Fishermen - Friends or Foes?

I just got off the phone with a gondola operator friend who was understandably frustrated with people fishing off a bridge where his gondolas cruise.

The scenario is typical:
Guys are out there looking for something to do,
maybe they're hungry and need to catch dinner,
maybe they want to catch something to brag about,
maybe they're just looking for something to do while they drink beer - and fishing fits that criteria quite well.

The problem is that these guys have chosen to drop their hooks off a bridge over a well-trafficked piece of water.

My friend passes under that bridge at typical gondola speed (if there is such a designation), but other boats fly under it at much higher speeds.
To the gondolier, the unexpected discovery of a fishing line (with a barbed hook at the end) is unsettling, but imagine how different things might be if that same hook were encountered by a boat travelling at, say 40 or 50 miles per hour.

After my friend warned them a few times not to fish there because it was unsafe, he discovered them there again today, and made a few phone calls to local authorities. I don't know if anyone there has been "hooked at high speed" yet, but it's probably just a matter of time.

The love of boating and the love of fishing are two things which will always be associated with water. In most cases the two coexist quite nicely, but now and then we come upon a situation such as this.

In the various places I've piloted gondolas, I've had many encounters with fishermen and their harware. Most have been fun and memorable, but there have been a few exceptions.

I know some of you have stories or opinions here.

So I'm opening this post up to comments.
Anyone out there have anything to share?
Are fishermen friends or foes to a gondolier?

Opinions, criticizms, jokes? Remember, my kids read this, so keep it family friendly.