Spearfishing and freediving are growing in popularity in Australia due to clear water, large fish, healthy outdoor exercise, superb seafood and education. The AUF is a volunteer organisation and plays a significiant co-ordinating role in this exciting sport.
As a national not-for-profit organisation, AUF relies on the support from marine enthusiasts across Australia. With the financial and moral contribution from individuals and institutions around Australia and the world, AUF has the financial capacity and public mandate to advocate for the sustainable use of our marine environment.
Safe Sustainable Selective Seafood
The AUF promotes spearfishing as being SAFE SUSTAINABLE SELECTIVE SEAFOOD
Safety
While safety is an important consideration in all forms of recreational fishing it is particularly important to educate and promote safe practices when spearfishing. Some of the ways the AUF as an organisation promote our safety message is by having a safety code that is provided to new members, providing safety equipment to clubs and training members on how to use it (oxyviva), discussing safe diving practices at meetings, and reviewing safety messages and how best to promote safe practices.
Safety concerns initiated the Spearsafe campaign which facilitates the widespread promotion of safety in the sport to the spearfishing community as a whole, including addressing the culture in the sport and training for participants.
Sustainable
Spearfishing as a form of fishing is very ecologically sustainable and doesn’t produce bycatch. Spearfishers are limited in where and when they can hunt, with factors like visibility, depth of water and strong currents limit where and when you can spear. Importantly, these factors combine to limit the potential impact the sport can have and ensure the conservation of our fisheries resources.
Selective
‘Selective’ is the way in which AUF members participate in the sport, taking only enough fish for ones immediate needs and respecting the marine life encountered.
‘SAFE SUSTAINABLE SELECTIVE SEAFOOD’ will continue to be a major focus for the AUF with the Spearsafe campaign supplementing the ongoing promotion of "safe, sustainable and selective" practices within the sport.
Spearsafe
Spear Safe is a national initiative to improve safety for Australian spearfishers. The initiative involves some of Australia’s top divers and attempts to bring together a cohesive view on safety issues involved with spear-fishing.
Spear Safe has the potential to save lives and greatly reduce the number of injuries and fatalities occurring all over Australia associated with spearfishing.
