Your thoughts on snorkeling and spearfishing?

[freedivernd]

I've been going round and round with the North Dakota game and fish on their requirment that you must be scuba certified to spearfish in North Dakota.  I've had some interesting e-mail conversations with the Chief, Fisheries Division at the Game and Fish.
  I've checked the surrounding states.. MN, IA, OH, NE, KA, SD, and WI.. no other states requires scuba certification or even that you be scuba diving, several specifically state scuba and snorkeling are allowed, others don't address the difference and either say you must have a flag, be underwater when you discharge a speargun, or just describe the types of guns you can use.
  There are several things at issue here.. mainly that there is no state certifying agency.. (like motor vehicle division for licensing, or the hunter safety course certifications, or the concealed weapons certification.. all state regulated and supervised).  And also, no where does it actually state that you must be scuba diving to spearfish.. only that you must be scuba certified, so by the wording.. you could be snorkeling or freediving while spearfishing, as long as you are certified.  Apparently not the intent as it was written... and hence the Chief told me I couldn't snorkel and spearfish because the requirement for scuba certificatoin was to prevent snorkelers/freedivers from spearfishing.
I'd like your thoughts.. pro-con.. makes no difference.. or even just your thoughts on spearfishing in general..

Here's a link to the ND spearfishing regs:

Thanks,
Fred

[DiverQueen]

Something tells me that the North Dakota department of Game and Fish has NO CLUE as to what a Monofin is either!!! ;D

[tim]

Typical ND, I left for a reason and don't miss it.

No offence Fred
Tim

[Shooter]

Spearfishing? Do I have any thoughts on spearfishing?......... :



I just wish we could convince MN to allow legal spearfishing of anything besides junk fish! As far as being certified to spearfish I think that whoever came up with that law had absolutely no knowledge of the sport whatsoever!

I have to go pack for the spearboard open.............

stand by for reports

[DiverQueen]

And they want you to display the "International" Dive Flag.  A.K.A. International Alpha, the blue and white one that looks like the letter "K"...I know of one store that has one for sale.  Most stores only carry the U.S. Dive Flag. 

[freedivernd]

Not only that.. if you were out diving or spearfishing with the Alpha flag.. no boater or fisherman in North Dakota would know what it was until they buzzed it a few times and saw the diver... in the boating regulations.. they only refer to it as a "divers flag" and then show the standard Divers Down Flag.  I know I'd feel real safe flying the Alpha flag when they don't even tell the boaters what it looks like but then require a diver to use it! :

[deepdarkblue]

Well, Minnesota allows darkhouse spearfisherman to take northern pike in winter through the ice, why not letting some spearfisherman go swim around under it and take some?  Whats the difference? It's all done with a spear.

[Clifonef]

I am neither a spearfisher nor an icefisher nor a fish nor a legislator, but I think the difference is:

The fish has a very slight chance of being speared through a relatively tiny hole in the ice.

The spearfisher can follow the fish or lurk in likely places and gets to choose his/her shot.

Then again, bubbling 6 lbs of air probably scares off a lot of fish.

[freedivernd]

  Which do you think.. Does a diver with air or a diver without air have the better chance of choosing their shot or their fish?
  I ask because in one of the e-mails from the Cheif, he said the concern of the traditional angler back when they legalized spearfishing (about 20 yrs. ago) was that of spearfisherman being able to be selective (meaing, taking all the big fish)
  It wasn't found that that is what happened during their 2 year experiment before the law was implemented.. but I'd like to know what you think..

[Shooter]

If by your own admission, you know absolutely nothing about anything, ??? How can you even begin to tell us something from nothing? Try both then come back here and tell me nothing, but at least you will be able to draw on something  ;D .It is that kind of attitude that creates stupid laws like this one.  > people talking out of their azz  :o
I have to go pack my speargun that I follow fish with, leisurely picking and choosing shots, much like grocery shopping >  :

Oh yeah,

Happy Mothers Day! ;D