Chasing Waters

Chasing Waters Trailer from SouthFace Media Group Inc. on Vimeo.

Comments

[Rendy Borland]

Here was the email I just sent them:

Reactor Watches:

While I understand--at least superficially--the reasons behind your sponsorship of a team in the Pro Tarpon Tournament Series (PTTS), by no comprehensible means will I ever condone it. As a lifelong angler, a consumer of outdoor-related goods, and a member of the fishing industry, I can say from experience--and with simple observation--that the PTTS is not only a testosterone-driven display of hubris and a complete mockery of a competition, it is actively destroying the world's tarpon fishery. And for what? Some YouTube videos of fat guys screaming and the exchange of a few bucks? Who on this planet, aside from the anglers receiving checks and the companies receiving exposure, benefits from this?

Certainly not the fish.

The basic facts of the matter are these: 1. tarpon have long lifespans; 2. tarpon reach sexual maturity at an advanced age; 3. tarpon have an extremely slow growth rates. An encounter with a 200-pound tarpon is an encounter with an animal that has been surviving in the oceans for decades. These are not goldfish. These are not carp. They do not reproduce like rabbits. They are an evolutionary marvel, a relic from an earlier age, and a fish to be admired, protected, and enjoyed. Sure, even catch-and-release fishing has its inherent dangers for the fish, but doesn't it make sense to at least give them the chance to survive, rather than spearing them with a gaffe, hauling them on board a boat, and comparing their size?

If the PTTS continues killing 200-pound tarpon, who are likely more than 50 years old, they are also killing several million eggs at a time, thereby diminishing the chance for others to catch, release, and admire these creatures in the future. In our society, there exists a fine line between a sportsman and a gluttonous zealot. By no means do I think hunting or fishing should be outlawed, but do I think hunting should be allowed for bald eagles? Should there be a season on bottle-nosed dolphin? Absolutely not. Outdoor Life magazine created a sportsman's pledge, and while it is somewhat specific to them, I feel it should apply to anyone who hunts, fishes, or enjoys the outdoors. It reads as follows:

As an American hunter and angler, I pledge to advocate for wildlife conservation, healthy habitat, and sportsmen’s rights. I welcome new outdoorsmen to our woods and waters, I respect wildlife and my fellow sportsmen, and I promise to leave our wild places in better condition than I found them.

No part of the PTTS abides by that code. Therefore, by extension, neither does your company. Until you pull your sponsorship from the PTTS, I will be personally boycotting your company, firmly advocating against it, and telling everyone I can. Being in the outdoors industry, I know just how powerful negative word of mouth can be.

Now, so will you.

Please, for the sake of the tarpon, pull your sponsorship from the PTTS.

Sincerely,
Rendy Borland

[Justin]

Dang thats freakin Good!! Can't wait to see more...

[Tumblebug]

Arkansas