Trinidad and Tobago
Americas · Caribbean
Recreational spearfishing is legal in Trinidad and Tobago and is widely practised, especially in Tobago where parrotfish, rockfish and other reef species are taken by free divers and scuba divers. The official Institute of Marine Affairs states plainly that spearfishing in Tobago is unregulated: there is no permitting system, no gear restrictions, no size or catch limits and no open or closed seasons for the activity itself. The key legal constraint is geographic: fishing of any kind (including spearfishing) is strictly prohibited inside declared marine protected/restricted areas, most notably the Buccoo Reef Marine Park / Bon Accord Lagoon complex in Tobago, designated under the Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act (Ch. 37:02). The general Fisheries Act (Ch. 67:51) bans poison and explosives, empowers the Minister to declare prohibited areas and to restrict harpooning/taking of fish, and absolutely prohibits taking, killing or harpooning any marine turtle. Visitors generally need a fishing permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, though enforcement of permits for shore/free-dive spearfishing is light and reporting is inconsistent.
آخر تحديث يونيو 15, 2026
الإطار الحاكم
- §Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51 (Act 39 of 1916, as amended)
- §Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, Chapter 37:02 (Act 1 of 1970, as amended)
- §Protection of Turtle and Turtle Eggs Regulations (GN 119/1975, as amended by 201/2011)
- §Fisheries (Conservation of Marine Turtles) Regulations (LN 65/1994, as amended)
- الترخيص مطلوب
- مطلوب
- بندقية الحربة
- مسموح
- الغطس بالأسطوانات
- مسموح
- الأجانب
- مرحّب به
القانون، حرفياً
النصوص القانونية
الأحكام القانونية والتنظيمية الدقيقة التي تحكم الصيد بالحربة هنا، مقتبسة كما نُشِرت، مع رابط لكل مصدر رسمي.
Power to declare prohibited areas and to prohibit harpooning/taking of fish
Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51
4. The Minister may make Regulations— ... (c) declaring any area to be a prohibited area; (d) prohibiting the killing, harpooning, taking, removing, catching or any other means of taking possession of fish or any variety thereof either absolutely or at such times and within such areas as may be prescribed;
Prohibition on use of poison or explosives to take fish
Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51
7. Any person who uses poison of any description or any explosive with intent to stupefy, poison, take or kill fish is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for three months.
Prohibition on taking fish in a prohibited area
Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51
8. (1) Except with the written permission of the Minister, no person shall take any fish in a prohibited area. (2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of two thousand dollars and to imprisonment for six months.
Definition of fish (includes turtle, corals and other marine fauna)
Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51
“fish” includes oysters, crabs, shrimps, turtle, turtle eggs, corals and any species of other marine fauna;
Absolute prohibition on killing, harpooning or taking any marine turtle
Protection of Turtle and Turtle Eggs Regulations (made under section 4 of the Fisheries Act, Ch. 67:51)
3. No person shall, at any time, kill, harpoon, catch or otherwise take possession of any turtle, or purchase, sell, offer or expose for sale or cause to be sold or offered or exposed for sale any turtle, turtle meat or any other part of the turtle.
Recreational vessel operation permitted within two nautical miles of the coast
Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51 (subsidiary regulations, 121/1998)
8. ... (2) A person operating an artisanal vessel or a vessel for recreational purposes shall be permitted to do so within a distance of two nautical miles from the coast line.
Prohibited activities within a restricted marine area (Buccoo Reef Marine Park)
Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, Chapter 37:02 (Act 1 of 1970), restricted-area regulations
No person may, without written ministerial permission: go in or alight upon a restricted area; operate a boat or other vessel within a restricted area or cause or allow a boat or other vessel to enter such an area; take or remove any fish or bird from a restricted area; take or remove any mangrove from a restricted area; dig, dredge, or otherwise interfere with the seabed of a restricted area. Fishing, of any kind, is strictly prohibited within the Marine Park.
متى يمكنك الغوص
المواسم والقيود الزمنية
الفترات المغلقة والمفتوحة والمقيّدة على مدار العام. تأكّد دائماً من الإغلاقات الخاصة بكل نوع محلياً.
لم تُسجَّل إغلاقات موسمية — تحقّق محلياً قبل الغوص.
