Shark killed off Phuket Beach raises online ire

[webfact]

Shark killed off Phuket Beach raises online ire
Phuket Gazette


A foreign man killed a small shark at Kata Noi beach yesterday. Photo: Go Eco Phuket / Facebook

PHUKET: -- Photos posted online of a foreigner killing a small shark at Kata Noi Beach prompted outrage, but the act was legal, a marine official said.

The pictures, posted on the Go Eco Phuket Facebook page (click here) yesterday, showed a man in the act of killing the shark on a rock. The post read, “We just received these awful pictures, it happened yesterday in Kata Noi beach.”

Readers said they were shocked and appalled by the photos.

Tanet Munnoy, chief of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 5 Chief, said, “We can’t do anything to him.”

“The photos show the foreigner at Kata Noi. It’s legal to fish there, and the shark he caught looks more than 50 centimeters long,” said Mr Tanet.

According to Fisheries Act B.E. 2490, killing whale sharks is illegal, but killing other kinds of sharks is not, as long as they are more than 50 centimeters long.

“I could not identify exactly which kind of shark is shown in the photos because the pictures were too small, however, it is certainly not a whale shark,” Mr Tanet said.

Despite the legality of the action, Mr Tanet called upon island dwellers and visitors to refrain from killing sharks.

“It’s sad what happened to that shark. In my opinion, it’s better to leave them alone to live peacefully in the sea,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Shark-killed-off-Phuket-Beach-raises-online-ire-27842.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2014-03-14

[khwaibah]

"a foreigner killing a small shark" Key word "foreignor". Says who ? Could be Thai.

[JimSiam]

I dont see outrage at all the sharks I see in Makro everyday...

[transam]

I would suggest he is gutting it. Thats what you do. The guts are washed into the sea for sea creatures to eat. Humans eat the rest.

[BKKBrit]

"a foreigner killing a small shark" Key word "foreignor". Says who ? Could be Thai.

Go to their facebook page and see the 'foreigner'. And Thais generally don't grow asses like that and attempt to get into a rubber suit....well, not that I have (thankfully) seen.

[dinom]

If the outrage is not aiming at the foreigner I suggest all these outraged should stay one day on a Thai fishing boat.

[Pikeybkk]

its a black tip reef shark and that is not small for the species, it is of average size and they are good eating

[LuukKoeyKorat]

its a black tip reef shark and that is not small for the species, it is of average size and they are good eating

I don't see the 'black tip' on its tail. And mature black tip reef sharks are larger than this.

[transam]

I don't see the difference between this and folk eating small chickens, calves or lambs. It is a daily ritual to eat what folk want to eat. Your hi-so restaurants serve "baby" anything.

[steelepulse]

A very flattering photo....................Maybe not.

[godwish4love]

Wicked world, if the shark kill someone, they will be hunting for the killer shark, now some one kill shark and it became a news, animal has soul, but once they die, the soul die with them. Human have soul, so when human die, the soul live and he/she faces what they sows on earth, mean he faces judgement, i see no reason people prosecuting human being because of the animal they kill.

Edited March 14, 2014 by godwish4love

[NomadJoe]

"Tanet Munnoy, chief of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 5 Chief, said, “We can’t do anything to him.”"

Unless he is selling the meat. That would be a labor violation.

This story really shows the need for more legislation protecting our oceans. Black tips are listed as near threatened globally by IUCN's Red List. But it's important to understand that 80% of the worlds shark populations we don't know enough about to make a judgment on their conservation status. But beyond that, reefies are not pelagic like other sharks and do not range widely. Therefore local populations are very susceptible to over fishing. Many of these local populations around the world have been decimated. Here in Phuket there is very little official data available. All we have to go on is first hand reports of early Phuket divers. I work with one such diver that has been diving almost non stop in Phuket for, well, longer than I have been alive. But these early divers can only give us qualitative data. "There used to be lots, now there are few, or none." And similar. Having talked to many of these early divers, I have no doubt that if we truly understood the scope of the devastation and truly understood what it meant for the future of both fishing and reef based tourism, we would have many more laws protecting the oceans, and those laws would be actively enforced.

