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[INSERT SPEARFISHING SEMINAR HERE] INITIAL CONSIDERATIONS Gun Type and Size its important to chose the correct gun for the place and type of hunting you'll be doing. more in the next section about the gun. Float and Dive Flag Float and flag are incredibly important Season: May to Oct-November Fish migrate to deeper waters in winter Fish Stringer A fish stringer also great to add to your kit. Wear it on your waist or attach it to the buoy. (seals...seagulls?) Consider entanglement dangers - don't use a steel multifilament wire one (cannot cut with knife if entangled)

[INSERT WEBINAR VIDEO HERE] SUSTAINABILITY What we are taking no point in carrying one questionable sized scallop around with you on your whole dive - if you are going out for scallops, bring a catch bag and measuring device give the catch away to the neighbors. its ok to give a fish or lobster away occasionally but if you don't eat seafood, you need a different hobby Seasons Legalities Limit for personal consumption

[INSERT VIDEO HERE] SPEARFISHING MANTRA Take only what you need Eat what you kill Don’t be trigger-happy That's a wrasse! I mean wrap! Thanks all for participating in this foundational course on under water foraging and spearfishing! We hope you have enjoyed it and found the information in here helpful. We look forward to hearing about your adventures under the sea, and wish you steady hands, safe dives, lots of great spearo buddies, and delicious, sustainable food on your table. If you have some time, we would truly appreciate it if you could leave us a review on both of these sites (it is fine if you copy and paste the same review)! Google Review - Emerald Freediving Tripadvisor Review - Emerald Freediving Thank you! - Dave and Charlie (?)

Download Equipment Checklist {[INSERT DOWNLOAD SHEET HERE Do you wanna look like this guy? Or this guy?

Make any cheat sheet for introduction info? Feel free to download each section's cheat sheets for quick reference to important course information:

[INSERT VIDEO HERE] FRIENDLIES Friendlies: These are fish that we are not typically targeting. Ballan Wrasse Wrasse are usually the most abundant fish that beginners will see in the water. There are 5 main species in Irish waters. The 2 largest are Ballan and Cuckoo Wrasse other 3 species rarely get bigger than 15cm - Corkwing, Rock Cook and Goldsinny (Yes, their names do sound like they come from Harry Potter). Ballan (30-50cm) are highly variable in colour red-orange green beige Cuckoo Males are orange with hints of blue - Cuckoo Females have black and white hints Wrasse are important predators of sea urchins - they keep them at bay and prevent them from getting out of control. They eat algae and kelp and could decimate an area if allowed Wrasse are demersal (on the seabed) nest builders. The make the nests from plant material. The male guards the eggs after they are deposited Wrasse spawn in spring in northern Europe They have primary males but all Wrasse (??) are female until a particular size. On average they (what?) 6 y/o but up to 14 y/o (from 40cm in size) Can live up to 25 years Not illegal, but do your own research make your own choices. This is just my opinion only based on how important these friendlies are to the eco-system, and considering how easily their numbers can be decimated in the territory they inhabit. If you do target these do not shoot the largest males. Choose a slot size of just above 40-50cm Sharks & Rays Some of these species are protected, though some are occasionally caught by some for human consumption. But again, legalities or no legalities, these animals are also vital species for the health of our underwater ecosystems, so they are best enjoyed with your camera. There are many species we can target that are abundant and delicious. Most of these species have little meat, are tough to prepare and taste is not great. So they are not worth it for your meal tonight, and they are not worth the risk of harming our ecosystems to prevent us from having our fish dinners in the future. Salmon & Sea Trout This fish friendlies are highly regulated – illegal? If you are found to be leaving the water with them you could get in some serious trouble. Salmon and sea trout are strictly off bounds for spearfishing.

