California de-barbing wild rays!?

[Greysoul]

So after looking them over this is the forum I felt best suited for this post... if not please relocate it?


I just was looking at the LA Times picture gallery and came across this from last week:

http://framework.latimes.com/2011/05/24/stingrays/

it seems a group of surfers and university biologists are catching rays at Seal Beach and cutting off their barbs. Am I the only one who has a problem with this? I think not...

As I'm not a property owner of resident of California my opposition to this is academic at best, but I would implore any residents of that state to contact their local representatives in the state congress or municipality if you're near Seal Beach and ask what's going on with this....

What's next, de-clawing bears and filing down sharks teeth?

Despicable.

-Doug

 

[BBraker]

Doug,

I agree - what a senseless thing to do. The rays shed their barbs every few months anyway, so this process would have to be repeated over and over again.
Here is a thing: so, once they've "de-barbed" all these rays and somebody THEN gets stung - that person should be allowed to sue the beach patrol / life guards because they obviously didn't do their job correctly! That should put a stop to the practice.

Maybe somebody needs to go out there and spray insecticide on all the honeybees because they cause more deaths every year than sharks do!


Bill

 

[organism]

They used to do the same thing a few years ago I think on the same beach, but then they found out the barbs grow back after less than a year so they stopped. Either way stingrays lose their barbs a lot of the time when they sting something so it's not something unnatural or painful for them.

It sounds like they're doing more of a study since they're only getting 200 rays. I went diving a couple of weeks ago a few miles north of Seal Beach looking for halibut and counted about 60+ on one dive alone. I think it's more about some scientific study, with a side of placebo for tourists thinking they're safer from getting stung.

 

[lordofthereef]

It's a little ridiculous, but it's not really going to adversely effect the ray in any way, and debarbing them is a lot like clipping a nail (I have seen/done it on freshwater rays, I assume it's similar). It's a stupid waste of time on the surfer's part, but nothing that really bothers me...

 

[loki32687]

I'm speechless. They are taking away an animals natural defense for no good reason. It sickens me...

 

[returnofsid]

So, this may be an incidental thing, to the ray, since the barbs will just grow back anyway. What I'd like to know, without turning this into a political discussion, is how many tax dollars are being spent on this pointless endeavor. It'd be nice to know if this is for scientific purposes, and if so, WHAT the scientific purpose is.

 

[on the spot]

Am I the only one who has a problem with this?...Despicable.

I agree - what a senseless thing to do.

I'm speechless...It sickens me...

The Learn2rip Surf Academy, scientists from Cal State Long Beach and Seal Beach lifeguards are taking part in a seasonal effort to catch, study, de-barb and safely release more than 200 stingrays while cleaning the popular but polluted area

The link.

And the why.

Much ado about nothing.

 

[BBraker]

So, it's just a pilot study to see if clipping rays to protect people from wild rays is feasible. If the study proves cost-effective, it seems like they would go ahead with the plan full-scale. I still think it is ill-advised, a waste of resources, and reduces the ray's ability to fend off predators.

Bill

 

[organism]

What I'd like to know, without turning this into a political discussion, is how many tax dollars are being spent on this pointless endeavor.

That's the beauty of CA, they give out IOU's for people on unemployment while getting creative on new, pointless things to waste money on.

 

[nanshaw2001]

That's the beauty of CA, they give out IOU's for people on unemployment while getting creative on new, pointless things to waste money on.

 

[nanshaw2001]

+1 to the above....still learning about posting!

 

[flyhigh123]

well, remember that we need to protect our precious 200k salaried lifeguards....

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

That's the tragedy of CA, they give out IOU's for people on unemployment while getting creative on new, pointless things to waste money on.

There, fixed that for ya. The most idiotic state in the nation hands down.

 

[organism]

There, fixed that for ya. The most idiotic state in the nation hands down.

Too true... We have that lovely referendum process where voters create and pass new bills that they expect will be paid for by farts.

 

[Kerreefer]

so glad i live in texas. thats the most ignorant thing ive heard of yet.... wow.

 

[Alkamist]

wow thats just wrong what there doing and as said above is a huge waste of money when there are other things this money could be used for like getting more people to help clean the beach instead of wasting time catching and de-barbing rays. If people don't wanna get stung by them don't go in the water you swim at your own risk just put up signs to that say beware of sting rays.

 

[billsreef]

While I can certainly understand the acoustic tracking study, barb clipping wild rays seems a bit foolish to me. Just based on the limited info of their own tracking and tagging work, sounds like there are plenty of rays, and they move around a lot. Makes such a barb removal idea pretty much akin to raising the level of the ocean by spitting in it.

 

[thebanker]

I would guess that they de-barb the rays right when they catch them, so the researchers can tag the animal for tracking without fear of being stuck. As far as de-barbing the rays to prevent future injury, I'm not sure how effective that will be, if the barbs regenerate.

I live in Orange County, about 30 minutes from the site, and quite honestly I don't mind that they're doing this. They're not killing the animals, and they're not removing them from the local ecology.

The project is funded by CSULB right? So it's coming out of the college's pocket, not directly from the state. Sure it's a state school, but the students don't attend for free. In essence, the college would spend the same money on something else, were it not for the stingray project.

I would guess that the recent rash of stingray injuries gave CSULB the impetus to start an acoustic tracking project to study the animals, and sold it to the project's backers as a public safety measure.

 

[davocean]

Totally agree, and after diving/surfing that area over the years I kind of understand, it's amazing how many rays swarm that area compared to the rest of the coast.
It's not a poor area either, I'd bet some wealthy person's kid got stung and pushed buttons, or they are pushing on safer tourism.
Either way, there are about a gazillion rays there, and since the barbs grow back I don't see it as a major issue.
Oh, and if you ever swim there, SHUFFLE THOSE FEET!!
I've never seen so many rays in one area in my 35 years of diving.

 

[Im a SPS polyp]

i live right by there been in the water a million times and ive never seen anyone get stung personally