Mexico
Americas · Central America
Recreational spearfishing (pesca deportivo-recreativa subacuatica) is legal in Mexican federal waters but tightly regulated. A federal sport-fishing permit issued by CONAPESCA is mandatory for every spearfisher, including foreigners. Underwater fishing is allowed only by free-diving (breath-hold / buceo a pulmon); the use of scuba/compressed air or autonomous diving gear (escafandra autonoma) is not permitted for the activity. Only a single rubber- or spring-powered speargun (arpon de hule o resorte) is allowed per fisher, and hooks (ganchos) and tridents/gigs (fisgas) are prohibited. Spearfishing may target only fish (peces), not crustaceans or mollusks (squid excepted), and is capped at five specimens per fisher per day. The activity is prohibited inside no-take marine protected areas (e.g. Cabo Pulmo National Park, Revillagigedo National Park), in/around closed-season (veda) zones, within 250 m of swimming beaches, and within 250 m of commercial fishing vessels. Sale of the catch is forbidden under the sport permit.
Última actualització Juny 14, 2026
Marc normatiu aplicable
- §Ley General de Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentables (LGPAS), 2007 (as amended)
- §NOM-017-PESC-1994, Para regular las actividades de pesca deportivo-recreativa en las aguas de jurisdiccion federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (DOF 09/05/1995)
- §Carta Nacional Pesquera (CONAPESCA, species-specific management and vedas)
- Llicència obligatòria
- Obligatori
- Fusell
- Permès
- Escafandre autònom
- Prohibit
- Estrangers
- Benvingut
- Màx. fletxes
- 1
La llei, literalment
Textos legals
Les disposicions legals i reglamentàries exactes que regulen la pesca submarina aquí, citades tal com es publiquen, amb un enllaç a cada font oficial.
Recreational fishing limited to fish species only
NOM-017-PESC-1994
La pesca deportivo recreativa, solo podra practicarse sobre peces.
Underwater (spear) fishing only while breath-hold (free) diving
NOM-017-PESC-1994
La practica de la pesca deportiva subacuatica unicamente se permitira buceando a pulmon.
Single rubber/spring speargun per fisher; hooks and gigs prohibited
NOM-017-PESC-1994
La pesca subacuatica solo podra practicarse con un solo arpon de liga o resorte por pescador deportivo, quedando prohibido el empleo de ganchos y fisgas.
General daily catch limit and per-species composition
NOM-017-PESC-1994
Diez ejemplares diarios por pescador, con la siguiente composicion por especie: No mas de cinco de una misma especie. Cuando se trate de marlin, pez vela, pez espada y tiburon, el limite maximo por pescador y dia sera de un solo ejemplar [...] el limite maximo sera de dos ejemplares de cualquiera de tales especies (dorado, sabalo, pez gallo).
Spearfishing-specific daily catch limit
NOM-017-PESC-1994
La pesca subacuatica tendra como limite maximo de captura cinco ejemplares de cualquier especie de peces marinos o de agua dulce por pescador y dia.
Prohibited zones and situations for fishing (250 m rule)
NOM-017-PESC-1994
Queda prohibido practicar la pesca deportivo-recreativa: En zonas y temporadas de veda; A menos de 250 metros de embarcaciones dedicadas a la pesca comercial; A menos de 250 metros de la orilla de playas frecuentadas por banistas.
Quan podeu bussejar
Temporades i restriccions horàries
Períodes tancats, oberts i restringits al llarg de l'any. Confirmeu sempre localment els tancaments per espècie.
- TancatMero / Grouper (Epinephelus spp.)Feb 1 – Mar 31
Closed season (veda) for grouper; minimum size around 50 cm. Spearfishing of the species is prohibited during the veda.
- TancatLobster / LangostaMar 1 – Jun 30
Closed season for spiny lobster (commonly cited). Note: lobster is a crustacean and may not be taken by spearfishing at all under NOM-017-PESC-1994 (fish only).
- TancatOctopus / PulpoDes 16 – Jul 31
Closed season for octopus (commonly cited). Octopus is a mollusk and not a permitted spearfishing target under NOM-017-PESC-1994.
- TancatNassau grouper / Cherna criollaGen 1 – Des 31
Indefinite closed season (closed until further notice) reported for Nassau grouper.
Permís per pescar
Llicència
Què necessiteu per poder estar a l'aigua, quant costa i com obtenir-ho.
