Fish Viewing

In the Journal of Ecotourism 2009; Stroll, Ditton, and Stokes have published an article about sturgeon viewing as nature tourism.  It is an interesting read and is my first look at fish viewing. Any time I have viewed fish as either been from a boat while fishing or at a zoo or aquarium. As the paper states in recent years there has been a decline in the participation in consumptive leisure activities such as fishing and hunting and increased rates of participation in non-consumptive activities such as bird watching, watchable wildlife, and even fish viewing. Some reasons for this include people being less interested in wildlife as harvestable products or that the baby boomer generation is getting older.  But the numbers are up on the amount of time people spend viewing animals in their natural habitat outside of going to zoos or aquariums. Since fish viewing is a relatively new non-consumptive leisure activity it may be a good idea to look at what it is first. Fish viewing can be done in both freshwater and saltwater.  With freshwater it mostly takes place around streams and rivers like watching sockeye salmon along the banks of the Adams River in British Columbia. Usually viewing takes place along the banks, from towers set up for viewing, or from viewing windows built into the bank. Where as saltwater usually involves scuba equipment.

As stated earlier I was unaware of this type of leisure activity, I have heard and participated in bird watching and gone to zoos and aquariums.  But if I want to see a fish, I want to be more involved than just looking. I want to catch the fish. Not necessarily to harvest my catch for food. Sometime I just like to take a picture of the fish and release it back into the wild.  This is where I differ from most of the people in the above study. Those polled were found to be mostly views of fish. Only 14% went spear fishing (done in Wisconsin during certain seasons while fishing for sturgeon) and 8% to be rod and reel gear (Stroll, 2009).

As far as the decline of fishing and hunting among people in US, I would have to say that I would not fit in this particular group. If anything, I have actually gone fishing more than less. Granted this statistical data was from 2002.  This may have changed in the last ten years. But why would fishing and hunting be on the decline? There has been an influx of new fishing and hunting shows on TV. There are a number of fishing/hunting retailers that have a big investment on people going hunting and fishing, such as Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's. Along with the many other websites you can go to buy fishing lures from.  Vasts magazines on fishing techniques, fishing equipment, and the like.  As well as hunting magazines.  Many resorts and lodges have been set up for travelers to stay and rent/buy equipment, a guide, and other services to find the type of animal one is looking to hunt or fish.

The money spent associated with fishing and hunting may be why the sport is on the decline. Just purchasing a rod, reel, line and lures can get costly. Then there are storage devices for all the above. Most anglers don't just take one of each either. So the costs go up.If anyone has seen the costs associated with the newest lures on the market, they can tell you they are not cheap. Then you look at if you need a boat. And you need a license for each state that you are participating in fishing. The same goes for hunting I would think as well.

With the decline of fishing in America and the rise of nature-based travel and tourism, fish viewing may be the new way to see fish in their natural habitat. This goes along with the governments requirements and regulations on fishing in public bodies of water. Making the catch and release a good thing for most anglers. Size restrictions, total number of certain number of fish, and the time of year you can fish for certain fish has been set in motion of some time now.  This can make some anglers upset, and want to stop fishing. Now a new path can be taken for those still wanting to see the fish. As for me, I will continue to fish and not over harvest. 

Idolizing Chefs

A recent contestant on Top Chef on Bravo is having success opening up restaurants in the San Diego area. His newest venture is a $15 Million gamble. As reported today on  Inc. Brain Malarkery was a Top Chef contestant and finished in the top 4 of Top Chef: Miami and since July 2010 he has opened three restaurants and has a goal to open 15 more eateries nationwide over the next five years, each with an initial $15 million investment.

This is just another example of how the media and the masses are making Chefs the next big thing. There are many TV shows about Chefs and cooking in general, Top Chef on Bravo, Hell's Kitchen on Fox, as well as entire channels devoted to teaching those watching how to cook.  Such as Food Network and The Cooking Channel.  But why the big rush in seeing how to cook and personifying Chefs in such a way? I have a theory on the topic. Before stating it though I need to put a short disclaimer here saying that I have no problem with women in the workforce and happily enjoy it.

Prior to World War II the family unit was a whole. Families were together much more and the men left for work and the women tended to the house and children teaching them life lessons and cooking.   The US enters the war after Pearl Harbor and most all the men in America leave to fight. So most jobs are left vacant. Women  now enter the workforce in mass numbers to fill the void.  After WW II is over in 1945, the men return home and continue to work.  The women are also working.  So no one is home to raise the children and teach them life lessons, and basic cooking and cleaning methods. So a generation is developing that has not learned the basic cleaning and cooking skills that their parents and grandparents have known.This keeps happening, generation after generation.  Fast forward sixty plus years to the present and people aren't cooking at home.  Families are eating out more and more. So where does the family turn to learn the lessons of cooking, the television.

There has been cooking shows on since I was little and prior to that I am willing to bet. But only recently has the personification of Chefs hit mainstream TV.  This gives people a false sense of what Chefs really are.  As posted on Yahoo! answers about how much chefs make and their daily job duties, we learn that for every 3-4 big wig chefs making $75,000+ a year in the top US resorts and restaurants there are thousands working 80+ hours a week making less than $30,000 a year.  The media has blown the image way out of control.  Seeing a cooking show on TV where the celebrity Chef has a nice enjoyable atmosphere to work and looks to be clean gives people a false sense of what really goes on in a kitchen.  According to the dept of labor their description of a chefs work environment is different. Restaurants and other food service facilities where these workers are employed are required to be clean and sanitary. Although the seating areas of eating places are often attractive, kitchens can be crowded and hot and filled with potential dangers, such as hot ovens and slippery floors. Job hazards for those working in kitchens include slips and falls, cuts, and burns, but these injuries are seldom serious. Chefs, head cooks, and supervisors are under constant pressure to get meals prepared quickly, while ensuring quality is maintained and safety and sanitation guidelines are observed. Because the pace can be hectic during peak dining times, workers must be able to communicate clearly so that food orders and service are done correctly.Work hours in restaurants may include early mornings, late evenings, holidays, and weekends. Schedules for those working in offices, factories and school cafeterias may be more regular. In fine-dining restaurants, work schedules tend to be longer because of the time required to prepare ingredients in advance. Many executive chefs regularly work 12-hour days because they oversee the delivery of foodstuffs early in the day, plan the menu, and prepare those menu items that require the most skill.

If this sounds like something you would like to do, just go to your favorite eater. I bet they are hiring. Maybe you will get lucky and find yourself opening up a restaurant with a $15 million investment.