You are right "diving is not a cheap sport"... So what if these guys spent all their money on gear, travel and boat fees? Would that make lobstering/fishing okay then? I agree, that in the future, you should go with an outfit that doesn’t take on divers who are spearing too.
For the record, if everyone where spearing./catching/eating thier own catch, then its far more likey that the eco-system would be spard the trouble we are facing today. It is a far more "green-thing" way to enjoy a lobster dinner than it is to go to some restaurant that utilizies commercially caught fare. Those divers spearing & eating what they catch are much more enviromentally sound than going to some restaurant. As a matter of fact, I thought that we as divers where supposed to be in favor of limiting commercial fishing (project aware).