Apply online via the CONAPESCA e5cinco portal (https://e5cinco.conapesca.gob.mx/) or at CONAPESCA offices/subdelegations, or through authorized vendors/charter operators. Required for every individual fisher.
Obteniu la vostra llicènciaObre el portal oficial · gob.mx
- Tipus
- Permiso de Pesca Deportivo-Recreativa (CONAPESCA-01-016), individual, non-transferable
- Cost
- Approx. (MXN): daily $127, weekly $318, monthly $476, annual $635, excursion $904 (rates per CONAPESCA-01-016; adjusted annually)
- Validesa
- Daily, weekly, monthly, annual or per-excursion options
- Com obtenir-la
- Apply online via the CONAPESCA e5cinco portal (https://e5cinco.conapesca.gob.mx/) or at CONAPESCA offices/subdelegations, or through authorized vendors/charter operators. Required for every individual fisher.
- Autoritat
- Comision Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (CONAPESCA), Direccion General de Ordenamiento Pesquero y Acuicola
Equip i tècnica
Normes d'equipament
Quin equip és permès, com s'ha d'utilitzar i les condicions aplicables.
Restriccions
- Only rubber- or spring-powered spearguns (arpon de hule/liga o resorte) allowed
- Only one speargun per fisher (un solo arpon por pescador deportivo)
- Hooks (ganchos) and gigs/tridents (fisgas) prohibited for underwater fishing
- Underwater fishing only while free-diving / breath-hold (buceando a pulmon); scuba, compressed air and autonomous diving gear not permitted for the activity
- Light/attraction devices not permitted for underwater fishing
Per NOM-017-PESC-1994 clauses 4.5 and 4.6.3. Scuba spearfishing is not authorized; the norm permits underwater sport fishing only by breath-hold diving.
Què podeu capturar
Límits de captures i espècies protegides
Quotes diàries, mides mínimes i espècies que mai no es poden capturar.
Límit diari
General sport fishing: 10 fish/day per fisher (max 5 of one species). Underwater/spear fishing specifically: max 5 fish/day per fisher. Sub-limits: 1/day for marlin, sailfish, swordfish, shark; 2/day for dorado, tarpon (sabalo), roosterfish (pez gallo). Freshwater: 5/day.
Mides mínimes
- Mero / Grouper (Epinephelus spp.)mín. 50 cm
Espècies protegides — no capturar
- ProtegitTotoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) - protected, prohibited
- ProtegitAbalon / Abalone - reserved for commercial cooperatives, not sport/spear
- ProtegitVaquita-related closures (Upper Gulf of California)
- ProtegitMarine mammals, sea turtles and corals - protected
Spearfishing may target only fish (peces); crustaceans (e.g. lobster) and mollusks may not be taken by speargun, with squid being the noted exception. Multi-day accumulation is capped at the equivalent of three days of fishing (NOM-017-PESC-1994 clause 4.8). Sale or commercial use of the catch under a sport permit is prohibited. Species-specific limits and vedas are detailed in the Carta Nacional Pesquera and may change.
Qui pot pescar
Visitants i residents
Com difereixen les normes per als visitants estrangers i els residents locals.
Visitants estrangers
PermèsCal llicència especial
Requisits
- Obtain an individual CONAPESCA sport-fishing permit (same permit applies to nationals and foreigners)
- Carry the permit while fishing/diving
- Comply with all NOM-017-PESC-1994 rules (free-diving only, one speargun, catch and zone limits)
Restriccions
- No commercial sale or monetary gain from the catch
- No fishing in protected areas or veda zones
Sport-recreational permits are issued to nationals and foreigners alike; they are individual, non-extendable and non-transferable. Foreign visitors typically obtain the permit online or via charter/dive operators.
Residents
Permiso de Pesca Deportivo-Recreativa (same federal permit as non-residents)
Requisits
- Individual CONAPESCA sport-fishing permit
- Compliance with NOM-017-PESC-1994 and applicable vedas
Mexico does not provide a distinct resident spearfishing license category for recreational sport fishing; the same federal permit applies. Coastal fishing-community members may hold separate commercial/cooperative permits, which are outside the recreational scope.
On a la costa
Zones permeses i prohibides
Àrees nominades obertes o tancades per a la pesca submarina. Veieu el panorama complet al mapa interactiu.
