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Octo Update: Sign a Petition To Protect the Octopus in Puget Sound

BY Rachel Belle  on November 5, 2012 @ 6:01 pm (Updated: 11:45 am - 11/6/12 )

bab_confronts_octo.jpg
Bob Bailey confronts one of the octopus hunters on the beach at Alki.
On Friday we told you about a pair of 19-year-old amateur divers who were seen hunting a Giant Pacific Octopus at a popular West Seattle diving spot. It was a legal hunt, but the local diving community considers this a disrespectful and unmoral act. Since this story broke on Friday, a huge debate has sparked.

Listen to the original story here.

Today, local divers outraged by the hunt have started to circulate a petition.

"We started a petition in collaboration with the Northwest News Dive Network," says Seattle dive instructor Scott Lundy. "We wrote a petition essentially requesting the area of Cove Two be banned from harvesting GPO (Giant Pacific Octopus). Since that petition went live a little over 48 hours ago, we've received over 2,000 signatures. It's been posted to Facebook, to news sites all across the world."

On Thursday, a group of divers is going to Olympia to speak to the Washington Department of Fishery and Wildlife, to make their plea for protecting the Giant Pacific Octopus that live in Cove Two of the Puget Sound.

Dive instructor Bob Bailey saw the 19-year-olds pulling the octopus from the water last week. He sent the hunters' photographs, names and license plate numbers to dive shops up and down the coasts, and posted this information on dive forums seen around the world. Now Bob tells me, in an exclusive interview, that he feels terrible about what happened on Friday.

"Things got a little emotional with the family," says Bob. "Actually, on Friday, I called the mom and learned that they've been receiving harassing phone calls and emails and she categorized some of them as threatening to her family. It just made me really kind of ill, actually. I totally disapprove of that. It goes against everything that I believe in. So I've been stepping back. In fact you're the first reporter that I've spoken to at all, since I last spoke to you [on Friday] and I've had several requests. Really out of concern for this family and their well-being. They don't deserve this."

I asked Bob if he's received any threats from people on the other side of this debate.

"Oh yes, I've been compared to George Zimmerman and I've been called The Vigilante. You know, that's okay. I don't mind if people want to vent and I know who I am and the people who are important to me know who I am, and what I stand for, and why I'm doing this. I'm not doing this to hurt anyone. I respect this family. I respect all families. They're very upset with me and they have a right to be upset. I disagree with what this young man did but I don't believe that he or his family deserve to be harassed for it."

I asked Bob if, in retrospect, he would have gone about things differently.

"That's a good question! I've given it a lot of thought. Yes, I would go about it differently. I would not change my position on this. Had I to do it over again, I would try and do it in a way that didn't directly identify this young man."

Bob says he completely underestimated the power of social media.

"Facebook frightens me. I'm probably one of the 12 people in the USA who doesn't have a Facebook account. Once this thing hit Facebook it just exploded. It was like throwing gasoline on a fire. That's something I couldn't have anticipated and it just brought all of these crazy people out of the woodwork."

Click here to sign the petition to protect the Giant Pacific Octopus living in the Puget Sound.

Rachel Belle, Ron and Don Show Reporter
Rachel Belle is a feature contributor and personality on The Ron & Don Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 3-7pm), and host of Ring My Belle Weekends (Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 3pm).
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Comments (32)


