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This course is currently under construction. Please contact us at info@emeraldfreediving.com for course publication date. This course provides all the vital information for you to know before you ever try breath-hold in water. This course can be a stand-alone may be taken either as required component for our AIDA 1 or AIDA 2 Freediving Foundations courses.

WELCOME TO SEMINAR ONE: [INSERT SEMINAR VIDEO HERE] Spearfishing Ethical Standards of Practice: Sustainability: We want to share an ethical philosophy on sustainably and safely getting into spearfishing and underwater foraging. Skills before Kills: For me the entry point should always be a beginner freediving course, getting comfortable in the water first. foraging - learning. This course is NOT a replacement for in-person training from an experienced, certified instructor. Identification: Don’t “Shoot first, ask questions later” Loaded speargun comes last: Remember that this is a loaded weapon and there are a lot of skills involved before you are ready to be safe in the water. Take your time and enjoy: Spend time with the fish and practice your skills before spearing. Golden Rule: Never dive or spear alone. Through this course, I give you the most up to date information to the best of my knowledge, but it is up to you to educate yourself and make sure everything you catch is in line with current regulations, which can change all the time. There is no point in trying to tell a Fisheries Officer as he is trying to take your speargun off you that “But Dave said it was ok!” It’s just not going to fly. The information here covers foundational information, but is not exhaustive. Here we give you a well-rounded view of what is available to you in the waters around Ireland and the UK. We have a jam-packed, streamlined amount of incredible information for you, but if we could we’d talk for hours about it. And beyond that, the ocean is your oyster! There is so much we are constantly learning, exploring, changing, adding, and adapting to in our foraging and spearfishing. So to sum up some introductory reminders as we get going: Learn how to be with the gear. Learn how be stealthy in the water Learn how the different fish behave or react to your actions Learn to take your time and enjoy the process Never dive alone. Abide by the Spearo Code SPEARO CODE Take only what you need Eat what you kill Don’t be trigger-happy We believe spearfishing, when done properly, is an incredible step towards sustainable living. Feel free to watch the video below, grab your mask & snorkel, pen & paper, and let's dive in!

Provided here is a safety checklist with most of the important equipment to have and elements to keep in mind.

[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 WEBINAR ON SEAWEED AND SHELLFISH HERE] SEAWEEDS Excellent seaweed starters - literally! Sugar Kelp Sea Spaghetti Sea Beet * Note: All Irish kelp and seaweed are edible (how wicked is that?) but some are more desirable than others. All the following suggestions are great with soup or salads - or even better to jazz up your speared fish dinners! Serve it up on a bed of any of these fried up. Prep - soak in fresh water- then maybe soak in - ? Sugar Kelp & Sea Spaghetti These are two of the most favored weeds as a food source, and are both commonly farmed for human consumption. They are widely found around the UK and Ireland! Eat them raw or cooked. High in protein, vitamins and minerals. Sugar Kelp is sweet as it suggests, while also with a salty taste and a rich umami flavour. Sea Spaghetti is a substitute for regular spaghetti. It has a slight nutty buttery taste and only slightly salty. Sea Beet Sea Beet is not exactly a seaweed but is a great coastal foraging find. This ocean plant's leaves are like spinach, and its root can also be eaten just like a sweet-potato! Sea beet is related to beetroot, swiss chard, and spinach so if you like any of those you'll love this! SHELLFISH Covered here are some fun shellfish to catch - each of them are different and require a unique hunting strategy: Razor Clams Scallops Mussels Razor Clams Size: 125mm Quantity: 25 per person daily limit, but sensible personal limits should apply. Where: Shallows, sandy and muddy bottom beaches. Easiest in shallow water. Learn how to find them first before trying to extract them. Using salt (just regular table salt will do!) is the easiest method. With this method, they just walk out of their holes. Who knew that your spearfishing course would have you garner a salt shaker before a gun? Scallops Size: 110mm minimum size Quantity: 15 per person daily limit Where: Sandy, gravelly or muddy bottoms. When: Like with most other filter feeding shellfish it's advised to avoid harvesting in the warmer months (from approx April to September). These shellfish can live up to 20 years, though they grow quickly in first few years of life and sexually mature at 2-4 years old. They tend to live close together, so if you find one, you are likely to find more (unless there are seals around!). Legalities: At present the laws are pretty vague. They range from no-limit from most of the recreational fishery sources. Some parts of the UK allow 15 per person per day. As always, whether or not there are laws, use common sense and educate yourself before taking any. Mussels Size: ? Quantity: ? Where: ? When: Unlike most other shellfish, the mussel is typically safe to eat when cooked year round.

[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)

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)

[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 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 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 (?)