Octo-Fishing

Fishing is usually regarded as the act of a sportsman. This new “sport” is defined as catching food and eating it if it is either big enough and not producing eggs. It is accepted across all cultures, and there is even a club here at OP dedicated to the activity.

But in 2012, a 20-year-old diver decided to take “fishing” to a whole new level. Dylan Mayer of West Seattle “reached” this new level when he wrestled an 80 pound live giant Pacific octopus out of the water. This species, the largest in the world, is not protected but is widely renowned and loved by nature lovers alike. Dylan Mayer fought this octopus, dragged it out of the water, drove it home, a friend drew it for an art project, then he ate it for dinner.

As crazy as this story sounds, the weirdest thing is that it’s all legal. An investigation conducted by a game warden confirmed many questions regarding the hunt. The animal can be legally hunted, he had a valid shellfish permit, he captured to octopus by hand, it was not laying eggs, and it was not in a protected area. So no matter how outlandish this situation seems to be, Mayer acted completely within the law. This, of course, has not stopped death threats from outraged wildlife experts. But, in the end, he cannot be prosecuted.

While this may seem bad, many good things did come from the hunt of this octopus. For example, there is now a petition to protect Puget Sound Cove, and it has reached over 1000 signatures. This would be a step to protecting more of nature’s beauty so it can be experienced by everyone.