Is the Use of Fish Finders Ethical?

The ethical issues of using fish finders in the sport fishing community is somewhat of a hot topic these days.  Some experts believe that using a device which lets a fisherman literally look beneath the water to locate a potential catch is cheating, since it takes the luck factor out of the equation.  Others believe that all is fair when it comes to locating that perfect fish; because, the use of a fish finder does not guarantee a hit.  After all, the fish still has to take the bait and swallow the hook.  This is an argument that is more than likely not going to be settled in the near future.

There are other debates out there as well, including the question of whether recreational fishing of any kind is ethical.  The people who do argue against it take the view that there is no need to fish anymore, since it is not necessary to kill fish to feed oneself or their family.  They look with horror on any action which harms these aquatic creatures, including the very action of using a hook, net, or other device to catch fish.

Is this an ethical issue?  Certainly.  At least for some people, and the most passionate of these individual do not mind going the empathic route of putting themselves or their readers in the proverbial shoes of the fish.  In fact, they can be quite graphic in their descriptions of the torment these creatures go through when caught.  Just reading their articles could be enough to put one off the notion of eating fish ever again.

Another debate is whether it is ethical to use a fish finder.  Judging by the thousands of websites which sell the device, it is certainly a financially lucrative idea.  Why else would a whole industry be developed to create, develop, manufacture and sell these items?

The championship tournaments out there who have had to come to terms with these machines.  Some allow their participants to use them, while others remain old school and have banned them, considering luck and skill of the fisherman more valuable than any mechanical or electrical device.  It is, again, a choice which is left to the group or individual when it comes to using a fish finder.

For the individual angler, it is a personal choice.  Some see no harm in using one since many employ the catch and release style of fishing.  The person is really there for the recreation, pleasure, or other challenges which comes with fishing.  They are there to catch fish and simply document their catches with cell phone cameras before releasing them back into the water.

Ethics are about what our conscious, our beliefs, and our value systems allow us to do.  It is about what you do when no one is looking.  So, the ethics of using a fish finder is really under the control of the person.  Whether they feel it is right or not.