The harpoon is one of the active fishing tools, as the fish can only be caught through the fisherman's intervention. Nowadays, the use of the harpoon at a professional level almost exclusively limited swordfish fishing.
Being used only with certain visually recognised target species, the harpoon is absolutely one of the most selective and sustainable small-scale artisanal fishing tools.
This system has been known since antiquity, when boats were equipped with a very high lookout mast, known as a "crow's nest" and with a long forward footbridge. Harpoon fishing is performed when the sea is very calm, to make it easier to catch sight of the fish. The harpoon is used to catch very large species: the species most frequently caught in our seas is the swordfish.
