XXXII Euro-African spearfishing championship and first Euro-African female spearfishing championship will be held in Svendborg (Funen), Denmark, from the 5th to the 9th September 2019.

It is the first time that Danish Sportdivers Federation organizes a CMAS championship It is also the second time, after Helsinki, Finland 2013, that spearos from Europe and Africa will dive in the northern part of continent.

It will be the second time that the Euro-African championship will be done only by swimming, without the support of boats. The first time this solution applied was in the 2005, in France. The athletes will have to swim from the shore and fight the current and waves for 5 hours in two days. It will be very interesting to see the results, as in this competition tactics and training will be even more crucial.

Zones – spearfishing hot spots

Spearfishing is very strong and popular in the Nordic culture and it is rooted in their history. It is not a coincidence that athletes from two continents will meet in September on The Little Mermaid’s native island of Fyn (Funen). The island is known from the stories of great Danish storyteller and poet Hans Christian Andersen.

This event will have its headquarters in Christiansminde Hotel, in Svedborg (Funen). The competition areas will be at Sprogo, Nyborg, and Langeland.

Sprogo is a unique spearfishing hot-spot in Denmark, with opportunities to catch most of the species of Danish fish. The competition will take place under the bridges, at the bottom of wind turbines, in the caves and in deep water – under rocks or wrecks that may be down 30 meters of depth. Sprogo is always exposed to a very challenging and powerful current. Langeland is also a spearfishing hot-spot, with opportunities of encounters with cod and flatfish. Langeland is also home of very large turbot – and cods are found in large shoals or in caves under large rocks.

Nyborg will be the Women’s competition area. Especially under the bridge is a good spot to look for cods. The current under the bridge is very strong and makes spearfishing a real challenge.

 

Official buoy

Each nation, both male and female teams, will get 3 official swimming buoys with bluewhite Alpha flag, nationality and number on. This is the only buoy that will be allowed to be used during competition days. Athletes can bring gps, a small marking buoy, mobile phones, and all the necessary equipment, but need to be using and close to the official buoy.

For the scouting days teams can rent boats if they want.

 

Lots of species

Fish are divided into five categories and it is allowed to catch only five fish from each species.

For first category’s minimum weight is 800 grams and in this category we find cods, coalfishes, pollacks, seabasses, seatrouts, lings, mullets and catfishes.

In second category are makrels, perchs, heerings and garfishes. Minimum weight is 300 grams, the same as for the third category, where we find different kinds of flatfishes – plaices, floundes, dabs and soles.

Turbut and brill are in category four, where minimum weight is 500 grams.

Salmon is in category five and needs to be at least 2500 grams to be valid.

Eel is illegal to catch in Denmark and brings dsq from competition. Lumpfish is not a valid fish.

Bonus points will be 300 for each catch, also 300 for each different species and 600 points if spearo reaches the maximum number, five, of fish from one specie.

CMAS XXXII & first female Euro African spaerfishing championships particular rules

All the info can be found on the website www.spearo.dk

(text by Valentina Prokic)