Even with what we do know about our oceans there can be no doubt they are in peril. But with out the political will to change the laws, little can be done.
But perhaps a foreigner arrested for spearing and illegally selling game fish including sharks which are nearly threatened globally and possibly nearly extinct locally, is what it will take to motivate legislatures. The defining outcry in social media demands it. Stay tuned.

[MMarlow]

"Tanet Munnoy, chief of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 5 Chief, said, “We can’t do anything to him.”"

Unless he is selling the meat. That would be a labor violation.

This story really shows the need for more legislation protecting our oceans. Black tips are listed as near threatened globally by IUCN's Red List. But it's important to understand that 80% of the worlds shark populations we don't know enough about to make a judgment on their conservation status. But beyond that, reefies are not pelagic like other sharks and do not range widely. Therefore local populations are very susceptible to over fishing. Many of these local populations around the world have been decimated. Here in Phuket there is very little official data available. All we have to go on is first hand reports of early Phuket divers. I work with one such diver that has been diving almost non stop in Phuket for, well, longer than I have been alive. But these early divers can only give us qualitative data. "There used to be lots, now there are few, or none." And similar. Having talked to many of these early divers, I have no doubt that if we truly understood the scope of the devastation and truly understood what it meant for the future of both fishing and reef based tourism, we would have many more laws protecting the oceans, and those laws would be actively enforced.

Even with what we do know about our oceans there can be no doubt they are in peril. But with out the political will to change the laws, little can be done.

But perhaps a foreigner arrested for spearing and illegally selling game fish including sharks which are nearly threatened globally and possibly nearly extinct locally, is what it will take to motivate legislatures. The defining outcry in social media demands it. Stay tuned.

Who says he was selling it? You?

[stevenl]

"Tanet Munnoy, chief of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 5 Chief, said, “We can’t do anything to him.”"

Unless he is selling the meat. That would be a labor violation.

This story really shows the need for more legislation protecting our oceans. Black tips are listed as near threatened globally by IUCN's Red List. But it's important to understand that 80% of the worlds shark populations we don't know enough about to make a judgment on their conservation status. But beyond that, reefies are not pelagic like other sharks and do not range widely. Therefore local populations are very susceptible to over fishing. Many of these local populations around the world have been decimated. Here in Phuket there is very little official data available. All we have to go on is first hand reports of early Phuket divers. I work with one such diver that has been diving almost non stop in Phuket for, well, longer than I have been alive. But these early divers can only give us qualitative data. "There used to be lots, now there are few, or none." And similar. Having talked to many of these early divers, I have no doubt that if we truly understood the scope of the devastation and truly understood what it meant for the future of both fishing and reef based tourism, we would have many more laws protecting the oceans, and those laws would be actively enforced.

Even with what we do know about our oceans there can be no doubt they are in peril. But with out the political will to change the laws, little can be done.

But perhaps a foreigner arrested for spearing and illegally selling game fish including sharks which are nearly threatened globally and possibly nearly extinct locally, is what it will take to motivate legislatures. The defining outcry in social media demands it. Stay tuned.

Who says he was selling it? You?

I have heard, through the grapevine from a normally reliable source, that he was selling the fish, it is even known to whom, and it is also known who he is.

[NomadJoe]

I dont see outrage at all the sharks I see in Makro everyday...

You will not see shark fin soup in Makro anymore.

[LivinginKata]

Flaming another member - removed

[sgtsabai]

If this is a Black Tip, it appears to be in the photo, they are NOT endangered and are good to eat. I know, I've caught and eaten. They were certainly plentiful on the Texass/Louisiana Gulf Coast, so much so as to be a pest. Whenever sharks would show up the game fish would disappear and somebody on board often would end up with one on his line. We would pull anchor or disconnect from the rig and move to another spot because the fishing was over there. Black Tip were the only ones anybody kept and not many at that. The major problem with fisheries world wide is commercial fishing, with sharks in particular it is 'shark finning'. Longlinning and gill nets are devastating to all fisheries. Thailand could really use enforced laws and licensing to help their fish populations but I'll never see it in my life time. It certainly isn't the sport fisherman or diver with a spear gun that depletes the fish stock. We caught a 15+ foot Bull shark once, thought he was going to pull the boat to Cuba. We cut the line after identifying with a very close look, and I could hear "Jaws" all the way back in...lol. I'm at a loss as to why people that don't have a clue are so set against catching your own fish, killing your own game. I made a living with a gun for many years, fed my family basically on wild game, wild birds, fish. In addition to being a hunting guide, as a law enforcement officer it was also my job to enforce wildlife regulations. I don't have much use for 'tree huggers' and grass munchers. Along with NGO's, some people just need to mind their own business.

