I've done lots of snorkeling n scuba diving -- and I think it would be fun .... But it occured to me that in my many trips to Negril, I had never seen a tourist do spear fishing .... Is it harder than it looks?
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I've done lots of snorkeling n scuba diving -- and I think it would be fun .... But it occured to me that in my many trips to Negril, I had never seen a tourist do spear fishing .... Is it harder than it looks?
Used to spearfish with my Jamaica style home made gun 4 or 5 days a week when I had the Hobie cats on the beach back in the 70s. Nothing like fried fish for lunch... I would think that today you'd need some sort of license. Also the fish stocks may not be what they were back then
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Yes ..I "tried" it one afternoon with some Jamaican lads ..oh ..lets say 10 years ago .. no licence required .. as i didn't even get remotely close to killing or catching anything ..not even sure I came close enough to spook them .. however the lads did fine and all three had enough fish ..albeit small ones to feed themselves that night .. they were especially adept at picking off the lobster on the cliffs near bloody bay ..
I decided that swimming down far enough for a closer look at the lobsters thereupon perched .. thats when my spearfishing snorkelling days came to an abrupt end when an eel ..that I didn't see lunged right at my face from a hole deep in the cliffs .. i scooby doed it out of the water ..leaving a shyte trail behind me ..Never snorkled since ..although I'd love to spend an afternoon spearfishing again .. it was a great way to spend the day ..
Here's a picture of four intrepid fish hunters.
The white guy next to me is Wayne. He's wearing a small fish gun in his hip and a dagger. Looks like a gunfighter in the old West.
I'm holding my 5' old reliable.
The Jamaican next to me is Jerry. He's holding a lobster hook. It's a small long handled gaff for pulling lobsters out of their holes.
Next to him is my son Linston holding the gun Wayne carried for him. Behind us is my 48' sport fisherman made from a cottonwood tree.
Great memories.....
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Years ago I did the spearfishing on the reef about 1 mile west of Booby cay. Then fish were plentiful and I would grab lobster by the Antennae that waved around from holes in the reef. I would grab them quickly and hold on tight as not to let them rake my hand. Today I believe that one could help the reef by spear fishing the Lionfish that have moved in. The reef itself is fished quite hard and there are few large fish there now, and the ones that are there are needed. Read up on lionfish as they have venomous spines and need to be handled with care although I understand that they are quite delish.
Nice photos Captn. AND a dug out cottonwood boat too boot.
Love your old photos captain.
Captaind,
It's great to see Negril thru your eyes back in the day. Thanks for sharing your memories.
Thanks for sharing captaind
What a trip -- never before heard of an eel being aggressive against a snorkler or diver ... except in a great movie from the 1970s called THE DEEP .....
I went out several times with a local speargun fisherman. It was a challenge just keeping up with him snorkeling on top water as he searched from structure to structure. I could not hold my breathe long enough to do any serious spearing and not being used to the pressure on my ears 20-25 feet down, I rather enjoyed watching him do his magic as I snorkeled the surface.
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I tried it in Little Bay. There were lots of fish, and it was pretty easy after a bit of practice. Having some one to show you how is ideal. While I was fishing he was checking all the holes in the coral for lobster.
Nice long gun! Just right...
Spear fishing is "illegal" in Jamaica. Spear fishing with a powerful "spear fishing gun" destroys coral reefs worldwide and Jamaica's reefs are already suffering. The Jamaican government is allowing only, "hand held" spears to gently pluck lion fish from it's waters. Encouraging the gun type is only going to encourage further destruction of such a beautiful and delicate part of our world. Please consider the consequences. If we make a market for it, it will never stop. There are other eco friendly ways to catch a good dinner.
We thank you.
RHP
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhodesresort
I completely agree and endorse your comment. What we did 30 yrs ago is no longer acceptable. The reef was much healthier then.
Captaind;
Who would have thought back then, a simple thing like fishing would have impacted the world today in such a negative way? But, it's not to late to make positive changes.
Thank you for your reply.
FYI - Net fishing is also illegal...yet I see it done quite often from my yard and through the photos of other tourists who go out with fishermen.
Rastagirl777 - Thank you for reminding us. Good news though, since the government named our bay (Samuel's Bay and Orange Bay), a National Marine Park, and with help from the National Environmental Protection Agency, we see very few boats or net fishing activity during the day. However, it still exists at night. They drag their nets across the reef and use our shoreline to pull up their catch. It takes them about 4 hours. We've seen what they catch for all that effort and it's very little. Mostly young, infantile fish. Baby Red Snapper, Parrot Fish, etc., to be sold at local restaurants and hotels. We actively encourage local fisherman to catch lion fish with hand held spears. We suggest they leave the young ones in the ocean so they can grow to maturity. Shoreline fishing along the coral reefs is also illegal. They must go beyond the reef in deeper water to fish. We don't allow our guests to fish as some even bring fishing poles with them. We strictly prohibit it.
It is going to take time to correct what we have done to our planet. Past, present and future. However, we are very optimistic. Especially, if we have people like you to spread the word.
As a lifetime mariner who's traveled all the world's seas I can only say "BUMP"Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhodesresort
Well well Captiand...looks like you had it goin on!!! I see that swagger, lol ;)
what about the horses that crap in the water at certain places?
robcurry ... stole the words out of my mouth ..and have you seen the shoreline of the negril river lately ..i mean really went down der and had a boo..scary ..no wonder no one fishes from the bridge any longer .. ice shields and coral reef respected ..but a hungry wantin stomach will prevail EVERY time ..so goes it ..
We need to inforce these laws, but cannot....the fishing going on in Ja, waters is totally unrestricted...I, personally, don't know the answer....I am hoping that things will get resolved in the near future.
Most folks "pon the rock" won't even eat the fish from the north coast ..due to the pollution from the cruise liners ..times change .. I remember very well eating squirrel..dove.. and muskrat at my grandparents..bet dat dont happen to often anymore...
Overfishing is a world wide epidemic ..mostly from dem HUGE trawlers ..it most certainly isnt from the cast lines nor from the spear guns..reefs respected ..funny the only way to reinvigorate dem reefs ..is to have NO human contact whatsoever ..say what you want about Cuba ..but they have some of the MOST eco friendly policies pon the earth ..
Cast lines and spear guns will ultimately ruin the little bit of our remaining coral reefs. They are disappearing fast. By 2050, scientists claim there will be no more coral reefs. Much is caused by chemicals that spill down from the land. This is happening all over the world. Everything we do effects our precious coral reefs. Everything we do.