Just like any other sport, spearfishing has its share of controversy from time to time. Spearfishing with scuba gear is illegal in many European and Caribbean nations but not in the United States. Let’s take a look at the most often cited reasons spearfishing with scuba gear is often prohibited, which are not indicative of all spearfishers and are passionately debated.
There are numerous reasons why spearfishing in this manner is illegal in some places around the world, one of them being that it is unfair to the prey. Any fisherman will tell you that the thrill of the hunt is one of the biggest reasons they fish. Wearing life support equipment, a hunter can stay down much longer, giving them an unfair advantage against unwitting prey. It also gives an unethical diver more time to collect well beyond the legal limit.
Another reason why spearfishing with scuba gear is often prohibited is that it allows the diver to target the biggest and best of a specific species, which could result in a decline in species population. Oftentimes, the biggest and best of the group is at peak sexual maturity and should be left in the ecosystem to reproduce. Conversely, juveniles may be easier to catch but must be allowed to mature so they can also repopulate.
Research shows that spearfishing while using scuba gear hurts coral reefs. Restricting spearfishing regulations to disallow scuba gear can help recover coral bleaching events. Certain species, like parrotfish, are an integral part of the reef ecosystem due to their propensity to graze on algae that would otherwise build up on and choke corals. Their removal from the ecosystem would trigger a dramatic shift, perhaps even permanently altering the microcosms within.
In any case, it should be in every scuba diver and spearfisherman’s purview to support a sustainable population of fish in all marine habitats. Without this support, neither the diver nor the hunter would have a place to fulfill their pursuits. Although it is legal in some places, consider these points the next time you’re going spearfishing with scuba gear.
