Two activities that draw many to the sport of diving are hunting and shell collecting. Obviously, these activities can be detrimental to the environment if conducted irresponsibly. But with the right approach, you can take home a fresh dinner or memorable shell collection while having minimal impact on the environment.

Responsible spearfishers are conservational in nature. They only shoot what they eat, and avoid taking threatened species or undersized fish. Before spearfishing, check the local fish and game rules and familiarize yourself with the legal species and their daily limits. Avoid taking species that are low in numbers.

When collecting shells, never take a shell that contains a living organism. Chances are, where there are live species of shellfish, you'll also find vacant shells from the same species.