[stevenl]

<snip>Along with NGO's, some people just need to mind their own business.

Exactly, which is why people take action and try to preserve the environment we all live in. After all that is our and our children's business.

[AusFreediver]

More Illogical and emotional raving by uneducated "conservationists" all these fools carrying on wanting to ban spearfishing because 1 spearfisherman speared a shark which was legal to take in an are that it was legal to do so.

Many,many more sharks are killed daily by other methods and don't get this publicity.

I saw a link to Greenfins Thailand they want to stop all spearfishing claiming it kills the larger and slower fish- what a load of tripe.

Spearfishing is The Most Selective and environmentally friendly way to harvest fish. End of story.

If certain species are vulnerable to spearfishing -which is true then put bag and size limits or total bans on the taking of these species and Fine or otherwise punish those who break these rules, but not ban spearfishing.

Anyone serious about conservation of fish would ban Netting, Dynamite fishing, set line fishing, fish traps, fish pens which are not isolated from the environment and can spread desease throughout wild poplations and any other types of fishing before thinking of banning spearfishing.

I don't know where these people get their hair brained ideas from.

[NomadJoe]

More Illogical and emotional raving by uneducated "conservationists" all these fools carrying on wanting to ban spearfishing because 1 spearfisherman speared a shark which was legal to take in an are that it was legal to do so.

Many,many more sharks are killed daily by other methods and don't get this publicity.

I saw a link to Greenfins Thailand they want to stop all spearfishing claiming it kills the larger and slower fish- what a load of tripe.

Spearfishing is The Most Selective and environmentally friendly way to harvest fish. End of story.

If certain species are vulnerable to spearfishing -which is true then put bag and size limits or total bans on the taking of these species and Fine or otherwise punish those who break these rules, but not ban spearfishing.

Anyone serious about conservation of fish would ban Netting, Dynamite fishing, set line fishing, fish traps, fish pens which are not isolated from the environment and can spread desease throughout wild poplations and any other types of fishing before thinking of banning spearfishing.

I don't know where these people get their hair brained ideas from.

We get our hair-brained ideas from tireless research and a bit of common sense. I am glad you agree with the conservationists on wanting to ban those other things too.

I would like to know how any rational person can not be a conservationist. Why would you be for extinguishing species, polluting the environment etc. (I know why..money, and at times an irrational, arrogant sense of entitlement.)

This guy is catching game fish, including locally rare sharks, which only lack protection due to political apathy, and selling them for couple thousand baht. If there is a more selfish act, I am unaware of it.

BTW,dynamite fishing is banned, as is setting nets on reefs, fish traps on reefs, and commercial fishing of any kind in many parts of Thai waters. There are laws, but we need more and the ones that exist need to be better enforced.

Edited March 14, 2014 by NomadJoe

[Aquanaut]

More Illogical and emotional raving by uneducated "conservationists" all these fools carrying on wanting to ban spearfishing because 1 spearfisherman speared a shark which was legal to take in an are that it was legal to do so.

Many,many more sharks are killed daily by other methods and don't get this publicity.

I saw a link to Greenfins Thailand they want to stop all spearfishing claiming it kills the larger and slower fish- what a load of tripe.

Spearfishing is The Most Selective and environmentally friendly way to harvest fish. End of story.

If certain species are vulnerable to spearfishing -which is true then put bag and size limits or total bans on the taking of these species and Fine or otherwise punish those who break these rules, but not ban spearfishing.

Anyone serious about conservation of fish would ban Netting, Dynamite fishing, set line fishing, fish traps, fish pens which are not isolated from the environment and can spread desease throughout wild poplations and any other types of fishing before thinking of banning spearfishing.

I don't know where these people get their hair brained ideas from.

