The current advice: we blog; you read.

It has been on the discussion table for sometime. All of us have this part inside us that says: Not everyone would understand & value this sport. I would like to add to that; some like who we call "EVIL" .... would try to pin us down & cry out to ban this sport. They actually don't know that they are the first to majorly impact the environment, not spearfishing. This does not include Scuba Spearfishing of course. Scuba hunting is way out of the league.  Again it revolves around how Spearfishing is perceived by the community. When I say community, I mean the general community, this includes a wide margin of cultures & backgrounds. From Scientists to normal people who don't even want to know that the ocean exists. Maybe because they don't know how to swim ? maybe, I don't know.

So it is not an ethical approach to ban extreme sports & adventure seekers like spearfishing fans. I would simply say that our ancestors; we are all human beings right ? our great great ancestors & tribes used spearfishing or hunting at some extent. Logic isn't it. Yes but things where different at that time & there was an abundance of everything you wish for. Now tables have turned & countries will start fighting over food for God Sake !!! So keep the fish there, don't scare them or hunt them, we need white meet to feed the people. Oh & you usually destroy the echo system when you touch anything down there. 

This is all respected; cant you see that in every single thing in this world there is Clint Eastwood's "The good, the bad & the ugly? Today it's still the same. The ideal hunters will be eager to learn about every single aspect of the echosystem they are tapping on. They are ethical & care about the environment that they enjoy & become part of. They believe in keeping this gift well preserved for their following generations will enjoy. They are for sure "the good". We see people who practice spearfishing generically without having even a slight idea about the basic environmental information nor the general behavior of the marine life out there. You might see them hunting stone fish, endangered fish or even cracking corals apart. They are for sure "the bad". The worst of all are "the ugly". They are the complete unwanted ones, who seek nothing but damage & only damage wherever they go. I have learned that commercial fishermen in some areas around are known to practice spearfishing frenzy's taking out every single edible fish in the sea. No matter how will this negatively impact the ecosystem & the general balance down there. They just seek more flesh & more weight to sell on the market. They are "the ugly" with honors. You can find those gimps widely spread in the Mediterranean sea & another majority in the south Red sea. They will spear anything, anywhere & at any time.

Now It was firmly noticed that fish on the market would sell fresh with perfect whole bodies that where caught in fisheries nets. I have never seen a speared fish being sold in the local market until recently. I have noticed that some outlets now accept to sell speared fish & believe me all kinds of fish that you may or may not imagine. The puncture of the shaft is so obvious & to tell you the truth; is cleanly done. Some of this fish  is too large to be sold on the usual retail market so most probably would be sold to Hotels for mass processing.

You know it's always an unpleasant thing to have a minority or even a majority misuse or abuse the whole sport. There are many restrictions in terms of environmental laws & regulations. However; through my readings it mainly targeted the protected areas or preservatives. All articles show vague displays of fishing regulations whether it's commercial or recreational. Some sets of Scuba diving regulations etc. & that's it. There is no specific highlight on Spearfishing as a water sport.  If you go to  CDWS

you will actually find nothing there except of it's rich content about Scuba Diving & Water sports as in Surfing, wind surfing, kite surfing, snorkeling, skiing, sailing & boats stuff. Most of it is coming soon but hey; at least we have something moving in the right direction.

This is what I am trying to talk about, it's not an individual quest but many hunters here in Egypt are talking about it. What's the harm of having a decent regulation that controls the sport ? I do not believe that it's an excess of work, it's rather so simple. As most of us learned; it's so cool to go to the school of winners. Why don't we learn from other countries like Australia or South Africa ? Why don't we learn about the regulations implemented for Spearfishing that includes coverage of marine life preservation, species bag limits & several other guidelines ? Controlling the seasonality & respecting the breeding time is another dimension. As mentioned in an earlier post; it is a long way that should be at least taken in small steps. Some of our friends have already asked their lawyers to pursue this issue however; all what they have came upon is the same result. No firm article or regulation bans spearfishing activity "Excluding national preservatives" or "Marine parks" Lets take this coming part as an easy read that I got off the POV "Project ocean vision" It's the set of regulations related to Ras Mohamed National Park, I have highlighted the debatable part.... enjoy the following article:

Ras Mohammed National Park Rules - Red Sea Diving Regulations
The National Park rules are largely concerned with conservation (as one would expect). I have not yet found any additional rules for divers concerning equipment, maximum depths or the like. Here are the rules issued by CDWS:

Do not collect, remove or damage any material, living or dead, from the Park (corals, shells, fish, plants, fossils, etc.).
Driving of any vehicle or motorized transport (including motor-bikes and quads) off the marked tracks or onto any beach is prohibited.
Chasing or tracking animals (including birds) by means of any vehicle or motorized transport is prohibited, Please treat our wildlife with respect.
Camping is prohibited except at the designated areas (as indicated by notice).
Littering is prohibited, please place litter, garbage and waste in the litter bins and other containers provided, or take it away with you.
Closed areas are used for studying ecosystems (habitats), monitoring the environment and to protect examples of natural habitat in their pristine condition. They are also genetic reserves .Access to them is, therefore, prohibited.
Please ensure that the vehicle you are using is in reliable condition and can sustain driving on the designated tracks. It is recommended that you inform someone of your route and destination.
Avoid walking or standing on any reef or other marine substrate on coral areas since this breaks and damages corals, which are critical to our natural resources. Please use the designated access points for snorkeling, diving, and moorings.
Feeding fish and animals upsets the biological balance and is, therefore, prohibited.

Fishing in any form including spearfishing, is not allowed in any Protected Area (except if a special license is issued by the Park Authority).

Visitors are required to leave the National Park by sunset, unless staying in the designated camping area at the marine laboratory or attending officially organized events at the visitors' centre.
It is prohibited to cause any form of pollution by discharging or throwing away any substance (including liquids and solids) that are harmful to the environment.
Please take care to avoid any pollution of the environment by discharge or escape of substances such as oil or sewerage.
Please take note of any instructions posted in the Park or provided at the gate.

Offenders are subject to prosecution according to the terms of Law 102 of 1983, and all other relevant laws.

 Any way; I know that this is taking too long but, it is quite important. So finally or unfortunately I have to go down low a little bit on the "Trip Log posts" as recommended by several fellow hunters. At least for the time being. Not to provoke any "EVIL" spirit & lead to stripping us from this wonderful package. So until we are back with the logs safely; hopefully in this life, I will be only posting any new records. Our trip logs will be at the discretion of each Mazameer & Red Sea Hogs member. Sorry, but I'll keep you posted.