United Kingdom
Europe · Northern Europe
Recreational sea spearfishing is legal in the UK without a national licence or permit, but only in tidal/marine waters - it is illegal in fresh water (rivers, lakes, canals). Divers must freedive or snorkel; using scuba or surface-supplied air to spearfish is not permitted. Salmon, sea trout, eels and a list of protected/endangered species may not be taken; sea bass is subject to a 42 cm minimum size, a daily bag limit, and a February-March catch-and-release (closed) period that effectively bars spearing of bass in those months. Marine protected areas (MCZs/SACs), many harbours, estuaries, marine infrastructure and bathing beaches restrict or prohibit spearfishing. Rules differ between the four UK nations and between local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) districts in England, so local bylaws must always be checked.
آخر تحديث يونيو 15, 2026
الإطار الحاكم
- §Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (c. 51)
- §Theft Act 1968 (c. 60), Schedule 1 (Offences of taking or destroying fish)
- §Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23) - Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities and Marine Conservation Zones
- §Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967 (c. 83)
- §Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (c. 69) - protected species
- §MMO/Defra Bass Fishing Guidance (annual; 2025)
- الترخيص مطلوب
- غير مطلوب
- بندقية الحربة
- مسموح
- الغطس بالأسطوانات
- محظور
- الأجانب
- مرحّب به
القانون، حرفياً
النصوص القانونية
الأحكام القانونية والتنظيمية الدقيقة التي تحكم الصيد بالحربة هنا، مقتبسة كما نُشِرت، مع رابط لكل مصدر رسمي.
Prohibited modes of taking or destroying fish (spear prohibition in fresh water and inshore waters)
Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (c. 51)
Section 1(1)(a): a person shall not use ... any of the following instruments, that is to say— (i) a firearm ...; (ii) an otter lath or jack, wire or snare; (iii) a crossline or setline; (iv) a spear, gaff, tailer, stroke-haul, snatch or other like instrument; (v) a light ... for the purpose of taking or killing salmon, trout, eels, lampreys, smelt, shad, freshwater fish [and any specified fish] in any waters. Section 1(3A): References in this section to any waters include waters adjoining the coast of England and Wales to a distance of six nautical miles measured from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
Offence of unlawfully taking or destroying fish in private waters
Theft Act 1968 (c. 60)
Schedule 1, para 2(1): A person who unlawfully takes or destroys, or attempts to take or destroy, any fish in water which is private property or in which there is any private right of fishery shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine ... Para 2(2): Subparagraph (1) above shall not apply to taking or destroying fish by angling in the daytime (that is to say, in the period beginning one hour before sunrise and ending one hour after sunset); but a person who by angling in the daytime unlawfully takes or destroys, or attempts to take or destroy, any fish in water which is private property or in which there is any private right of fishery shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine ...
Recreational fishing for European sea bass (closed period, bag limit, minimum size)
MMO/Defra Bass Fishing Guidance 2025
Recreational fisheries, including from shore, in ICES divisions 4b, 4c, 6a, 7a and 7d to 7j are limited to catch-and-release using rod and handline only during 1 February to 31 March. Outside of this period, recreational fishers are limited to ... fish per day bag limits as agreed in annual negotiations with the EU. The minimum size of European seabass is 42 cm. All specimens below this size must be released.
متى يمكنك الغوص
المواسم والقيود الزمنية
الفترات المغلقة والمفتوحة والمقيّدة على مدار العام. تأكّد دائماً من الإغلاقات الخاصة بكل نوع محلياً.
- مغلقEuropean sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)فبراير 1 – مارس 31
1 February to 31 March: recreational fishing for sea bass is catch-and-release only (rod and handline), so no bass may be retained or taken by spearfishing in this period.
- مفتوحEuropean sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)أبريل 1 – يناير 31
1 April to 31 January: a daily bag limit applies (2 fish per fisher per day under the 2025 guidance; increased to 3 per day for 2026 following UK-EU negotiations), minimum size 42 cm.
إذن الصيد
الترخيص
ما تحتاجه للسماح لك في الماء، وتكلفته، وكيفية الحصول عليه.