We get our hair-brained ideas from tireless research and a bit of common sense. I am glad you agree with the conservationists on wanting to ban those other things too.

I would like to know how any rational person can not be a conservationist. Why would you be for extinguishing species, polluting the environment etc. (I know why..money, and at times an irrational, arrogant sense of entitlement.)

This guy is catching game fish, including locally rare sharks, which only lack protection due to political apathy, and selling them for couple thousand baht. If there is a more selfish act, I am unaware of it.

BTW,dynamite fishing is banned, as is setting nets on reefs, fish traps on reefs, and commercial fishing of any kind in many parts of Thai waters. There are laws, but we need more and the ones that exist need to be better enforced.

Joe,

Do you have some links for this "tireless research" detailing how spearfishing is not a sustainable means of catching fish? I would very much like to read up on that?

Thanks

[Showbags]

Yes...links please.

Perhaps your research and tireless efforts would be better spent on the indigenous people in Oz that kill dugong and turtles in a very cruel way for the sake of their 'culture'....yet proceed to do so in very uncultural ways and send the meat south via modern refrigerated means to counter parts to indulge in their culture as well.

[somchaismith]

Firstly, the authorities should address: jet ski scams, motorcycle scams, double pricing scams, taxi scams, and so on, against foreigners, before we lose sleep, over a uniformed dude, slicing up a fish.

[iSabai]

More Illogical and emotional raving by uneducated "conservationists" all these fools carrying on wanting to ban spearfishing because 1 spearfisherman speared a shark which was legal to take in an are that it was legal to do so.

Many,many more sharks are killed daily by other methods and don't get this publicity.

I saw a link to Greenfins Thailand they want to stop all spearfishing claiming it kills the larger and slower fish- what a load of tripe.

Spearfishing is The Most Selective and environmentally friendly way to harvest fish. End of story.

If certain species are vulnerable to spearfishing -which is true then put bag and size limits or total bans on the taking of these species and Fine or otherwise punish those who break these rules, but not ban spearfishing.

Anyone serious about conservation of fish would ban Netting, Dynamite fishing, set line fishing, fish traps, fish pens which are not isolated from the environment and can spread desease throughout wild poplations and any other types of fishing before thinking of banning spearfishing.

I don't know where these people get their hair brained ideas from.

We get our hair-brained ideas from tireless research and a bit of common sense. I am glad you agree with the conservationists on wanting to ban those other things too.

I would like to know how any rational person can not be a conservationist. Why would you be for extinguishing species, polluting the environment etc. (I know why..money, and at times an irrational, arrogant sense of entitlement.)

This guy is catching game fish, including locally rare sharks, which only lack protection due to political apathy, and selling them for couple thousand baht. If there is a more selfish act, I am unaware of it.

BTW,dynamite fishing is banned, as is setting nets on reefs, fish traps on reefs, and commercial fishing of any kind in many parts of Thai waters. There are laws, but we need more and the ones that exist need to be better enforced.

NJ, I'm sure you understand that for all the "political apathists" out there, there are just as many conservation extremists (tree-huggers) who would advocate the death penalty for the swatting of a mosquito. (Obvious sarcasm for those that can't recognize that!)

As a (former) lifelong fisherman/hunter/outdoors-person, I'm all for conservation, clean air, healthy environment, preservation of species, etc. But extremism at either end of the argument only tends to blur the truth and serve only those that advocate one or the other side of the issue.

Commercial fishing, indiscriminate netting (as mentioned), etc is far more harmful than the occasional spearfisherman harvesting one fish. And as I understand it, this particular species is not regulated or illegal to harvest in Thailand. So technically no wrong has been done.

Common sense is needed on both sides of the argument, and unfortunately not everyone has that. I can admire your passion with this issue, but your fight is not with this one person/incident, but with making the public aware of the issue itself.

Anyhow, just my 2¢. Keep fighting the good fight.

[NomadJoe]

Joe,

Do you have some links for this "tireless research" detailing how spearfishing is not a sustainable means of catching fish? I would very much like to read up on that?
Thanks

Yes...links please.

Perhaps your research and tireless efforts would be better spent on the indigenous people in Oz that kill dugong and turtles in a very cruel way for the sake of their 'culture'....yet proceed to do so in very uncultural ways and send the meat south via modern refrigerated means to counter parts to indulge in their culture as well.

