I am incredibly grateful to have been introduced to freediving and spearfishing by no other than Valentine Thomas, a freediving instructor, published chef and advocate for sustainable eating, who quit her job in London to live a simple life and to spread the word about eating responsibly and following her dreams.
Blue Food
A healthy human future depends on healthy oceans. Blue food could have a huge role to play in feeding the planet sustainably and healthily.
Blue food – that is, all edible marine and freshwater organisms, including fish, shellfish and algae, whether wild caught or from aquaculture – is the cornerstone of around 3 billion people’s diets today, and will likely be a much more important part of all our diets tomorrow. It is a key source of protein and essential micronutrients.
Here are some examples of fish and seafood that we caught while in The Bahamas.
Hogfish
Grouper
Caribbean lobster
Mahi Mahi
Uni (sea urchins)
Snapper
Schoolmaster
Bonita (false albacore)
Yellow Jack
Mackerel
Crab
Lionfish
‘‘Our greatest motivation is something very simple; since the beginning of time we have hunted for food, survived, and nothing more. I swim in the ocean, hold my breath, and catch a fish.’’
Spearfishing & Sustainability
Spearfishing has become the most sustainable fishing method for many reasons. One of the biggest is that it has the most selective catch, by species, size, and quantity. It also has the least problems for the environment, no by-catch, it doesn’t need any bait, almost no gear loss, virtually no non-targeted species impact, and no harm to the surrounding underwater environment.
More spearfishing enthusiasts, than ever before, now have become ambassadors for the ocean, not by just following all the rules and regulations, but also raising their personal standards to higher levels than just the law.
Spearfishing is an amazingly selective way to harvest fish that has minimal impact on a reef when the right choices are made. But the act of owning a speargun does not make you an ethical or sustainable harvester; it’s making the right decisions in the hunt and harvest.
“Being a great spearfisher doesn’t mean you have to take as much as you can. In fact, it should mean the opposite. It was hard to quit competition and hard to speak up for conservation but my love for the ocean kept me true to my values and through that, I learned to embrace my voice and I’m so grateful that others embraced it too.” - Kimi Werner
Ethical, sustainable, or selective harvester—whichever words are being used, it always comes back to making the right decisions. Having the proper knowledge allows the freediver to make right decisions to better protect the longevity of all reefs.
Sources
Sustainable Spearfishing, Keeping & Cooking Your Catch
Kimi Werner – Shining a Light on Sustainable Spearfishing
Spearfishing is Sustainable Fishing
Ethical & Sustainable Mindsets of Harvesting
A healthy human future depends on healthy oceans. Here's why