[INSERT WEBINAR HERE] WHAT TO SHOOT Pollock Legal Size: 32cm minimum Advisable Sustainability Size: 45-50cm + Amount: ? Season: Year round Where: Everywhere, usually kelpy reefs Pollock are a predatory fish so if you see bait fish around its a good sign They are easily spooked but a fun fish to hunt and to get to know underwater Can grow over a mete Mature at 3-6 years old (45-50cm) Can live up to around 23 years old! Advise to target this size or bigger in the name of sustainability Some large fish inshore but typically bigger ones on deeper rocky outcrops where it drops off to 35m + (note, you are not going to 35m ;) ) Bass Legal Size: 42cm minimum Advisable Sustainability Slot Size: 30-46cm min. – 65-70cm max. Amount: 2 per person daily limit Season: Closed; February – 31 March Where: Shallows, sandy beaches meeting kelpy rocky outcrops! Look for Sand Eels! Sexual maturity at 4-8 years old (30-46cm) Males reach maturity at a smaller size and age Lifespan is up to 25 years old. 42 cm minimum is to protect spawning females Typically the larger fish in this species are female We suggest targeting a slot size in the name of sustainability (under 65-70cm) Hunting techniques for Bass can vary, a good one for beginners is to stay very still on the surface on sandy beach where there are a lot of Sand Eels. Even better if there is structure like rocks or stringweed. Mullet Legal Size (UK): 33cm minimum Advisable Sustainability Size: 50cm + Amount: 2 per person daily limit?? (just said on slide same as bass) Season: Closed; February – 31 March (just said on slide same as bass) Where: Shallows, sandy beaches meeting kelpy rocky outcrops! Look for Sand Eels! There is not a lot of info out there on these species. UK minimum size is 33cm Sexual maturity around 47cm so for sustainability purposes I would advise targeting larger than that to ensure they have spawned already Can reach 75cm in length Can weigh in at 4.5 kg Can live up to 25years, but typical lifespan is 10 years old 3 Main Types of Mullet Thick Lipped Thin Lipped Golden Grey It can be difficult to tell apart at a distance but you'll learn how to distinguish once you start catching them. Plaice Size: 27cm Amount: ? Where: Sandy beaches, along with other types of flatfish like Dab Flounder and Sole. Hunting Technique: Shoot at an angle or just push your spear through the fish without shooting the gun if you can get close enough. Mackerel Size: 18cm minimum Amount: ? Season: Summer Where: Everywhere in summer! Sandy beaches! When the mackerel are in-shore in abundant numbers in the summer months, you will definitely see them swimming around you - but they are super fast and difficult to catch.

[INSERT SEMINAR VIDEO HERE] THE SHOT Practice practice practice - Oh, and also practice! Start by shooting whatever fish you can! Wait, what? If you smiled and nodded to that statement then stop to think again. This mentality will only give you bad habits, and be likely to harm some underage fish, pregnant fish, vulnerable or illegal fish, or human fish. So how else can we practice? Make some targets! This is easy, affordable, and lots of fun with your dive buddies. Set up your shooting range on a quiet part of the beach where you are 100m + from any other beach users. Depth: In 1.5-3m of water use an extra weight belt on the ground to hold onto and practice your calm breathhold and practice your Aspetto or Fanacht technique Set up multiple targets at varying distances Making your own lets you design your target to the minimum size of the fish you're hunting. This is a great way for getting your eye honed in on the underwater magnification. Underwater Magnification Size matters. Everything looks about 30% bigger underwater than actual size - this is a huge difference when you are ensuring sustainability in your spearing. Be sure of the species, size and the shot! And do not take a shot if you’re not sure of a good holding shot! Remember that knowing when not to shoot will actually make you better at knowing when to shoot. Where to Shoot the Fish Always on the lateral line on the side near the head. Aim ahead of where the fish is swimming. Don’t Fight the Fish Allow it to tire and then gently pull the line to the surface. Dispatch the Fish Quickly Through the mouth or gills into the brain. Cut the gills to bleed the fish out for better quality eating.

