Spearfishing

Spearfishing has been an important method for catching fish for food for thousands of years. However, Europeans has only practised it since the 1920s. One of the biggest changes has been in gear technology. In the old days people like Cousteau dived in woollen jumpers and home made equipment. In the modern era divers use silicon masks, carbon fibre fins and state of the art equipment. Spearfishing has changed dramatically since those pioneer days and is becoming recognised as a challenging but very selective sustainable recreational (and in some countries subsistence) fishing method. Most people assume spearfishers use SCUBA gear but in fact in most countries this is illegal and it is practised by freedive. Some people also have an unfavourable perception of spearfishing that they exploit all fish but this is false and in fact spearfishers are the most selective form of fishing in that one can choose the species and size of fish that is targeted and we only take fish in shallow water and what they need for immediate needs (scientific studies have shown that the catch is generally less than 1% of the catch of other fishers).Freedive spearfishing can be an extreme sport. One which requires fitness, regular participation, in adverse conditions and a large amount of time and effort (physical, mental and spiritual) that those who excel put into the sport to achieve their goals. It is a small but close tribe of hunters and people who love the ocean and the opportunity to catch fresh seafood. It is also one of the few sports where the hunter can become the hunted and also suffer shallow water blackout.Unfortunately there is no formal training course (like that required for SCUBA) for spearfishers. Therefore most beginners are self-taught or learn from their friends and family or by reading books.