Blame the Tourists

I am tired of hearing the argument that spear fishers have no impact on the reef and that any loss of fish and degradation of the coral has been caused by snorkeling tourists.

My usual swim is over a narrow strip of coral which hugs the rocky shore, and I always encounter several spear fishers methodically combing the bottom for fish and octopus. They are out there covering this same small area every day. Every day. This photo is of one of the twelve spear fishers I saw this morning obviously doing his best to protect the aina.