!
Mayar supporting this is an interesting comment. Sounds like has matured some. My opinion of him just went up a bit.
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Perhaps a ban on taking octopus from the shore, but the one a day limit is fine for boat divers? That way enthusiasts can enjoy the creatures while those who pursue them for other reasons can still have their access.
 @Hagar he lawyered-up.. that's why...
 @Hagar you must be a republican, only rich guys with boats can take an octopus. There is no logic in that. Maybe only fishing can be done from a boat too.
 @krismoa Nope. Not a Republican, though I did vote for McKenna. Don't own a boat. Just trying to find a balanced solution. Something rare on these boards.
 @krismoa  @Hagar Sweetie, you won the election. You can stop with the Republican Bogeyman jazz now.
 @Mumblix Grumph  @Hagar I was only taking that to make a point. I have been a life long Republican, I was only pointing out the idiocy of this statement.
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Though this year I had equal scorn for the Dems and the Republicans.
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Sweetie? I am old enough to be the grandFATHER of that kid in your pic! hahhahaha I have grandkids older than him.
sushi, anyone?
 @Alki_Ninja YES!!!!