IBSRC RULES

PREAMBLE

The following spearfishing rules have been formulated by the International Bluewater Spearfishing Records Committee (IBSRC) to promote ethical and sporting spearfishing practices, to establish uniform regulations for the compilation of world bluewater gamefish records, and to provide basic spearfishing guidelines for use in bluewater contests and any other bluewater spearfishing activities.

The words ``Bluewater spearfishing'' are defined as capturing, or attempting to capture, with a muscle powered speargun, while breath holding and submerged, wild edible bluewater gamefish species. There are some aspects of this activity that cannot be controlled through rule making, however. Bluewater spearfishing regulations cannot insure an outstanding performance from each fish, and world records cannot indicate the amount of difficulty in capturing fish. Captures in which the fish is not truly wild do not reflect credit on the bluewater freediver. Only the individual spearfisher can properly evaluate the degree of achievement in establishing the record.

CLASSES OF AWARDS

WORLD RECORDS

Only fish caught in accordance with IBSRC rules, and within the context of these rules, will be considered for world records. The general concept is: Breath-holding divers, using muscle powered spearguns, must spear and subdue their wild bluewater catch unassisted. They will make every effort to land their catch once speared. Each application will be reviewed by the certification subcommittee. Committee members cannot vote on a record they possess, or in which they have a commercial interest.

MERITORIOUS AWARDS

From time to time the IBSRC will award a meritorious award to an individual who makes an unusual catch of a listed or an unlisted species. Examples: (1) An unusual fish; (2) or a fish very close to an existing record considered, due to its extreme size, unlikely to match the current record; or (3) a record-weight fish which but for one rule infraction would otherwise become an official world record.

GENERAL REGULATIONS

• Divers must be completely submerged when they fire their gun.
• Divers must remain in the water and unassisted until their fish is subdued.
• Divers must retain contact with their float and/or line at all times. If they lose contact with their gear, they must find it and reestablish contact with it unassisted and while remaining in the water.
• While potentially dangerous, the use of chum or burley or flashers is allowed provided, however, that with the use of chum, divers make and distribute it themselves in the water unassisted (fish used for this purpose must be shot by the diver using it), or in the case of flashers, they carry it themselves unassisted.
• Fish must be free-swimming, not restricted by nets, traps, fishing lines or other devices.
• Recently tagged gamefish, still exhausted from their recent capture, are ineligible.
• Fish must not be in an artificial environment such as penned-in bays, or in close proximity to fish nets, fish rearing pens or sanctuaries.
• The catch must not be at variance with any laws or regulations governing the species or the waters in which the fish was caught.
• A buddy diver may provide a second or additional unloaded gun to the spearfisher, provided he/she does not assist the diver in any way to subdue their catch.
• In most cases mutilated fish, depending on the circumstances, are not allowed.
• The use of artificial light sources for night spearfishing is not allowed.

DEFINITIONS

Subdued fish:

Any fish is taken ashore, or tethered to a boat with a line no more than 3 meters long.

Mutilated fish:

Any unhealthy fish. Examples: a fish which is weakened by being previously speared, or attacked by sharks, or injured by commercial or recreational fishing processes (a recently caught and tagged marlin).

Sanctuary:

An area in the ocean, protected by governmental decree, where the hunting of certain bluewater species is prohibited.

Muscle-powered speargun:

Any speargun that stores potential energy provided from the spearfisher's muscles only. The gun may only release that amount of energy that the diver has provided to it from his/her own muscles. Common temporary energy storing sources for spearguns are: rubber, spring, and compressed air.

GEAR

Spearguns:

The gun must be charged with muscle power only; no explosive or compressed power is allowed.

Terminal gear:

Trail line or reels are allowed.

Divers may tow as many floats as they wish, provided no single float exceeds 150 pounds (68-kilograms) floatation and the diver must not fight the fish from within the float such as a small boat or kayak.

Use of safety boat:

Divers must pull their fish up unassisted. A buddy diver or crew member may pass unloaded guns to the diver.

Powerheads:

Powerheads are prohibited. They may be carried by the diver for defense, but they may not be used to spear their catch.

Artificial breathing apparatus:

No artificial breathing apparatus is allowed.

ELIGIBLE FISH

DOCUMENTATION

1. Weighing requirements:

a. The fish must be weighed by an official weighmaster (if one is available) or by an IBSRC official or by a recognized local person familiar with the scale. Disinterested witnesses to the weight should be used whenever possible.
b. The weight of the sling or rope (if used to secure the fish) must be subtracted from the total weight.
c. At the time of the weighing, the actual gear used by the spearfisher to catch the fish must be exhibited to the weighmaster and weight witness.
d. Only weights indicated by the gradations on the scale will be accepted. Visual fractionalizing of the gradations is not allowed. Any weights that fall between two gradations must be rounded to the lower weight.
e. All record fish should be weighed on scales that have been checked for accuracy by government agencies or other qualified and accredited organizations. All scales must be regularly checked for accuracy and must be current within 12 months, or quickly recertified after the weighing.
f. If there is no certified scale available, then the scales must be checked by weighing objects of recognized and proven weight similar to the weight of the fish.
g. In extremely remote areas where no weighing scales are available, it will be permissible for the spearfisher to use his/her own scales provided that they are high-quality scales and have been properly certified both before and after returning from the spearfishing trip. Fish measurements should accompany this application.
h. The IBSRC reserves the right to have the scales recertified if there are any indications that the scale might not have weighed properly.
i. Weighing fish on a boat at sea: Weighing at sea shall be allowed, provided that the scale is certified and that the weight registered is video taped for a minimum of two (2) minutes. The lowest weight recorded is the official weight.