I am less concerned about the spear fishing in general than I am about the killing and selling for profit of a nearly threatened globally shark species and a possibly nearly extinct locally shark species. I agree spear fishing can be done sustainably, but I believe it usually isn't. Almost nothing in Thailand is done sustainably, especially the fishing based activities.

But here you go anyway:

"Three years after spearfishing was first allowed in the CPZ, there was a 54% reduction in density and a 27% reduction in mean size of coral trout, the primary target species. These changes were attributed to spearfishing because benthic habitat characteristics and the density of non-target fishes were stable through time, and the density and mean size of coral trout in a nearby control zone (where spearfishing was prohibited) remained unchanged. We conclude that spearfishing can have rapid and substantial negative effects on target fish populations. Careful management of spearfishing is therefore needed to ensure that conservation obligations are achieved and that fishery resources are harvested sustainably.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0051938

"Spearfishing has been implicated in local extinction of some species, including the Atlantic goliath grouper on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, the Nassau grouper in the barrier reef off the coast ofBelize, the giant black sea bass in California, and others."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spearfishing#cite_note-9

"Spearfishing can be very destructive. Fish wisely and avid practices that are unsustainable."

http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/Brochures/Anon_12_SpearfishingGuidelines_02.pdf

Do’s and Don’t’s, according to the present legal framework

- Spearfishing is illegal

http://www.hepca.org/conservation/projects/sustainable-fishing

" I argue in this paper that recreational diving (in particular spearfishing) has had devastating effects on the fish and crayfish (southern rock lobster) populations of accessible shallow reef environments along much of the Australian coastline. Spearfishing in Australia is almost entirely recreational. The paper briefly reviews the global scientific literature on the subject, providing a backdrop against which local anecdotal information may be judged. My involvement, as a teenager, in overfishing Victorian reefs is described. Overfishing of a similar nature appears to have taken place in other Australian States where reefs are within ready access (by car or boat) from population centres of all sizes. Damage to shallow reef environments along Australia’s sparsely populated coastline seems likely to be concentrated at the more accessible or attractive sites. These impacts are significant in a national context, yet appear to have been ignored or under-estimated by both spearfishers and the government agencies"

https://www.google.co.th/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEsQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onlyoneplanet.com%2FmarineSpearfishing.doc&ei=dS8jU-e-BcaQiAfF_YCYDw&usg=AFQjCNH8VZcRoN6on_cLjNc0Kj4_6oUBiQ&sig2=pQWnDnChdN6zBLi_iqITEA&bvm=bv.62922401,d.aGc

General conclusions on the matter of scuba spearfishing include: (a) for several reasons, a

complete ban of scuba spearfishing coupled with effective enforcement is the single most

important spearfishing management measure;

( spearfishing effort must be managed along with other forms of inshore fishing, since

attempts at restricting spearfishing alone are not likely to be successful as fishing effort may be

easily transferred to other small-scale fishing methods;

The notion that selectivity is “good and virtuous” arises from the assumptions that through

selectivity, (a) discards are reduced/avoided, and ( species that can support fishing pressure

can be targeted. This “virtue” concept is less relevant in fisheries where there are no discards, or

where fishers are selecting for species that cannot support the pressure. The available

information indicates that, despite spearfishing gear having selective qualities, the gear is used

rather non-selectively.

http://state.hi.us/dlnr/dar/pdf/WHI_SCUBA_Background.pdf

Competition spear fishing affected over 30 species, among which

the most abundant were Diplodus sargus, Symphodus tinca, Labrus merula and Mugilidae. A decreasing trend over time for

the mean CPUE (kg fisherman−1 h−1) was shown. Epinephelus marginatus was a key species in the evolution of the CPUE,

since individuals weighing more than 4 kg diminished drastically after 1987. The species recorded as largest specimens clearly

changed since this date, showing a serial depletion process. These results taken as a whole describe a situation of overfishing

for some target fish inhabiting rocky bottoms between 0 and 40 m. Both recreational and competition spear fishing seem to have

had an important effect on

http://www.roquer.org/docs/linde1.pdf

Overall, results highlight the pressure spearfishing exerts on the reproductive potential of fish species

in rocky habitats along the Mediterranean coast, particularly those that are vulnerable (i.e. long lived and

slow growing species with low reproductive potential) and have a higher trophic level.