إذن الصيد
الترخيص
ما تحتاجه للسماح لك في الماء، وتكلفته، وكيفية الحصول عليه.
Apply to / contact the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. In practice, no permitting system specifically governs shore-based/free-dive spearfishing in Tobago, and reports of permit requirements for visitors are inconsistent.
احصل على ترخيصكيفتح البوّابة الرسمية · agriculture.gov.tt
- النوع
- Fishing permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (for visitors who wish to fish); recreational use is broadly permitted within 2 nautical miles of the coast.
- التكلفة
- unknown
- مدّة الصلاحية
- unknown
- كيفية الحصول عليه
- Apply to / contact the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. In practice, no permitting system specifically governs shore-based/free-dive spearfishing in Tobago, and reports of permit requirements for visitors are inconsistent.
- السلطة
- Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (Fisheries Division)
المعدّات والأسلوب
قواعد المعدّات
ما المعدّات المسموح بها، وكيف يجوز استخدامها، والشروط المرتبطة بها.
القيود
- Use of poison or explosives to take, stupefy or kill fish is prohibited (Fisheries Act s.7).
- No gear restrictions specific to spearfishing exist in law (per Institute of Marine Affairs).
Parrotfish in Tobago are harvested mainly by spear-fishers using either SCUBA diving or free diving; the Institute of Marine Affairs confirms spearfishing is unregulated outside protected areas, with no gear restrictions. Spearguns are commonly used and provided on local spearfishing tours.
ما يجوز لك أخذه
حدود الصيد والأنواع المحمية
الحصص اليومية، والأحجام الدنيا، والأنواع التي يجب ألّا تُؤخذ أبداً.
الحدّ اليومي
None established for recreational spearfishing (no catch limits per Institute of Marine Affairs).
الأحجام الدنيا
- Lobster (carapace length)الحد الأدنى 8.9 cm
أنواع محمية — لا تأخذها
- محميAll marine turtles (absolute prohibition on killing, harpooning, catching, possessing or selling under the Protection of Turtle and Turtle Eggs Regulations)
- محميCorals (included in statutory definition of 'fish'; taking restricted, especially within protected areas)
Lobster minimum legal size is reported as a carapace length of 3.5 inches (≈8.9 cm) and a minimum tail weight of 7 ounces. No spearfishing-specific size or catch limits exist (per Institute of Marine Affairs). Conservation concern exists over declining parrotfish abundance and size, but no statutory parrotfish limit has been confirmed. Size-limit figure for lobster is from a secondary aggregator source and should be verified against the official regulation before relying on it.
من يجوز له الصيد
الزوّار والمقيمون
كيف تختلف القواعد بين الزوّار الأجانب والمقيمين المحليين.
الزوّار الأجانب
مسموحترخيص خاص مطلوب
المتطلبات
- Obtain a fishing permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries before fishing (per secondary travel sources).
القيود
- Same geographic and conservation restrictions as residents: no fishing inside the Buccoo Reef Marine Park or other restricted areas; turtles fully protected; no poison/explosives.
Visitors who wish to fish are generally advised to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, though some sources state no rod licence/permit is required for casual fishing around Tobago. Requirements are inconsistently reported; confirm with the Fisheries Division before travelling.
المقيمون
No spearfishing-specific licence; general Fisheries Act framework applies. Artisanal/recreational vessels may operate within 2 nautical miles of the coast.
Local skin/free divers traditionally and legally spear reef fish (e.g. parrotfish, rockfish) outside protected areas; the activity is unregulated in Tobago per the Institute of Marine Affairs.
أين على الساحل
المناطق المسموح بها والمحظورة
مناطق مسمّاة مفتوحة أو مغلقة للصيد بالحربة. شاهد الصورة الكاملة على الخريطة التفاعلية.
المناطق المسموح بها
Spearfishing is widely and legally practised along most of Tobago's coast by free divers and scuba divers, targeting parrotfish, rockfish and other reef species. The Institute of Marine Affairs states the activity is unregulated outside protected areas (no permits, gear, size, catch limits or seasons).
Must not enter the Buccoo Reef Marine Park or any other declared restricted/prohibited area; turtles are fully protected nationwide; poison and explosives prohibited.
