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Spearfishing

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	Topics Spearfishing Topic Home Spearfishing is a form of fishingFishing Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish.... that has been popular throughout the world for centuries. Early civilizations are familiar with the custom of spearing fishFish A fish is a water-dwelling vertebrate with gills, that remains so throughout its life.... out of rivers and streamsFacts About STREAMS STREAMS is the Unix System V networking architecture, which is an alternative to the Berkeley sockets API, although all mode... using sharpened sticks as a means of catching food. Spearfishing today employs more modern and effective elastic- or pneumatic-powered speargunSpeargun A speargun is a gun designed to fire a spear, usually underwater to catch fish. ... s and slings to strike the hunted fishFish A fish is a water-dwelling vertebrate with gills, that remains so throughout its life.... . Spearfishing may be done using free-divingFree-diving Free-diving refers to various aquatic activities that share the practice of breath-hold diving.... , snorkelingSnorkeling Overview Snorkeling is the practice of swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube ca... , or scuba divingScuba diving Scuba diving is the term used to describe the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for periods of time g... techniques. However, spearfishing while using SCUBA or other artificial breathing apparatus is frowned upon in some locations and is illegal in many others. Because of the belief of lack of sport in some modern spearfishing techniques, the use of mechanically-powered spearguns is outlawed in some jurisdictions. Spearfishing in the past has been detrimental to the environment when species unafraid or unused to divers were targeted excessively. However, it is also highly selective and has extremely low amount of by-catchBy-catch Summary In fisheries science, by-catch refers to species caught in a fishery intended to target another species, as well as reproduc... ; therefore with education and proper regulations spearfishing can be the most ecologically sustainable form of fishing. The very best free-diving spearfishers can hold their breath for durations of 2-4 minutes and dive to depths of 40 or even 60 meters (about 130 to 200 feet). However, dives of approximately 1 minute and 15 or 20 meters (about 50 to 70 feet) are more common for the average experienced spearfisher. Traditional spear fishing Spear fishing is an ancient method of fishing and may be conducted with an ordinary spearSpear A spear is an ancient weapon used for hunting and war, consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head.... or a specialised variant such as an eel spear or the tridentTrident Summary A trident is a three pronged staff or spear.... . A small trident type spear with a long handle is used in the American South and Midwest for gigging bullfrogBullfrog The American Bull Frog is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or "true frogs", native to much of North America.... s with a bright light at night, or for gigging carpCarp A carp is any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae.... and other fish in the shallows. Traditional spear fishing is restricted to shallow waters, but the development of the speargunSpeargun A speargun is a gun designed to fire a spear, usually underwater to catch fish. ... has made the method much more efficient. With practice, divers are able to hold their breath for up to four minutes and sometimes longer; of course, a diver with underwater breathing equipmentScuba set SCUBA is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.... can dive for much longer periods. Modern spear fishing In the 1920s, sport spearfishing without breathing apparatus became popular on the Mediterranean coast of FranceFrance France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and whi... and ItalyItaly Summary Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country.... . At first, divers used no more aid than ordinary watertight swimming goggles, but it led to development of the modern diving maskDiving mask Overview A diving mask is an item of diving equipment that allows scuba divers, free-divers, and snorkelers to see clearly underwater... , swimfinSwimfin Swimfins, swim fins, fins or flippers are finlike rubber or plastic shoes worn over the foot to help movem... and snorkel. Modern scuba divingScuba diving Scuba diving is the term used to describe the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for periods of time g... had its genesis in the systematic use of rebreatherRebreather A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycles exhaled gas.... s for diving by ItalianItaly Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country.... sport spearfishers during the 1930s1930s The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to fin... . This practice came to the attention of the Italian NavyItalian Navy * Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states... , which developed its frogman unitDecima Flottiglia MAS The Decima Flottiglia MAS was an Italian commando frogman unit created during the Fascist government.... , which affected World War IIWorld War II World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,... . During the 1960s, attempts were made to have spearfishing recognized as an Olympic sport. This didn't happen. Instead, two