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Spearfishing around the world - what's allowed and what's acceptable?
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I find the kinds of fish interesting but I am just wondering if spearfishing on scuba is as common in other areas of the states as I have seen in California and Florida?
From the other nations.. say Britian is spearing common there? If so do spearfishermen and scuba divers go out on the same boats or is it more like here in Oz where they tend to organize trips to certain areas for certain fish and fill the boats with hunters only?
From the other nations.. say Britian is spearing common there? If so do spearfishermen and scuba divers go out on the same boats or is it more like here in Oz where they tend to organize trips to certain areas for certain fish and fill the boats with hunters only?
I have never seen a spear fisherman in the UK. I guess they must exist as the gear is in a couple of shops I use, and a couple of people I have had on a boat talked about having freaked out some other club by spear fishing.
Other than the culturally objections I think the sort of fish and the typical viz would make it a bit pointless. If you want something to eat then a line works well. Many wrecks are used by sea anglers. I have a fine collection of fishing weights....
People commonly take lobsters, crabs and sometimes flat fish. Obviously size matters, in some places there are other licensing concerns including the odd no take zone.
In Ireland you cannot take lobsters on scuba, you see many more and much larger ones there.
"Hunting, fishing and shooting" is a class term here. None of those activities is considered cool, although apparently angling is the biggest participation sport in the country.
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That is an interesting statement--it was popular in England prior to PADI
Suggest you might want to obtain two books on Spear fishing in England and UK
1) "The guide to Underwater Hunting"
Simon Codrington
1954
Adlard Coles LTD
80 pages
Illustrated with pictures
The book commonly known as "Codrington" by spearfishermen and bibliophiles
2) "The Spearfisherman's handbook"
David Way
1981
Robert Hale, LTD
160 pages
illustrated with drawings and pictures
and of course Lillywhites catalogs contained spearfishing equipment
Could it be that prohibitive legislation has prohibited spearfishing ?
~~~~~~~~~~ Or ~~~~~~~~~~~
You have personally never been in an area of England and UK were spearfishing is practiced ?
SDM
Fascinating Ken thanks. That is the fascinating thing about SB.. Threads like this help give us a perspective on things around the world. 
It is interesting I come from Canada and I have no idea about spear fishing there! Thinking about that is kinda embarrassing. :blush: I wonder if one of my fellow Canucks will enlighten us 
raying:
It is interesting I come from Canada and I have no idea about spear fishing there! Thinking about that is kinda embarrassing. :blush: I wonder if one of my fellow Canucks will enlighten us raying:
dbulmer
Contributor
As Ken Gordon has pointed out it's pretty rare to have spearos on board- the vis generally makes most people nervous about spear hunters.
Bowlofpetunias - have you ever had a dive where you just end up with the giggles?
One such dive for me was a dive in Western Scotland. A couple of buddies were circling a wreck at about 15 metres when we saw some fishing line vertical in the water. We looked up and saw a diver with something like a 6 inch rod fishing quite happily near a boiler. He was actually sitting on the side of the wreck (as you might do on a quay) oblivious to the world but clearly enjoying his moment of serenity waving to us as we bubbled past
Bowlofpetunias - have you ever had a dive where you just end up with the giggles?
One such dive for me was a dive in Western Scotland. A couple of buddies were circling a wreck at about 15 metres when we saw some fishing line vertical in the water. We looked up and saw a diver with something like a 6 inch rod fishing quite happily near a boiler. He was actually sitting on the side of the wreck (as you might do on a quay) oblivious to the world but clearly enjoying his moment of serenity waving to us as we bubbled past
yep and you just gave me a good one. I can see that in my mind's eye... so much like the time we were diving in lousy viz and my buddy had "gummy snakes". A type of lolley here and he was trying to get fish to eat them. He was fishing without the spear or line and yes I got the giggles. :lol: I don't want to hijack the thread tho :doh: Interesting that you cite some of the same issues we have with the viz making spearing nearby increase stress levels of divers not used to the activity. Seem to me that the attitude of divers towards spear fishers is directly related to how common the activity is where they dive. Is that your perception as well dbulmer?
There are no laws against it (in the sea) it is just not popular. I have never seen anyone do it anywhere in the uk, I have seen evidence on face book and shops that it happens though.
I think that spear fishing on scuba would be regarded here as not at all sporting.
There are other cultural aspects too.
gkrane
Contributor
That is the funny misconception about spearfishing. It is nowhere as easy as it seems to be considered unsportsmanlike. I can fill the cooler with far more fish using a rod and reel than I can using a speargun on scuba.
Fascinating finding out how Spear fishing is viewed around the world. In Oz it is also considered to be an unfair advantage to "take" using scuba except as already listed.
I had a buddy once surface on a night dive with a leather jacket in his hand . He had come on it sleeping and just picked it up. I respected him for asking if I was "OK" with him taking it home for dinner and releasing it when I said No. I sure didn't want to be a witness to someone taking a fish in a marine preserve on scuba.. double illegal!
I had a buddy once surface on a night dive with a leather jacket in his hand . He had come on it sleeping and just picked it up. I respected him for asking if I was "OK" with him taking it home for dinner and releasing it when I said No. I sure didn't want to be a witness to someone taking a fish in a marine preserve on scuba.. double illegal!
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