Just got this photo in an email alert from Bonefish and Tarpon Unlimited. According to Tarbone, spearfishing for tarpon is a growing recreational pursuit in Louisiana. As tarpon aren’t regarded as table fare, the practice of spearfishing for them is pure blood sport. I have no problem with spear fishing if the fish targeted is to be eaten, in season, and within regulation, but to kill a fish like a tarpon just to kill it…
Especially fish that, according to Tarbone, “are long lived (>80 years) and slow growing, which means that they are especially vulnerable to harvest.”
Here’s the web link with contact information for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Urge the State to change the regulations.
UPDATE: Had to remove the photo, but it’s a picture of three guys holding up tarpon they’ve just killed on a spearfishing dive. The photo originated from the Hell Divers web site. They have more than one photograph of divers holding up speared tarpon.
UPDATE: Tarpon is listed as an ineligible species by the International Underwater Spearfishing Association.
UPDATE: Other blogs that picked up the Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited story…
Fly Fish Magazine, Fly Talk, Lateral Line Media, Midcurrent
Pete McDonald
I’m back again Pete,
Went on a H&L fishing trip today, and boy I feel for you guys. Jerkin a line on the end of an idiot stick was the worst idea I ever had. Too many cocktails the night before got me on that boat. But I was with friends and that’s all that matters.
We had to run away from the fish? Yes over here in Louisiana, we are still following the fedral regs for red snappers. I have no idea why.
But I’m troubled when guys from Fla. try to impose their beliefs on us over here when they won’t even follow the fedral regs in their own state. Same with Texas where I have many friends, but was also attacked by Scott Salacia.
Let me tell you where I stand on that issue, I was on the Recreational Red Snapper Ad Hoc Committee and the motion was made to implemet rule #306 and make you guys follow the fedral regs even in your state waters. Do you wanna know how I voted, I voted AGAINST you guys having to follow the fedral regs. You wanna know why? It’s not right for one, and I don’t know enough about Fla. or Texas waters to make that kind of judgement. Also I respect their biologist that think the NMFS is full of BS with all these overkill fish regulations.
And on the same note, you don’t know enough about Louisiana waters to make any judgements to what we do over here, as I said once before, if you’re not getting wet don’t tll me the fish stocks are declining, remember, I jerked a line today and came home empty-handed. With my speargun, the box would have been full, maybe that’s why I’ve been discriminated against all of my life.
BTW, LSU biologist have already came out and said, there is a deffinate resident tarpon population in Louisiana. We have fish that do not migrate, because we have ideal habitat, year round, that’s our target and it shouldn’t bother your little piece of the pie.
And I notice your buddies with all the one liners have desserted you, my buddies didn’t dessert me. Thanks guys.
Rok out
“Obviously no concern for design or aesthetics… just a really crappy 1999 type of website, devoted to killing things because they’re big”- Mike
Is this an insult?
Maybe we should blog at WordPress.com with the theme of Mistylook by Sadish and not spend time killing big ones like ya’ll
Way to be elitist-
Shouldn’t ya’ll be about moral & cultural relativism?
I am a hardcore spearfisherman. to be honest I don’t see the fun or “hunt” or anything “primal” about spearing a tarpon on scuba that lets you swim right up to it and shoot it point blank in the head and then wait for it to tire out towing a float or reel then shoot it point blank in the head again.
I mean spearfishing isn’t fun if the fish is stupid and doesn’t even know its being hunted. Doesn’t this take the whole “hunt” aspect out of it? this is the same reason I don’t shoot AJ’s. Shooting a large fish just to show it to people that don’t know about spearfishing to look cool is petty. Anybody that knows shit about spearing would be more impressed with somebody that shot a 20lb cubera than a 200lb tarpon. I mean damn, don’t you get sick of shooting a fish that is so easy to get close to after the first or second time and that has NO food value. argue it all you want, tarpon is shit as table fare. Any fish that is glamorous or considered a trophy in spearfishing is very good to eat, thats just the way it is.
Elitist Freediver,
You’re obviously ignorant about SCUBA spearing rules in Lousiana, there are no floats and no reels, there is also no 2nd spear. The spearfishing clubs in Louisiana shoot the fish, then hang on, no matter how deep or how big. You let go, you lose your gear.
From what I was told SKIN spearing rules in Louisiana are the same way, no reels, no floats.
Doesn’t sound very easy to me, I don’t think I’d try that on a fish that may be well over 100 lbs.
Next time read all the posts before commenting, it won’t make you look so stupid.
“Give me liberty or give me a tarpon burger”
The real saying is me liberty or give me death.
Are you saying eating tarpon is death because IT’S FUCKING INEDIBLE?
….ok man, i’ll try not to look stupid to a bunch of guys that spear inedible fish just to feel cool.
Elitist Freediver, maybe I will look cool when I pass up the big AJ’s and shoot a 20lb. Cubera Snapper. Maybe there is a reason why you are avoiding Amberjack. You are misinformed if you think that shooting AJ’s and Tarpon is as easy as shooting them point blank and hanging out while the fish tires. In Louisiana, the fish on the rigs are 2-3 x’s bigger here than in other parts of the world. Shooting at 100+’ under an obstruction like an oil rig with currents and low vis is more of a challenge than you think. As for tarpon, if anyone showed up with a tarpon that was landed on a buoy, they would be laughed out of the state and it would not count for anything. Did you not read my post? Only the best divers in the world can successfully shoot a tarpon on scuba, and 30 fish per year is not something to criticize someone on. The fact is that you or I am not good enough to do it safely. I on the other hand will have my record tarpon on the books in the next 2 years, and you will still be avoiding big Amberjack because an 80lb fish is not worth your time. By the way, the council already has a 106′ Amberjack shot in February of this year. Come on down if you think you are cool enough to break that weight.
Are you guys saying that you shoot Tarpon without a floatline or Reelgun? Are you using scuba or is it done on one breath? I am a competent freediver but it sounds very difficult to land a 50 kg gamefish without a floatline or reelgun. How many divers have died doing this? My email add is cyclone.prop@iafrica.com if you want to reply privatly. Thanks
If I can’t eat it or give to somebody that will, I’m not going to kill it. I read an article recently in an outdoors magazine – the writer said he felt fine about shooting grass carp because he could justify it as fertilizer for his fruit trees. Stretching?
I am a spearfisherman and am pretty dissappointed that those folks condone spearing Tarpon. I have dove with Tarpon and it is an amazing experience. The approach very closely almost touching you and then just slightly veering at the last second. Shooting one would be extremely simple.
That Hell Divers site has a lot of links to spearfishing products on it. The manufacturers of those spearfishing products don’t want their name associated with something so controversial and outright wrong. Contact those manufacturers but when you do it, don’t blow your stack. Instead, in a rational fashion, simply point out that the sport of spearfishing and sales of their products will be hurt if those products are used to kill Tarpon.