What can you catch and eat and how?

case_sensitive

Hi all,

I've fascinated by tales of free-divers spearfishing in the south of Italy, and I'd love to try it here, the regular method of catching fish is far too tedius for my liking, I'd much rather wait for or stalk a trout/cod than wait hours for it to eat a grub off a hook.

However, two of my dive friends balked at the prospect of spearfishing, suggesting it might be contrary to the scuba spirit of 'observe but don't interfere with wildlife'. What is the general feeling on this?
If fishing from a boat is ok, is sitting on the bottom waiting for a shoal to pass and spearing one really much different?
What about collecting crabs? The meat is delicious, and there is no shortage of them on many irish dive sites.
Thanks!

annR

It's illegal for scuba divers to collect anything in Ireland. If you want to spear stuff you're going to have to free dive for it

nitroboy

It is illegal for divers to take shellfish on scuba, but other fish are ok, if you can catch them!
There is nothing to say you cant take shellfish or fish while snorkelling though.
scallops are also very tasty, but you can buy them in the shops if you really want to try them!!

case_sensitive

My flatmate is an accomplished free diver/spearfisherman in Italy, reckons it's simply a matter of waiting for them to swim up to you, and making slow movements. Mind you, he got fined €1000 by the Italy maritime police who have all sorts of crazy gear to detect illegal fishing.
A divemaster suggested that you don't point the gun at them, they find that threatening, you wait until they swim by and shoot 'em from the side.
Might be hard, but waiting 4 hours for a nip on a line that turns out to be a shopping trolley isn't a barrel of laughs either.

case_sensitive

Hi all,

just for anyone who's interested, from the Bord Iascaigh Mhara website, here's a pdf detailing the size of fish and shellfish you're allowed to catch in Irish waters.
http://www.bim.ie/uploads/text_content/docs/760User%20friendly%20Guide%20to%20Technical%20Conservation%20Measures.pdf

The map on page 17 says that an edible crab (Cancer pagurus) with a body width of 13cm is fair game. This applies to commercial fisherman, so I can't see any reason why me, my mesh goody bag and scuba should be any different.

Borzoi

case_sensitive wrote:

This applies to commercial fisherman, so I can't see any reason why me, my mesh goody bag and scuba should be any different.

Becasue you don't have a commercial fishing licence?

case_sensitive

Ok, I called Bord Iascaigh Mhara, and Stuart in there tells me diving for shellfish of any kind with scuba or without is totally illegal in Irish waters, though it's legal in British ones (wonder if this includes Norn Iron?). Bummer.
He didn't seem to think there'd be anything wrong with spearfishing a few fish though.