Spearfishing is a highly selective recreational activity that is increasingly popular. Like other forms of fishing, spearfishing can have rapid and substantial negative effects on reef fish populations. Despite the relative social and economic importance of spearfishing, catch and effort are difficult to monitor and quantify, and its species-specific impacts on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and elsewhere, are poorly understood. In the past 20 years, advances in equipment such as wetsuits, spear guns, masks and boats has undoubtedly increased the potential for spearfishers to spend more time in the water or reach locations farther from shore, and advances in education and sustainability have enabled greater targeting of pelagic species.