Spearfishing etiquette: dos and don'ts

Recently there was a highly publicised incident where some spearos went to Gulf Harbour Marina and speared a friendly kingfish off the local pier. This is an area where the locals have got together and agreed on a voluntary no-take zone. Brilliant, we need more willing groups like this in all aspects of life.

My father-in-law, until he passed away recently, lived on the waterway. I have experienced the fish life there and what it meant to the locals whenever I visited him – it’s as good as any marine reserve I have dived.

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I can’t condone what that spearo did – it was unethical, it was foolhardy using a loaded speargun out of the water and it was a slap in the face to the locals who have nurtured that spot. No one reading this would appreciate someone else coming into their backyard and doing what this guy did.

Of course once this was posted on social media by one of the locals looking for the culprit, the trolls had a field day with it. Trolls are a very brave bunch in the confines of their offices or homes. The rubbish they write and the way they slag off of other people is mind boggling. Really, it says more about the deeper issues those people are suffering than it does about their intended targets.

Ethics is something many people don’t posses, but often their friends do. These friends need to step up in situations like this. There are plenty of kingfish out in the Gulf. In fact, one of the best kingfish spots in the Hauraki Gulf is a mere 10 minutes’ boat ride from Gulf Harbour.

So I guess while I’m on my ramble I should talk about the fact it’s Christmas now and many of you are heading out to try and shoot your first fish. Please educate yourself on fish species to spear and learn how to identify them.

Many of the fish you will see are not great eating, and in some cases their numbers are few. Some mate for life, while others will be in the mating process at this time of year.

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There is much said about the taking of common species like red moki, a slow-growing reef species that is very easy to spear and not that great to eat (I know there will be some reading this who don’t agree…).

My point is, there are so many other species that are more prolific, like trevally, snapper, kahawai, blue maomao, butterfish, kingfish and others that are great to eat and more abundant. Talk to someone in the know, get them to guide you on what to target and if you don’t know what something is, don’t shoot it!

Remember you are responsible for knowing the regulations: fish sizes and numbers you can take. Know where all the reserves are before you enter the water. If you’re not sure about any of these things, go to MPI’s website and check – all the answers can be found there.

Get yourself a correct measuring device because ignorance is no defence if you are found with undersized fish. Fish like red moki have a size limit and it’s quite big, but many people don’t realise this.

Another area often overlooked not only by spearos, but also line fisherman, is the looking after the catch. Prepare before you go – there are endless numbers of chilly bins or chilly bags on the market. It’s a must to have these in the summer, along with ice. If you cant get ice, fill up some bottles with salt water and freeze them down to be used each time you go out to keep fish fresh. Why take a fish if you’re not going to look after it, and of course, eat it?

I have seen guys give fish away and then walk to a fish and chip shop later in the day and buy some crappy old piece of shark with chips!

This brings me to the processing. Have you got a good knife and an area set up to process your catch? If you haven’t, ask someone to buy you a fillet knife for Xmas and keep it sharp.

Get yourself s fillet board, or better still, build a filleting station with a hose nearby and a bin ready to take the scraps. Best thing to do with scraps is freeze them down and take them out on your next trip. Have a big bowl or large flat plate to take your fillets from filleting area to your kitchen.

And last of all use some etiquette around other water users; the ocean is there to be shared.

Dive safe and sensibly this summer.

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   This article is reproduced with permission of   
New Zealand Fishing News

January 2019 - Darren Shields
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

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