C. Regulatory Alternatives for Spearfishing 



1. Status quo: Unregulated spearfishing under all boundary 

 options . 



Commercial spearfishing is no longer feasible because of 

 diminished populations of large specimens, according to the Looe Key 

 Reef Resource Inventory (1978). Individual spearfishing has continued 

 by sport fishermen and local residents who prefer this method of catching 

 edible fish. Although there are no public statistics on the number of 

 spearfishermen at Looe Key, the Looe Key Inventory has stated that spear- 

 fishing activity is widespread in this area. 



In Florida, the total catch of spearfishermen is much less 

 than line fishermen due to environmental conditions (Davis, 1980). Spear- 

 fishinp is more limited by depth, visibility and seasonal temperatures. 



A study of recreational boating in Dade County (Austin et. al ., 

 1977) has indicated that in Dade County the average daily catch of spearfish- 

 ermen was not much different from line fishermen in the same areas. However, 

 total spearfishing activity and grouper catch was much less than that of 

 line fishermen in all areas during all seasons except on the south reef in 

 summer. 



Approximately 58.8 percent of the spearfishermen in the Dade 

 County study used rubberpowered, trigger-activitated guns, 16.5% used 

 Hawaiian slings and 24.7% used both. A small number used pneumatic or 

 springpowered guns or pole guns. Sixty percent were free diving (snorkel 

 only) and 28.4 % used SCUBA equipment when spearfishing. Of all spearfish- 

 ing in Dade County, none was recorded deeper than 80 feet and 71.5 % was 

 conducted between 11 and 30 feet. 



Species sought were limited; groupers (35.8%), hogfish (32.4%) 

 and snapper (8.9%). Preference for snapper was misleading; however, since 

 many spearfishermen regard hogfish as snapper. It appears that spearfishing 

 at Looe Key will, but not in comparison to commercial and recreational line 

 fishing, reduce significantly large predators and other fish species impor- 

 tant to the continued health of the reef system. 



Spearfishing, however, quickly makes grouper and snapper very 

 wary of divers, too wary in fact, to be observed by most nonspearfishermen 

 who lack experienced observation skills (Davis, 1980, DEIS comments). The 

 Looe Key Resource Inventory (1978) stated that "... the practice of spear- 

 fishing, even when not many fish are taken, creates wariness in the hunted 

 species and effectively causes them to move out of the area." The authors 

 contrast the current situation at Looe Key Reef, where larger groupers are 

 quite rare and exhibit wariness of divers, to that in the Key Largo Marine 

 Sanctuary, where these fish are relatively abundant and can be approached 

 closely. 



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