Spearfishing is generally permitted in Trinidad's coastal waters outside any declared prohibited area, subject to the general Fisheries Act prohibitions.
No taking of fish in declared prohibited areas without written ministerial permission; turtles fully protected; no poison/explosives.
المناطق المحظورة
- Buccoo Reef Marine Park / Bon Accord Lagoon Complexmarine park / no-take marine protected area
Tobago's principal and oldest marine protected area, designated a no-take marine park in 1973 under the Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act (Ch. 37:02). Fishing of any kind, including spearfishing, is strictly prohibited; access requires a valid Access/Transit Permit from the Division.
الظروف في الماء
ظروف مباشرة
لقطة بحرية وجوية مباشرة قرب نقطة مرجعية ساحلية في Trinidad and Tobago، من Open-Meteo. تتفاوت الظروف على طول الساحل — اعتبرها إرشادية.
ظروف بحرية وجوية مباشرة قرب Buccoo Reef Marine Park / Bon Accord Lagoon Complex.
من تسأل
السلطات
الجهات الرسمية المسؤولة عن مصايد الأسماك والترخيص.
Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries – Fisheries Division
fisheries authority
agriculture.gov.ttunknownTobago House of Assembly – Division of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development
regional environment/fisheries authority (Tobago)
tha.gov.ttunknownInstitute of Marine Affairs (IMA)
marine research institute
ima.gov.ttunknown
من أين أتى هذا
المصادر
كل ادّعاء في هذه الصفحة يعود إلى أحد هذه المراجع.
- [01]
Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51 (unofficial consolidated version updated to 31 Dec 2015) – Ministry of Agriculture
رسميagriculture.gov.ttتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [02]
Prohibited Use of the Buccoo Reef Marine Protected Area – Tobago House of Assembly
رسميtha.gov.ttتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [03]
Parrotfish – Eating and 'pooping' their way to healthy reefs! – Institute of Marine Affairs
رسميima.gov.ttتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [04]
Snorkel, Freedive or Spearfish in Trinidad and Tobago – Veronika's Adventure
ثانويveronikasadventure.comتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [05]
Caribbean Fishing – Laws and Regulations – Yacht Cruising Lifestyle
ثانويhashtagboatlife.comتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15 - [06]
Fishing Conservation – Trinidad and Tobago (Buccoo Reef Marine Park 1973; bottom trawling ban 2013)
ثانويfishingtnt.comتم الاطّلاع يونيو 15
ملاحظات الباحث
Spearfishing is legal and commonly practised in Trinidad and Tobago, particularly in Tobago, and is explicitly described as unregulated outside protected areas by the Institute of Marine Affairs (no permits, gear, size/catch limits or seasons specific to the activity). The binding legal constraints are: (1) a strict no-fishing rule inside declared marine protected/restricted areas, above all the Buccoo Reef Marine Park / Bon Accord Lagoon complex (Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, Ch. 37:02); (2) a nationwide absolute prohibition on taking, killing or harpooning marine turtles; and (3) the Fisheries Act ban on poison and explosives. The Fisheries Act (Ch. 67:51) verbatim text was retrieved from the official Ministry of Agriculture PDF and extracted with pdftotext. The Marine Areas Act restricted-area prohibitions were taken from the official Tobago House of Assembly page (which paraphrases Regulation 3); the verbatim wording of the underlying statutory instrument was not independently retrieved, so that entry is a faithful close paraphrase from an official source rather than a guaranteed exact transcription. Lobster size/tail-weight figures and the visitor-permit requirement come from secondary travel/aggregator sources and should be verified against official regulations. A modernising Fisheries Management Bill (2020) was before Parliament but is not confirmed as enacted; the 1916 Fisheries Act remains the governing statute. Coordinates for Buccoo Reef are approximate centroid values. No closed seasons relevant to spearfishing were found. Confidence: medium – strong official primary sourcing for the Fisheries Act, turtle protection and Buccoo Reef prohibition; weaker (secondary) sourcing for licensing details and lobster size limits.
نبّهني عند تغيّر قواعد Trinidad and Tobago
سنرسل لك بريداً إلكترونياً عند تحديث مواسم أو لوائح Trinidad and Tobago في بياناتنا.