Could You Let This Crayfish Go?

The Hen and Chicken islands, an extinct volcanic archipelago located in the northern extent of New Zealand’s east coast. 22 km Offshore from northlands bream bay, heavily eroded lava domes figuratively erupt from the ocean. The islands are a wildlife refuge, many species which have become non-extant on the mainland, here have been given a second chance. Tuatara and rare sea birds populate these islands but the terrestrial environment is closed to visitors.
As is often the case, the marine environment does not receive the same level of protection in this instance. Meaning the general public can experience the surrounding waters and harvest kai Moana. As always it is important to exercise restraint and take only what you need rather than pillaging for the sake of it (or social media clout).
Joined by Alain, Mike and Simon, this was an epic day on the water. Always a privilege to be out at sea enjoying nature, but excellent conditions always make for an especially great time. Rather than the typical 0-5m vis around Auckland city, further north we hit the jackpot with epic clarity. As discussed in the video, this does present its own challenges.
However, the challenges that we navigate really do pale in comparison to those faced by mother nature. As usual I want to make an impression with the sustainability messaging, because I believe that it is of the utmost importance. Admittedly it may seem hypocritical killing fish and then yapping about fish dying, but our world is not black & white. There is a huge difference between selectively targeting fish and the impending cataclysm being brought about by commercial fishing, pollution and changing climates.
Saving our planet is the greatest challenge we have ever had the opportunity to accept. A total breakdown of ecosystems and degradation of the atmosphere would likely bring an end to humanity, and it looks like that is where we are headed. We are at a crossroads, will we be the last generation to witness any semblance of abundance in the natural world or will we be remembered as those who made great sacrifices to protect our home?
We have a tendency to look back through time and wonder “how could they have been so ignorant”, ironically That is the legacy we will leave for the next generation at this rate, as we hand over a sick and dying planet.
A sapling may sprout into a huge tree and an innocent plastic bag may go on to kill many. Through the passage of time, seemingly insignificant events can have huge consequences. It’s easy to feel powerless, but everything that you do makes a difference, the extent of which is often surprising.
00:00 Intro
00:18 Quick Rundown // Heading Out
00:55 Jumping In // First Spot
06:43 Second Spot // Crayfish & Koheru
12:24 Third Spot // Snapper & Urchin
16:55 Heading Back // Dolphin Work Up
18:37 Outro // Final Remarks

[@Titannz213]

Excellent video

[@twitchh88]

Great video, the two dolphin species that you mentioned are what you're more likely to see in the North Island, but in the South Island they commonly get dusky dolphins and in certain places Hector's dolphins too :)

[@dylannewman5569]

A good video and well said my man. We are all just intelligent apes running around on a big rock hurtling through space. We gotta make sure we protect our rock. As for crayfish, in my hayday I used to be rather greedy with how I gathered crayfish but nowadays pass up more and more of them, for similiar reasons to what you talked about, and prefer to only gather them when other people want them.