spearfishing with cylinders

[charlie]

Lately I heard rumours about guys who do spearfishing with cylinders as their full time job had applied for a special licence so they can do their job legally .Could this thing be done?

[SPNOTTA]

It can be done. For example in northern europe, in some countries members of the EU spearfishing at night is allowed since daylight hours are minimal.

The local government can push this but that would be really the cherry on the cake.

Can I please ask you from where did you hear this?

[bigboy]

I know of someone from msida who goes out every single day diving with cylinders using spearguns. It is an everyday job no matter what weather it is. If its rough outside they go inside the harbour and always come in with a load of fish.

[EmicMalta]

what are they aloud to catch Charlie? For example, whats about rizzi? Is it leagale or illegale to pick up?

[charlie]

they go for fish  and octopus and they do great catches they go for fish at 50-60m depth and at 8m to 15 for octopus

[EmicMalta]

thats not good and not fair. First of all for the fish and even for the spearos and anglers who go for sport. If they do it with apnea, then as like an italian law, then I  agree with it. With apnea one is restricted to a number of chatches and deapth.

In 50-60mtr although its a high deapth a lot of scuba is being  made. Over there even if they do just a little time, there the fish is completelly friendly. At that deapths the fish will be reproducing so thats the worst thing to do

[mellieha]

I can confirm what emic said about the fish at greater depths.

Fish seem to be more friendly less frightened by humans. 
As regards to Octupus it is not the first time we caught octupus bare handed (whilst with scuba) to show them to tourists, then we let go. 

Regarding Octupus do not think that they are only available at lower depths I have seen a large quantity of Octupus at depts over 40mtrs. 

I am from Mellieha and has been diving frequently to 50 mtrs octupus sometimes are very abundant whilst sometimes totally inexistent in the same spots.  As what regards to fish they are not that easily approcable with diving aids since the sound produced by the exhailed air seems to scare them.  This can be eliminated by a rebreader (I do not know what equipment are these guys using).

Mellieha

[wahx]

License or no license, spearfishing using cylinders is illegal!!
Sometimes they use more than one cylinder and catch boats full of fish!

[Granitu]

a lot do spearfishing on a commercial basis with cylinders

you did mention one emic who helped in the search of herbet. i know that person very well. he goes for groupers

the funny thing is that they pay no taxes.. and this is not a one off catch, every single day

[EmicMalta]

in Italy I know 3 guys. Have good contact with one from Bari. Infact he he hear about this topic, he goes crazy. We are in the EU and if they want, they can send people over here to control all this especially if there is a conjunction with the italian market

http://gozodive.com/news/?p=15

[baghira]

This topic is really questionable??
I do practice both sports, and in the past when it was legal to spearfish with tanks, i also did some. Since the new laws were introduced I did adhere to these, and started apnea seriously, and to say it all it gives me nowadays much greater satisfaction. But when you say that the fish at certain areas and depths are more friendly, you are right but thrust me, with a gun in your hands, they do get scared. And a second thing, when you go down to 50 metre you are really limited with time, adding the noise of the tanks (for sure no rebreathers are used), and the time to take out the fish from some crevice and the time to reload, you will not have much time left? so what are the heavy catches?
If you stay at 15 metres than that is a different issue.
I am not defending those guys, cause for sure if this is happening, i am completely against, since at the end of the day i am a spearo, but I am just saying that what you hear may not be all true.

[Granitu]

hard to believe baghira, i saw this particular person's catch once. 3 gropers of approximately 8.15 kgs each. they were all of the same approximate size. funny to say he smokes like a chimney. if i am not mistaken he uses nitrox

he knows how fond of fishing i am,  by no means he is a bad person (he offered me to go with them on his dingy) but what he was doing is illegal. don't know now what he is doing. it is condemnable, for sure

happened to know him when i was searching for a boat, he was fixing a spear, and tried to sell me  a scam of a boat(the boat full of cracks, had some tough use)

[Arti2]

Maybe they do not make heavy catches with fish but with Octopus and se urchins yes.
I know guys who caught 50Kg octopus and boats full of sea urchins at Marsascala.
They catch even small octopus which myself I call keychains.

At Zonqor spearos where having a good season with octopus in November for a while.
When these scuba divers were informed with the catches the spearos where achieving, they made double dives using more than one cylinder.

[wahx]

There must be some control on the clubs that fill the cylinders of these people.
At zonqor arti there is a scuba diving club which is supposed to help protect the sea but every scuba diver usung a speargun goes there to fill their tanks.

And the worse is that there are guys taking tourists and they spearfish with cylinders themselves.

[mellieha]

Diving with Nitrox is a different story as it greatly increases bottom time.

I think one has to try and have fisical proof of what is happening. 

then one should pressurise the dive shops that refill them with air.  secondly report these individuals to the authorities.  They could risk a confscation of all the equipment.  etc etc

Adrian