Australian’s eat over 10 kg of seafood per capita per year, but most don’t know where these fish come from or how they were caught.

The spearfishing community in Sydney is a close-knit group of men and women who believe hunting has a place in civilized society, who take an interest in the food they eat and believe very strongly in sustainable use of marine resources. I spent two years diving in Sydney, embedded in the spearfishing community, exploring fishers’ motivations and the role of protected areas in conservation.

The project formed the basis of a regular column that I published in Spearfishing Downunder Magazine. Straight Shooting bought the latest scientific literature to bear on issues of importance to recreational spearfishing in Australia. This approach provided a great way to communicate science without patronising or confusing readers.

A selection of articles is listed below. Click to view them as PDFs.

• Spearfishing Sydney: photo essay
• Mind Games
• Howling at the Moon
• Dive Another Day
• The reel deal
• Small Fish Future

You can check out more images from this project on Instagram @tomonlocation.