organisations, the (IUSA) and the (IBSRC), maintain lists of world records by species and offer rules to insure that any world record setting fish is caught under fair conditions. Spearfishing is illegal in many bodies of water, and some locations only allow spearfishing during certain seasons. In 2007, the Australian Bluewater Freediving Classic became the first spearfishing tournament in the world to be accredited and was awarded 4 out of 5 stars based on environmental, social, safety and ecomomic indicators. Purposes of spearfishing People spearfish for sport, for commerce or as subsistence. In tropical seas, some natives spearfish in snorkelSnorkel A snorkel is a tube that allows a person, vehicle, or vessel to draw air while submerged under water.... ing kit for a living, often using home-made kit. Spearfishing and conservation Spearfishing has been implicated in local extirpation of many larger species, including the Goliath grouperGoliath grouper The goliath grouper or itajara is a large saltwater fish of the grouper family.... on the Caribbean island of BonaireBonaire \|-\| align="center" colspan=2 \| Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento... , the Nassau grouperNassau grouper The Nassau grouper is one of the large number of Perciform fish in the family Serranidae that are commonly referred to as gr... in the barrier reef off the coast of BelizeBelize Belize is a small nation on the eastern coast of Central America on the Caribbean Sea bordered by Mexico to the northwest a... , the giant black sea bass in California, and others. Types of spearfishing The methods and locations freedive spearfishers use vary greatly around the world. This variation extends to the species of fish sought and the gear used. Shore diving Shore diving is perhaps the most common form of spearfishing and simply involves entering and exiting the sea from beaches or headlands and hunting around ocean architecture, usually reefReef In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water yet shallow enou... , but also rocks, kelpKelp Kelp are large seaweeds, belonging to the brown algae and classified in the order Laminariales.... or sand. Usually shore divers hunt between 5 and 25 meters (about 17 to 83 feet) depth, though it depends on location. In some locations in the South Pacific, divers can experience huge drop-offs from 5 meters up to 30 or 40 meters very close to the shore line. SharkShark Sharks are fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body.... s and reef fish can be abundant in these locations. In more subtropical areas, sharks may be less common, but other challenges face the shore diver, such as entering and exiting the water in the presence of big waves. Headlands are favored for entry because of their proximity to deeper water, but timing entries and exits is important so the diver does not get pushed onto rocks by waves. Beach entry can be safer, but more difficult due the need to consistently dive through the waves until the surf line is crossed. Shore dives can produce a mixed bag of fish, mainly reef fish, but ocean going pelagicPelagic zone The pelagic zone is the part of the open sea or ocean comprising the water column, i.e.... fish are caught from shore dives too, and can be specifically targeted. Shore diving can be done with trigger-less spears such as pole spears or Hawaiian slingHawaiian sling The Hawaiian sling is a device used in spearfishing.... s, but more commonly triggered devices such as spearguns. Speargun setups to catch and store fish include speed rigs, fish stringers. The use of catch bags worn close to the body is discouraged because the bag can inhibit movement, especially descent or ascent on deeper freedives. Moreover, in waters known to contain sharks, it is positively dangerous and can greatly increase the risk of attack. The better option is to tow a float behind, to which is attached a line onto which a catch can be threaded. Tying the float line to the speargun can be of great assistance in the event of a large catch, or if the speargun should be dropped or knocked out of reach. Boat diving Boats, ships or even kayaks can be used to access off shore reefs or ocean structure such as pinnacles. Man made structures such as oil rigs and FADs are also fished. Sometimes a boat is necessary to access a location that is close to shore, but inaccessible by land. Methods and gear used for diving from a boat diving are similar to shore diving or blue water hunting depending on the prey sought. Care must be taken with spearguns in the cramped confines of a small boat, and it is recommended that spear guns are never loaded on the boat. Boat diving is practiced worldwide. Hot spots include the northern islands of New ZealandNew Zealand New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of two large islands and many much smaller islands, m... , Gulf of Florida oil rigs and the Great Barrier ReefGreat Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands,... . FADS are targeted worldwide, often specifically for mahi-mahiMahi-mahi The Mahi-mahi, also known as dolphin-fish, dolphin, or dorado, are surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found ... (dolphin fish). The deepwater fishing grounds off Cape Point, (Cape Town, South Africa) have become popular with trophy hunting, freediving spearfishers in search of Yellowfin Tuna. Blue water hunting Blue water hunting is the area of most interest to elite spearfishers, but has increased in popularity generally