HOW TO HUNT These are some terms you might hear in relation to spearfishing techniques. They are maybe Italian words but they are used internationally. Aspetto! (to wait) Move backwards further into the kelp. Trust your camoflague and the fish's curiosity. Proper technique training in a certified freediving course will go a long way here. Not only is it imperative that you know how to dive safely with your dive buddies, but also the technique will catch you fish. Training and honing your breathhold, ability to relax under water, and even perfecting your duck dive will help to not scare all the fish away before you even get down! Perhaps we should start using the gaelge (Irish) words for this! Fanacht! (to wait) Agguato! (the active hunt) Picture the way a cat stalks and gets closer to their prey. They don't thrash about or move swiftly until the last calsulated moment when they are confident they can strike, with intention and precision. Move slowly & stealthily Take your time Try not to spook the fish In Irish: Tóraíocht! (to hunt)

SPEARGUN IMPORTANT: Keep your gun UNLOADED AT ALL TIMES. Ignore the safety: it can fail. Treat it like any other deadly weapon: only point it at something you want to kill when its loaded. Gun Types Single band 16-18mm Double band 14mm Simpler the better 60cm - hole hunting 90cm - long range 75-80cm - all rounder Which one should I get? Keep it Simple You may be all jazzed-up to get all the coolest gadgets and want to look like the most badass spearo in the sea. But our best advice is to keep it simple at first (also, you won't look as cool if you don't know how to handle your gun, or have the wrong size for where your diving, will ya?) Top Tips: The company Cressi makes excellent value and well made starter guns. A gun with a rail will be more accurate. Stick with the same gun for a while, target practice with it (not with live fish)! 150€ should buy a decent gun Anything bigger than 90cm has limited use and needs excellent visability to be worthwhile. eg offshore pinacle boat diving. Pneumatic guns are considered a firearm in Ireland and need a license, i.e. consider them illegal.

[INSERT SEMINAR VIDEO ON CRUSTACEANS] CRUSTACEANS A lot of these crustaceans are nocturnal - so you will see more activity at night! This is also a fun chance to see how the ocean changes a lot at night. Bring your torch! A note pertaining to all crustaceans - do not take a "buried hen" (a female crustacean carrying eggs - some are less obvious than others, so learn how to check each type you are taking to be sure). Some female lobsters may have a "V-notch" or mutilated tail, which is a signifier that they are carrying eggs. So if you see a chip out of a lobster's tale, just leave her be. Brown Crab Size: 140mm – measured sideways Where: Rock and kelpy outcrops, under hangs, caves cracks Quantity: 5 per person daily limit Legalities: Regulations are difficult to find. Take this information as a guideline but do your own research before you take anything. We cannot stress this enough! Interesting fact: Brown Crab claws can exert a force in the region of 4 times the strength of the average human hand! Spider Crab Size: 130mm minimum (Front to back measurement) Quantity: Unfortunately there are no regulations. So use common sense with sustainability as a priority Where: Rocky and kelpy outcrops, occasionally out in the open Season: Best mid to late summer - more meat in the legs and claws of large males, although some countries do prefer the softer brown meat in the shells of the females. Females have larger rounded flaps underneath. Males are more narrow yet are also larger and with bigger claws. Fun fact! The Spider Crab's entire upper surface is made up of small hairs in order to encourage general sea organisms to attach and grow in order to disguise itself and blend in. These kinds of crabs are slow and not very strong so his is basically their only defense! It also allows for each crab to express themselves. Lobsters (find photo of Dave with lobster?) Size: 87mm – 127mm Quantity: 1 person per daily limit Where: Rocky and kelpy outcrops, under hangs, caves cracks Some interesting lobster facts! There is a law in many European countries that ban the boiling of lobsters (crustaceans) alive Lobsters have a similar claw strength to brown crabs. Be careful with this not just in terms of getting a pinch. There have been too many stories of lobsters wedging their claw on spearos hands against a rock face of a cave or hole they are hiding in. Remember this when you are considering the safety elements of your foraging. Lobsters age of maturity is within 5-8 years, but it is said that some can live over 100 years old (similar to Brown Crabs!) It is said that some can live over 100 years - similarly to Brown Crabs