Imperieuse Recreation Area, Rowley Shoals Marine Park (Western Australia)

Breath-hold spearfishing is permitted in this recreation area of Rowley Shoals Marine Park, about 260 km west of Broome, covering the waters of Imperieuse Reef outside its sanctuary area, including the reef edge and outer slope. Clause 3 of the Prohibition on Fishing (Rowley Shoals Marine Park) Order 2019 closes the park's sanctuary areas to all fishing, but in a Recreation Area it prohibits only netting, collecting specimen shell, and — critically for divers — using a pointed instrument “whilst using compressed air apparatus”. Free-diving with a speargun, harpoon, gidgie or Hawaiian sling is therefore lawful here. The one exception is clause 3(4): breath-hold spearfishing is additionally banned in the Clerke Lagoon Recreation Area, so that lagoon is closed to the speargun entirely while this area is not. Commercial fishing is prohibited. Statewide size, bag and protected-species rules apply, and access is by liveaboard charter only.