in recent years. It involves accessing usually very deep and clear water and trolling, chumming for large pelagic fish species such as marlin, tuna, or giant trevally. Blue water hunting is often conducted in drifts; the boat driver will drop one or more divers and allow them to drift in the current for up to several kilometers before collecting them. Blue water hunters can go for hours without seeing any fish, and without any ocean structure or a visible bottom the divers can experience sensory deprivationSensory deprivation Sensory deprivation is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses.... . It can be difficult to determine the true size of a solitary fish when sighted due to the lack of ocean structure for comparison. One technique to overcome this is to note the size of the fish's eye in relation to its body - large examples of their species will have a relatively smaller eye. Notably, blue water hunters make use of breakaway rigs and large multi band wooden guns to catch and subdue their prey. If the prey is large and still has fight left after being subdued, a second gun can be used to provide a kill shot at a safe distance from the fish. This is acceptable to IBSRC and IUSA regulations as long as the spearfisher loads it himself in the water. Blue water hunting is conducted world wide, but notable hot spots include South AfricaSouth Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent.... (yellow fin tuna) and the South Pacific (dog-tooth snapper). Blue water pioneers like Jack Prodanavich and Hal Lewis of San Diego were some of the first to go after large species of fast moving fish like Tuna. Without diving These methods have been used for thousands of years. A fisher wades in shallow salt or fresh water with a hand spear. The fisher must account for optical refractionRefraction Refraction is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its velocity.... at the water's surface, which makes the fish appear to be further away. By experience, the fisher learns to aim lower to hit the target. Calm and shallow waters are favored for spearing fish from above the surface. Spearfishing can also be done directly from a boat, and can have similarities to bowfishingBowfishing Bowfishing is a method of fishing that utilizes specialized archery equipment to shoot and retrieve fish.... . See giggingGigging Gigging, not to be confused with jigging, is an American South and Midwest practice of hunting flounder or frogs with a gig... . Equipment This is a list of equipment commonly used in spearfishing. Not all of it is necessary and spearfishing is often practised with minimal gear. Speargun : see speargunSpeargun A speargun is a gun designed to fire a spear, usually underwater to catch fish. ... . Polespear : Pole spearsPolespear A polespear is an underwater tool used in spearfishing, consisting of a pole, a spear tip, and a rubber loop.... , or hand spears, consist of a long shaft with point at one end and an elastic loop at the other for propulsion. They also come in a wide variety, from aluminum or titanium metal, to fiberglass or carbon fiber. Often they are screwed together from smaller pieces or able to be folded down for ease of transport. Hawaiian slings : Hawaiian slingHawaiian sling The Hawaiian sling is a device used in spearfishing.... s consist of an elastic band attached to a tube, through which a spear is launched. Wet Suit : WetsuitWetsuit Overview A wetsuit is a protective garment used for watersports such as scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing, and triathlon.... s designed specifically for spearfishing are often two-piece (jacket and 'long-john' style pants) and have camouflage patterns, blue for open ocean, green or brown for reef hunting. Commonly they have a pad on the chest to aid in loading spearguns. Weight belt or weight vest : These are used to compensate for wetsuit buoyancy and help the diver descend to depth. Fins : Fins for freedive spearfishing are much longer than those used in SCUBA to aid in fast ascent. Knife : A knife should always be carried as a safety precaution in case of the diver becoming tangled in his spear or float line. It can also be used as an iki jime or kill spike. Iki jime or kill spike : In lieu of a knife, a sharpened metal spike can be used to kill the fish quickly and humanely upon capture. This action reduces interest from sharks by stopping the fish from thrashing. Iki jimeIki jime Iki-jime literally means "stab death" in Japanese.... is a Japanese term and is a method traditionally used by Japanese fishermen. Killing the fish quickly is believed to improve the flavor of the flesh by limiting the build up of adrenalineEpinephrine Epinephrine or adrenaline , sometimes spelled "epinephrin" or "adrenalin" respectively, is a hormone and a neurotra... in the fish's muscles. Snorkel and diving mask: Spearfishing snorkels and diving maskDiving mask Summary A diving mask is an item of diving equipment that allows scuba divers, free-divers, and snorkelers to see clearly underwater... s are similar to those used for scuba divingFacts About Scuba diving Scuba diving is the term used to describe the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for periods of time g... . Spearfishing masks sometimes have mirrored lenses that prevent fish from seeing the spearfisher's eyes tracking them. Mirrored lenses appear to fish as one big eyeball, so head movements can still spook the fish. Buoy or float : A buoyBuoy