Nagg,
forgot to ask...who the hell spears on scuba? I would hardly call it a common practice these days...in fact not for over 30 years. It was legal in WA (and maybe still is) but it sure isnt in any of the Eastern states. I have dived over a lot (but not all) of Aust in the last 15 years and never met anyone who would even consider it, legal or not.
In terms of amateur impacts which is more sustainable?? Is a fishery like tailor more sustainable when you have hundreds (thousands over a season)of people on a Fraser & Moreton Island beaches taking their bag limits daily when the tailor are on as opposed to these deep water amateurs (with small boats) who in their own words get out a few times a year and hopefully catch a good feed. These guys from the sound of things are in the middle of bloody nowhere with nary another boat in sight - what kind of impact is that? If they were doing it everyday it would be a different story