Spear Fishing: The Most Ethical Way to Catch Your Dinner Underwater

When you think of fishing, what comes to mind? A rod and reel off a quiet jetty? Massive commercial trawlers sweeping up fish by the ton? Or maybe, a lone diver gliding through the sea with just a speargun and a breath of air?

While fishing is as old as humanity itself, not all fishing methods are created equal — especially when it comes to protecting our oceans. Among them all, spearfishing stands out as the most selective, sustainable, and low-impact method of harvesting seafood.

Let’s dive in.

🎯 What Is Spearfishing?

Spearfishing is an ancient practice, dating back thousands of years, where divers hunt fish using a speargun or pole spear while snorkeling or freediving (and sometimes scuba diving, where regulations allow). It requires skill, patience, and a deep connection to the marine environment — because unlike other methods, you're choosing your target fish, one at a time, up close and personal.

🐟 Comparing Fishing Methods: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Method	Description	Environmental Impact	Selectivity
Trawling	Large nets dragged along the seabed or midwater	Severe: bycatch, habitat destruction	Very Low
Longlining	Baited hooks on lines that stretch for miles	High: unintended catch like turtles, sharks	Low
Recreational Rod Fishing	Hook and line from shore or boat	Moderate: risk of injury to bycatch, gut hooking	Medium
Aquaculture (Fish Farms)	Farmed fish in enclosed pens	Varies: pollution, disease, escaped fish	Controlled
Spearfishing	Hunting fish individually while diving	Minimal: no bycatch, no habitat damage	Very High

💚 Why Spearfishing Is Better for the Ocean

1. No Bycatch

One of the biggest issues with most commercial and recreational fishing is bycatch — the unintentional capture of non-target species like sea turtles, juvenile fish, dolphins, and sharks. These animals often die and are discarded, wasting life and harming populations.

Spearfishing eliminates bycatch. You only shoot what you see and intend to eat.

2. No Ghost Gear

Lost fishing lines, nets, and traps continue to kill marine life long after they're abandoned — known as "ghost fishing." Spearfishing doesn't involve any gear left in the ocean, leaving no deadly legacy behind.

3. No Habitat Destruction

Bottom trawlers rip up coral reefs, seagrass beds, and sponge gardens. Even anchoring for rod fishing can damage sensitive habitats. Spearfishers are part of the ecosystem, swimming among it without leaving a trace.

4. Selective and Ethical

You're not just choosing the species — you're choosing the size, maturity, and even the specific fish. You’re making conscious decisions, not just casting a net and seeing what turns up.

🤿 The Responsibility of the Spearfisher

But let’s be honest: spearfishing isn’t automatically ethical. It depends on how it's practiced.

A responsible spearfisher:

• Knows their fish species and only takes sustainable, legal catches.

• Respects size limits and breeding seasons to avoid depleting populations.

• Never over-harvests, taking only what’s needed.

• Avoids protected areas and endangered species.

• Continues to learn and adapt, treating the ocean with humility.

It’s not just about skill — it’s about stewardship.

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🌊 A More Conscious Connection

There’s something deeply personal about spearfishing. You’re not removed from the act like you are with a rod or a net. You meet your food, eye to eye. You hold your breath, swim with the current, and move as one with the reef. That kind of hunting demands respect, not exploitation.

It makes you think twice — about what you eat, how you take it, and how it impacts the ocean.

🌱 A Call to Conscious Fishing

If you're looking to harvest your own seafood with the least environmental harm — spearfishing may be the most sustainable way to do so. It demands effort, education, and ethics. But the reward is far more than a fresh fish dinner.

It’s about honouring the ocean and walking (or swimming) your talk when it comes to sustainability.

So next time someone asks, “Is fishing bad for the ocean?” — tell them it doesn’t have to be. Just hand them a mask, a snorkel, and a speargun… and let them see the sea through a more conscious lens.