Spearfishing Ethics...

Hi all,

I have been diving for 15 Years... last weekend was the first time I ever Spearfished in my life ... Used a RIFFE gun (wow)...

Anyways... There has always been this issue with everyone I talk to about whether its ethical to spearfish with SCUBA... Most scuba instructors I spoke to tend to think it is unfair etc...

Any thoughts on the matter?

Do you eat all your catch?

Then it's ethical.

yep...

PhotoTJ:

Do you eat all your catch?

Then it's ethical.

Click to expand...

I 100% back this!!!
cv

Nice Ulua swam by today. No gun, kicking myself. We gotta eat, why wouldn't it be ethical?

I started off at a young age in Florida snorkeling, freediving wasn't a word back then, with polespears. Later some friends and I got into SCUBA spearfishing, them with their spearguns and me still with my polespears, thinking it would be an easy way to catch more fish. Man, did that turn out to be a misconception. It's much easier and more productive to fish with a rod and reel. But, we kept at just because it was fun in it's own right, kind of like flyfishing. After I got over here I found a polespear to be unsuitable for the conditions at my new location. So now #1 (12 yr. old son) and I freedive using Riffe guns. Mainly we freedive because I've done the SCUBA thing and it's a lot more expensive, time and money wise, and by freediving we have more of both for spearfishing. We take more fish, lobster, octopus and squid, not all in one trip normally, per trip now than my friends and I ever did on SCUBA. I see a couple of reasons for this. For one, my time in the water isn't limited by the amount of air in a tank that is strapped to my back. Less gear means swimming is a lot easier and that and more time means I can cover a lot more area per trip. I've seen SCUBA divers in the water while I was freediving and comparing the two a SCUBA diver sounds like a military parade. In fact this was just driven home to me again two days ago, the last time #1 and I went. We were in the water 2 1/2 hrs., which is not particularly long for us. While doing our thing we could hear a SCUBA diver somewhere. You know how sound is underwater. Then we saw them. A couple diving from the beach, enjoying recreational activities, just like us.

All the freedive vs. SCUBA and polespear vs. speargun controveries are pure B.S. Neither is any better or worse than the other. It's just a matter of using the proper tools to suit your preferences and the conditions you're hunting in.

Intersting Question.

I have been spearfing nearly every sunday morning (wheather permitting) for over 30yrs.. Its freediving with a snorkel only. In Sydney, Australia, its illegal to scuba and spearfish at the same time. I have been Scuba diving now for nearly a year, so I have experinece with both sports.

The ethical question, - I think that can only be anwered by each individual, Personlly I dont think i would do it even if it was legal. Main reason is that since I started scuba diving I realise how easy it would be to shoot fish with scuba comparered to how difficult it is free diving.

Im sure there are certain species that are hard, even with Scuba, but free diving and spearfising give the fish a real chance to escape the hunter.
I love having to stalk, then dive holding my breath and trying to get the shot b4 i run out of air. Freediving to depth is also pretty exciting, (by depth i mean maybe 15-25 feet).

I think the fact you raised this question tells me you are thinking maybe youll keep them as seperate sports.

Either way, enjoy.

Thanks for the Comments... Fitzy, very interesting that you bring up the depth issue..

The place where I can dive on a regular basis has fish at a depth of 18M (60ft)... hence freediving is a bit difficult!

Most of the people I talk to have the same mentality... you dont give the fish a chance to escape!... my mentality is, what's the point... I am not spearfishing for Fun... I am spearfishing to catch fish so I can eat them

I guess I dont have to feel too bad about this?!?!?

[Spearslinger1 was on the money with that comment about sounding like a marching band. I have heard both comments for years about how unfair SCUBA spearing is. It would also depend on type of fish. You can easily shoot dumb fish on either but when on scuba fish are very aware that you are there. If you think it is so unsporting, try it sometime, you obviously not a hunter or you are shooting just dumb fish. Try shooting a big black grouper that has been shot at before. About all you may hear is bump, bump, bump as a sand cloud trail streams away. You know what I mean with the bump! Don't pull the trigger unless you intend to eat it!!!
Hunter

I only shoot what I can eat. And I eat what I catch.