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  • Ted Bundi wrote...
    I remember
    November 6, 2012 8:43 am
    when a couple of nature hikers were watching a person harvesting a beaver in Snoqualmie Valley. They just could not believe it. I told them he had a license... call the game department if they don't like what they see. Actually I wanted to say don't hike/walk here if you can't stand to see ducks shot, pheasant shot, beavers trapped, geese shot, etc.
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  • Burdie wrote...
    The boys might have a case against this guy....here's the Washington law.
    November 6, 2012 9:20 am
    http://www.huntwashingtonstate.com/HWS/washingtonhuntinglaws.htm 77.15.210 Obstructing the taking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife — Penalty. (1) A person is guilty of obstructing the taking of fish[, shellfish,] or wildlife if the person: (a) Harasses, drives, or disturbs fish, shellfish, or wildlife with the intent of disrupting lawful pursuit or taking thereof; or (b) Harasses, intimidates, or interferes with an individual engaged in the lawful taking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife or lawful predator control with the intent of disrupting lawful pursuit or taking thereof. (2) Obstructing the taking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife is a gross misdemeanor. (3) It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution for obstructing the taking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife that the person charged was: (a) Interfering with a person engaged in hunting outside the legally established hunting season; or (b) Preventing or attempting to prevent unauthorized trespass on private property. (4) The person raising a defense under subsection (3) of this section has the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence. [2001 c 253 § 30; 1998 c 190 § 24.] 77.15.212 Damages due to violation of RCW 77.15.210 — Civil action. Any person who is damaged by any act prohibited in RCW 77.15.210 may bring a civil action to enjoin further violations, and recover damages sustained, including a reasonable attorneys' fee. The trial court may increase the award of damages to an amount not to exceed three times the damages sustained. A party seeking civil damages under this section may recover upon proof of a violation by a preponderance of the evidence. The state of Washington may bring a civil action to enjoin violations of this section. [2000 c 107 § 238.]
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  • C&H wrote...
    He really lost his job?
    November 6, 2012 9:40 am
    I hadn't read that anywhere. That seems crazy! What job did he have that fired him for this? I'm glad the Bob guy feels sorry for what he did, but it would be better if he did more to make it right. It doesn't seem like this hunter would have known the perfectly legal thing he was doing would be so upsetting to people. It doesn't seem fair to ruin him. I read an article boy gave where he said he wouldn't have hunted there if he knew.
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  • JeffShelton wrote...
    C&H
    November 6, 2012 7:03 pm
    His job fired/let him go because they were being harassed by 100's of phone calls from the irate d-bags.
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  • C&H wrote...
    About Rachel...
    November 6, 2012 9:43 am
    You can't blame her. This story has been everywhere last week. She isn't the only one and it is a hot button topic. It's her job to talk about it. Besides, she is a nice person. As such, it is easy to get swept up in the sadness of a cool creature like this losing it's life. We need people like that to balance all the cynics.
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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Octopus is delicious.
    November 6, 2012 10:01 am
    It has to be done correctly though or it gets tough.
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  • DesertRez wrote...
    Wow
    November 6, 2012 10:17 am
    Hopefully the self-appointed Sheriff of the outdoors isn't in the woods for late season deer hunt. Wouldn't want my life ruined for harvesting a deer.
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  • HLC wrote...
    As far as Bell goes.
    November 6, 2012 12:24 pm
    That whole Ron and Don show could be gone tomorrow and it would be a better station for it. That show always goes off the deep end with out all the facts. Remember the lacross team rape hoax. Dumb and dumber had the team convicted before the evidence was in. I for one will boycot anything Bell sells and will tell them why today.
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  • mnpat wrote...
    I'm with you HLC
    November 6, 2012 2:06 pm
    In fact when I found out they had Les Schwab as a client (advertiser), I told my friendly Les Schwab folks to stop advertising on that show....funny thing is the sale person I was talking with said she didn't care for the show either.
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  • Saltchucker wrote...
    The diving "community" has an agenda.
    November 6, 2012 1:10 pm
    Many divers want an extensive network of Marine Protected Areas(MPA's) all through Puget Sound. They have the Pew Charitable trust, NOAA, Puget Sound Partnership and others on thier side. Obama admins Marine Spatial Planning is starting the shut down of most marine areas to ALL HARVEST as we speak. If anyone out there likes to eat seafood harvested themselves from Puget Sound, join a local oganization that looks out for your interests TODAY!!!!!
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  • Ted Bundi wrote...
    "That's something I couldn't have anticipated and it just brought all of these crazy people out of the woodwork."
    November 6, 2012 3:16 pm
    So now Bob, you are calling me a crazy person?
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  • hpitantso wrote...
    Just because it's legal
    November 6, 2012 6:11 pm
    Just because it's legal stance, so to support him go out and Kill the biggest of a species and call it hunting, Killing for non food reasons... those outraged by his actions to out them in a cyberspace fashion can be affended. Good for the original story, hopefully that story will preserve the giants
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  • JeffShelton wrote...
    Your post makes absolutely no sense.....
    November 6, 2012 7:16 pm
    It's legal, Dylan and his friends and family ate the octopus like most hunters do with their harvest. You are obviously not a hunter and don't understand what it means to live off of the land. Go back to your simple city life and enjoy buying steroid injected meats from the store. My bad you are probably a vegan. And one more thing, when you purchase a hunting license you sorta want to get your moneys worth and bag the largest species. Just like if you went to the store and you could have any cut of meat for $20, you would go for the largest.
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