Spearfishing is often considered a selective fishing method but raises welfare questions about wounding rates, target species choice, and marine ecosystem effects.
Spearfishing presents mixed welfare considerations. Successful shots, aimed at the brain, can cause instantaneous death - superior to many other fishing methods. However, missed or poorly aimed shots cause wounding injuries that may not be lethal, resulting in prolonged suffering. Targeting large, slow-reproducing reef fish like grouper and parrotfish also affects ecosystem function in ways that cascade to other species' welfare through disrupted food chains. Spearfishing for invasive species in appropriate contexts can have positive net welfare outcomes by protecting native species communities.