2. When it is impossible or impractical to weigh the fish on a certified scale, a formula based on width, girth or other measurements may be used, provided the formula is approved by the IBSRC and a penalty reduction is applied. The penalty will ensure that measurement will produce a weight reduction so that 99% of the fish so measured will be larger than the formula results, when weighed.

3. Catch weighing or measurement must be witnessed and as much documentation as possible should accompany the application for the record, include any catch-and-release tag information.

4. Tissue sample: In order to better help the scientific community, and to positively identify the fish, the committee requests a small frozen tissue sample be provided. One gram of frozen muscle is sufficient.

APPLICATION

1. Divers must record the date, exact location, common name and scientific name of their catch on an official application.
2. Applications shall be in English.
3. Four identical sets of photographs must accompany the application providing sufficient detail for unequivocal species determination. These photographs become property of the IBSRC which may publish them as it deems appropriate. If there is the slightest doubt that the fish cannot be properly identified from the photographs and other data offered, the fish should be examined by an ichthyologist or qualified fishery biologist before the record is submitted. If a scientist is not available, the fish should be retained in a preserved or frozen condition until a qualified authority can verify the species, or until notified by IBSRC. If no decision can be made from the photographs, and the spearfisher can provide no further proof of the identification of the species, the record claim will not be certified.
   1. Photographs showing the full length of the fish, the speargun(s) used to make the catch, and the scale used to weigh the fish must accompany each application.
   2. In all cases, photographs should be taken of the fish in a hanging position and also lying on a flat surface on its side. The fish should be broadside to the camera and no part of the fish should be obscured. The fins must be fully extended and not obscured by the hands, and the jaw or bill clearly shown. Avoid obscuring the keels of tunas with a tail rope.
   3. When photographing a fish lying on its side, the surface beneath the fish should be smooth and a ruler or marked tape placed beside the fish if possible.
   4. Photographs from various angles are most helpful.
   5. An additional photograph of the fish on the scale with the actual weight visible helps to expedite the application.
   6. In-the-water photographs, while not required, are requested if available.
4. Acceptance of the application is, in part, dependent upon the completeness of the description of the hunt and capture. Include when possible, gun type, terminal gear, depth fish speared in, buddies, name of the diveboat, use of chum, water visibility, sea state, distance from shore, estimated depth of water, current conditions, time of day, and associated fish (bait, from a school, etc.).
5. Witnesses to the catch: On all record claims, witnesses to the catch are highly desirable. Unwitnessed catches may be disallowed if questions arise regarding their authenticity. It is important that the witnesses can attest to the spearfisher s compliance with IBSRC rules.
6. Weights needed to defeat or tie existing records: To replace a record, the fish must weigh one-half percent (0.5%) more than the previous record. For example for a 200 pound fish (90.71 kg) to defeat a current record it must weigh 1 pound (.45 kg) more than the existing record. Any catch which matches the weight or is less than 0.5% greater than the current record will be considered a tie. Nothing weighing less than the current record will be considered. Fractions of an ounce, or their metric equivalents, will not be considered.
7. Time limits of claims: Six months after the capture.
8. Incomplete claims: If an incomplete claim is submitted, it must be accompanied by an explanation of why certain portions are incomplete. An incomplete claim will be considered for a record if the following conditions are met:
   1. The incomplete claim with explanations must be received within the 6-month period.
   2. Missing data must be due to circumstances beyond the control of the spearfisher making the record claim
   3. All missing data must be supplied within a period of time considered to be reasonable in view of the particular circumstances.
   4. Final decisions on incomplete claims will be made by the Executive Committee.
9. An application fee of USD $50 must accompany the application. If the application fee presents a financial burden to the applicant, the committee will consider a petition for a reduction in fee.

PREPARING THE APPLICATION FORM

1. The Spearfisher must submit a completed IBSRC application form complete with, weights, scales and picture documentation. The application must be prepared in English.
2. Applicant must personally fill out and mail the form.
3. Extreme care should be exercised in measuring the fish as the measurements are often important for weight verification and scientific studies. (See the measurement diagram on the record application to be sure you have measured correctly.)
4. The spearfisher is responsible for seeing that the necessary signatures and correct addresses of the boat captain, weighmaster, and witnesses are on the application. The name of a boatman, guide, or weighmaster repeated as a witness is discouraged.
5. The Applicant must appear in person to have their application notarized. In territories where notarization is not possible or customary, the signature of a government commissioner or resident, a member of an embassy, legation or IBSRC officer may replace notarization.
6. Deliberate falsification of an application will disqualify the record and any further applications by the applicant.