- النوع
- No national spearfishing licence for sea fish; a free Inshore Permit/Shellfish Permit may be required from the local IFCA to take certain shellfish.
- التكلفة
- Free for IFCA shellfish/inshore permits where applicable; no charge for recreational sea spearfishing of finfish.
- مدّة الصلاحية
- unknown
- كيفية الحصول عليه
- No licence needed for sea spearfishing of finfish. For shellfish, check and apply to the relevant local IFCA. A freshwater rod licence (Environment Agency) does not authorise spearfishing - spearing freshwater fish is prohibited regardless.
- السلطة
- Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) / Marine Management Organisation (MMO)
المعدّات والأسلوب
قواعد المعدّات
ما المعدّات المسموح بها، وكيف يجوز استخدامها، والشروط المرتبطة بها.
القيود
- Must freedive or snorkel; spearfishing while using scuba (aqualung) or surface-supplied air is not permitted
- Spearguns are legal to own and use for fishing in the sea, but carrying a loaded/assembled speargun in a public place on land may constitute an offensive weapon
- Spear/gaff and similar instruments are prohibited for taking salmon, trout, eels and freshwater fish (Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 s.1)
Recreational spearfishing is by breath-hold diving only. Daytime is the practical/safe norm; under Theft Act 1968 Sch.1 reduced penalties apply only to daytime angling in private waters (one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset). Secondary spearfishing guidance commonly states daylight (dawn-to-dusk) only.
ما يجوز لك أخذه
حدود الصيد والأنواع المحمية
الحصص اليومية، والأحجام الدنيا، والأنواع التي يجب ألّا تُؤخذ أبداً.
الحدّ اليومي
Sea bass: limited bag per day (2/day under 2025 MMO guidance; 3/day for 2026), catch-and-release only 1 Feb-31 Mar. Shellfish without an IFCA permit: max 5 per day combined from lobster, crawfish, edible crab and spider crab, of which no more than 2 may be lobster/crawfish combined (limits vary by IFCA).
الأحجام الدنيا
- European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)الحد الأدنى 42 cm
- European lobster (Homarus gammarus) - carapace lengthالحد الأدنى 9 cm
أنواع محمية — لا تأخذها
- محميAtlantic salmon
- محميSea trout (migratory trout)
- محميEuropean eel / silver eel
- محميAllis shad and Twaite shad
- محميSturgeon
- محميAngel shark
- محميBasking shark
- محميTope (may be targeted as sport fish but must not be landed)
- محميCommon skate / White skate
- محميSunfish
- محميBluefin tuna
- محميGiant goby and Couch's goby
- محميLamprey, smelt
Spearing of salmon, sea trout, eels, shad, lampreys and smelt is prohibited as a method/species combination under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. Sharks, skates, sunfish, gobies and bluefin tuna are protected under national/European conservation legislation and must not be taken; accidental catches returned to the sea. V-notched and egg-bearing (berried) lobsters must be returned; lobsters must be taken by hand, not speared. Minimum sizes and species lists vary by IFCA district - check local bylaws.
من يجوز له الصيد
الزوّار والمقيمون
كيف تختلف القواعد بين الزوّار الأجانب والمقيمين المحليين.
الزوّار الأجانب
مسموحالقيود
- Same rules as residents: sea/tidal waters only, freediving only, species/size/bag limits, MPA and local IFCA bylaw compliance
- Spearguns must be transported in checked baggage (not hand luggage) per airline and customs rules
No nationality-based restriction for recreational sea spearfishing. Visitors must comply with the same fisheries and conservation rules as residents and check local IFCA bylaws.
المقيمون
No spearfishing-specific licence; free IFCA shellfish/inshore permit where applicable
المتطلبات
- Comply with marine fisheries rules, minimum sizes, bag limits and MPA restrictions
- Obtain relevant IFCA shellfish permit if required for the target shellfish/area
Rules are broadly the same for residents and visitors. Note Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate fisheries regimes; in Scotland no recreational sea licence is required but targeting migratory species (salmon/sea trout) needs the legal right or written permission, and freshwater spearfishing is prohibited.