A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes, which determine whether the buoy is anchored or allowed t... is usually tethered to the spearfisher's speargun or directly to the spear. A buoy helps to subdue large fish. It can also assist in storing fish, but is more importantly used as a safety device to warn boat drivers there is diver in the area. Floatline : A floatline connects the buoy to the speargun. Often made from woven plastic, they also be mono-filament encased in an airtight plastic tube, or made from stretchable bungee cord. Gloves : Gloves are a value to spearfisherman that desire to maintain a sense of safety or access more dangerous areas, such as those between coral, that could otherwise not be reached without use of the hands. They also aid in loading the bands on rubber powered speargun. Management of Spearfishing Spearfishing is intensively managed throughout the world. In Australia it is a recreational-only activity and generally only breath-hold free diving. There are numerous restriction placed by the Government such as Marine Protected Areas, Closed Areas, Protected Species, size/bag limits and equipment. The peak recreational body is the Australian Underwater Federation. The vision of this group is "Safe, Sustainable, Selective, Spearfishng" and the AUF provides membership, advocacy and organises competitions. Because of its relatively long coastline compared to its population, Norway has one of the most liberal spearfising rules in the northern hemisphere, and spearfishing with scuba gear is a widespread activity among recreational divers. Restrictions in Norway are limited to anadrome species, like atlantic salmonSalmon Summary Salmon is the common name for several species of fish of the family Salmonidae.... , sea troutTrout Trout is the common name given to a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the salmon family, Salmonidae.... , and lobsterLobster Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans.... . In Mexico a regular fishing permit allows for Spearfishing, but not for electro-mechanical types of spearguns. Tips from Hawaiian Spearfishermen One of the best tricks a spearfisherman can take advantage of is a fish's curiosity. Fish see their world with their eyes and with vibrations picked up by their lateral line. Experienced spearfishermen take advantage of this by moving very slowly in the water, and by using weights to carry them to the bottom rather than kicking of fins to minimize vibration. Once on the bottom or in sight of a fish a spearfisherman will remain perfectly still, and lack of vibration in the water will usually cause the fish to come within spear range to investigate. Experienced shore spearfishermen will travel along the shoreline and prepare for an entrance to the water and enter and go straight to the bottom for as long as they can hold their breath. Any large fish in the area will usually come to investigate the appearance and then disappearance of something, as no picture is available to their lateral line of a non moving object. Any rocks or other objects on the bottom that the spearfisherman can get close to will further disguise his appearance and warrant closer investigation by fish within 40 yards. Exiting the water and moving 40 yards down the shore usually produces another shot at a big one. Experienced divers will carry several small pieces of coral or shells and when a fish is reluctant to come into spear range, rubbing or clicking of these usually draws them closer. Throwing up sand also will bring a fish closer and helps to camouflage the diver. Contact with coralCoral Corals are marine animals of the , which include sea anemones .... should be avoided as this may damage the reef. Blue water divers will float on the surface 100 yards from their boat and continue to rap a dive knife or a softer object against their spear gun until a big one comes to investigate. In areas where many holes are available for a fish to hide in, a strong swimmer can clip his gun to his belt, and force a fish into a hole by swimming full speed and slapping his cupped hands on the surface with each stroke. Another shoreline technique for the big ones is to spear fish that are favorite prey of the desired species or collect the seaweed, mussels, etc. that they eat and chum them into the area. Some think chumming the water is dangerous as it will draw sharks, but many big predator fish travel with reef sharks, and the instances of spearfisherman being attacked is a very low percentage of the total number of shark attacks. Sharks are like dogs,: if you cower from a bad dog, it will bite you, but if you stand your ground with a big stick, you can usually back it down. Spearfishing in areas with many sharks larger than 8 feet and of aggressive species does not require chumming as these areas are plentiful in big fish that are not used to seeing spear fisherman. Care needs to be taken in these areas to stay out of areas where blood from a kill is in the water. External links Provides forums, live chat, spearfishing news, classifieds, and a large directory of spearfishing sites worldwide. International Spearfishing Forums and contact information for groups worldwide. Collection of streamed spearfishing videos from around the world International freediving and spearfishing magazine New South Wales, Australia Australian Spearfishing forum. American spearfishing forum. Turkish spearfishing forum. Forum for Spearos around the Mediterranean Sea. International freediving and spearfishing forum.