Spearfishing is a highly efficient harvesting gear

that selectively targets larger fish relative to

other fishing gears and can significantly alter

abundance and size structure of target species

toward fewer and smaller fish

http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/document_library/mgmtdocs/spearfishingresearch.pdf

These references seem to go on forever.

Edited March 14, 2014 by NomadJoe

[Arjay]

Oh Jesus! What a stir about a tiny reef shark. Come to Hawaii and see a 12'Tiger shark!

[NomadJoe]

10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet

http://www.projectaware.org/project/10tips

Happy Diving.

[FireMedic]

If Thai police or government were to give an equal amount of protection/security to the reefs as they do the tuk tuk ranks or airport taxis, it would be an amazing place to dive. People would always return to dive. Until they are convinced that long term tourism money is more important than fast rip off/scam money, things will never change. The crimes against ecology here are horrendous. It's taken thousands of years to make those beautiful reefs and only a few to destroy them and it would take a massive shift in thinking to change it.

[Aquanaut]

"These references seem to go on forever."

As do these...

Coral reef diving is an all-time favorite to most scuba divers. But like it or not, scuba divers are causing substantial damage to the world’s coral reefs. Scientific evidence shows that divers are directly and/or indirectly responsible for damaging the reef life with some of their thoughtless behaviors.

Not to say that all divers are harming reef life intentionally. But due to some divers’ lack of proper training, it is done unknowingly at times.

Coral reef diving possesses some unique challenges compared to other methods of diving. A diver needs to have a passion and affection for nature when diving on a coral reef. Coral reefs are not solely beautiful colored rocks in the sea. They are living organisms that need extreme care and attention.

Read more: http://www.dive.in/articles/a-scuba-divers-impact-on-a-coral-reef/#ixzz2vzarfUkx

On reefs all over the world, divers kick, grab, and break corals,and bang them silly by dragging high-tech consoles that hang belowthem as they swim."  With the steadily increasing popularity ofscuba diving and the increasing accessibility of recreationaldiving to remote, caribbean locations, concerns for the well-beingof the living coral have been expressed.  Poor diver etiquette,including inexperience at controlling buoyancy, improperly securedgear, photography flashes, and blasts from fin kicks, is the maincause of diver induced damage to coral reefs.http://www1.american.edu/ted/scuba.htmThe influx of tourists to previously pristine and untouched locations is greatly affected by a modern age where travel has become increasingly more affordable and accessible even to remote parts of the world. Most recreational sport divers pride themselves on being responsible ambassadors of the underwater world, but sadly damage is still being inflicted on fragile reefs and marine life throughout the world'soceans in places where standards go unchecked and the sheer volume of people visiting a specific location inadvertently leaves a trail of devastation.http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-impact-of-dive-tourism-on-marine-ecosystems

As an active free diver, I am concerned if a spear fisherman is taking a protected species, or hunting in a protected area. But, I believe in this case, he was doing neither. If he was selling the fish illegally and there is evidence to prove this, then report him to the relevant authorities, otherwise this example should not be used to attack spearfishing in general. It is unfair and unwise to tar all scuba divers/operators with the same brush and the same applies to all spear fishermen too.
There are far worse practices occurring off Phuket which are having a devastating effect on our local seas (such as long-lining, setting of box nets on coral reefs, targetting shark only for their fins and we have all encountered a beautiful reef completely covered by a lost net), but I never hear a call for banning, or regulatory control on these practices by those who claim they care. These have a far greater impact on marine life than one, or two spear fishers selectively taking a couple of fish for dinner, which in my experience is what a conscientious and responsible hunter does.

ASAIK, spearfishing does not produce any by-catch. It does not leave neither nets, nor broken mono line and hooks in the seas.

Just my 2cts

Edited March 15, 2014 by Aquanaut

[marko kok prong]

Possibly a russian who got sick of the food from 7/11 and decided he wanted some fresh fish,but did not want to pay for a fish supper at a resturant.