أين على الساحل
المناطق المسموح بها والمحظورة
مناطق مسمّاة مفتوحة أو مغلقة للصيد بالحربة. شاهد الصورة الكاملة على الخريطة التفاعلية.
المناطق المسموح بها
Recreational spearfishing is permitted in tidal sea waters around the UK coast, by freediving or snorkelling, subject to species rules, size and bag limits, MPA exclusions and local IFCA bylaws. No national spearfishing licence is required for sea fish.
Sea/tidal water only (freshwater banned); no scuba or surface-supplied air; protected species and minimum sizes apply; avoid MCZs/SACs, harbours, estuaries, marine infrastructure and designated bathing beaches; check local IFCA bylaws.
المناطق المحظورة
- Fresh waters (rivers, lakes, canals)statutory prohibition (freshwater)
Spearfishing is illegal in fresh water throughout the UK. Under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 a spear is a prohibited instrument for taking salmon, trout, eels and freshwater fish.
- Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)marine protected area
England's network of Marine Conservation Zones (and equivalent Nature Conservation MPAs in Scotland, plus SACs/SPAs UK-wide) protect habitats and species; spearfishing may be restricted or prohibited within designated sites. Specific site bylaws must be checked.
- Harbours, estuaries, marine infrastructure and designated bathing beacheslocal byelaw / safety zone
Many harbours, estuaries, marina/marine infrastructure areas and bathing beaches prohibit spearfishing under local byelaws for safety or wildlife reasons.
من تسأل
السلطات
الجهات الرسمية المسؤولة عن مصايد الأسماك والترخيص.
Marine Management Organisation (MMO)
marine/fisheries authority (England)
Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs)
regional fisheries and conservation authorities (England, 0-6 nm)
Environment Agency
freshwater fisheries authority (England)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
environment / fisheries ministry
Marine Scotland (Scottish Government - Salmon and Recreational Fisheries)
fisheries authority (Scotland)
من أين أتى هذا
المصادر
كل ادّعاء في هذه الصفحة يعود إلى أحد هذه المراجع.
- [01]
Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975, Section 1 - Prohibited modes of taking or destroying fish
رسميlegislation.gov.ukتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [02]
Theft Act 1968, Schedule 1 - Taking or destroying fish
رسميlegislation.gov.ukتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [03]
Bass Fishing Guidance 2025 - GOV.UK (MMO/Defra)
رسميgov.ukتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [04]
Recreational fishing - Salmon and recreational fisheries - gov.scot
رسميgov.scotتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [05]
Legal FAQs - Spearfishing UK
communityspearfishing.co.ukتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [06]
IFCA Rules for Recreational Fishing, Spearfishing & Foraging 2026 - Spearfishing UK
communityspearfishing.co.ukتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [07]
Spearfishing & Foraging Licensing in the UK - Rules, Permissions & Legal Awareness
communityspearfishingstore.co.ukتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15
ملاحظات الباحث
Spearfishing is treated under several overlapping legal regimes rather than one dedicated statute. The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 makes a spear a prohibited instrument for salmon/trout/eels/freshwater fish and (s.1(3A)) extends to inshore waters out to 6 nm, which is the basis for the 'no spearing salmon/sea trout/eels' and 'no freshwater spearfishing' rules. Sea bass figures are from the official MMO 2025 guidance (2 fish/day in 2025; 3 fish/day announced for 2026; 42 cm minimum; Feb-Mar catch-and-release). The 2026 IFCA species list and shellfish limits are from a reputable community source (Spearfishing UK / British Spearfishing Association); two BSA regulation PDFs could not be parsed as text, so exact verbatim wording for some IFCA bylaws and the protected-species list was taken from official legislation where possible and otherwise from these secondary sources - confidence set to medium accordingly. Rules vary significantly by IFCA district and between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; divers must verify current local bylaws. Coordinates for specific MPAs were not captured because the prohibited 'zones' here are categories rather than single named sites.
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