Àrees permeses
Recreational free-diving spearfishing with a rubber/spring speargun is generally permitted in Mexican federal waters with a valid CONAPESCA sport-fishing permit, outside protected areas, veda zones and the 250 m beach/commercial-vessel buffers.
Free-diving only; one speargun; fish only; max 5 fish/day by spearfishing; no scuba/compressed air; keep 250 m from swimming beaches and commercial fishing vessels.
Àrees prohibides
- Cabo Pulmo National Parknational park / no-take marine reserve
No-take marine national park in the Gulf of California, Baja California Sur. All fishing and spearfishing prohibited (100% no-take since community-driven expansion).
- Revillagigedo National Parknational park / no-take marine reserve
Largest fully-protected marine reserve in North America (148,087 km2), declared 24 Nov 2017, ~390 km southwest of Baja California Sur. Free from fishing and all extractive activities; spearfishing prohibited.
- Veda (closed-season) zonesseasonal closure zone
Any area and period under a fishing closure (veda) declared by CONAPESCA / Carta Nacional Pesquera. Recreational and spear fishing prohibited there during the veda.
- Within 250 m of swimming beaches and commercial fishing vesselssafety buffer / regulatory exclusion
NOM-017-PESC-1994 clause 4.12 prohibits recreational fishing within 250 m of beaches frequented by bathers and within 250 m of commercial fishing vessels.
- Arrecifes de Cozumel National Parkmarine national park / coral reef MPA
Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, a CONANP marine national park off the west coast of Cozumel island (Quintana Roo), established 19 July 1996. It protects the coral reef system; the management plan regulates and restricts fishing, diving, navigation and anchoring, and recreational fishing/spearfishing is not permitted within the reef park.
- Costa Occidental de Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun y Punta Nizuc National Parkmarine national park / coral reef MPA
Parque Nacional Costa Occidental de Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun y Punta Nizuc, a CONANP marine national park in NE Quintana Roo, comprising three marine polygons off Cancun/Isla Mujeres in the Mesoamerican Reef System. Extractive activities including recreational spearfishing are prohibited.
- Bahia de Loreto National Parkmarine national park / no-take core zones
Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto, a CONANP marine national park in the central Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), Baja California Sur, established 19 July 1996, ~206,581 ha. Fishing of all modalities (including spearfishing) is prohibited in the marine preservation subzones / no-fishing core zones.
- Arrecife de Puerto Morelos National Parkmarine national park / coral reef MPA
Parque Nacional Arrecife de Puerto Morelos, a CONANP marine national park on the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Recreational spearfishing is not permitted in the protected reef; the park is a mixed-use MPA managed for coral-reef conservation with a regulated concessioned-fishing subzone.
- Isla Contoy National Parkmarine national park / island reserve
Parque Nacional Isla Contoy, a CONANP national park ~30 km north of Isla Mujeres (Quintana Roo), established February 1998, covering the island and ~4,900 ha of surrounding sea. Access is tightly controlled (CONANP-authorized tours only, capped visitor numbers) and recreational spearfishing is not permitted in the protected area.
- Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reservebiosphere reserve / atoll reef with fishing refuge
Reserva de la Biosfera Banco Chinchorro, a CONANP atoll-reef biosphere reserve off the SE coast of Quintana Roo near Belize. Recreational spearfishing is not permitted in the reserve's protected/refuge zones; a fishing refuge (zona de refugio pesquero) was established at Banco Chinchorro and Punta Herrero.
Condicions a l'aigua
Condicions en directe
Instantània marina i meteorològica en directe prop d'un punt de referència costaner de Mexico, de Open-Meteo. Les condicions varien al llarg de la costa — tracteu-ho com a indicatiu.
Marina i meteorologia en directe prop de Cabo Pulmo National Park.
A qui preguntar
Autoritats
Els organismes oficials responsables de la pesca i les llicències.
Comision Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (CONAPESCA)
fisheries authority
gob.mxOnline permit portal: https://e5cinco.conapesca.gob.mx/Secretaria de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER)
agriculture and rural development ministry (parent of CONAPESCA)
Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP)
protected natural areas authority
D'on prové aquesta informació
Fonts
Cada afirmació d'aquesta pàgina es remunta a una d'aquestes referències.
- [01]
NOM-017-PESC-1994 (full text) - FONMAR
Oficialfonmar.gob.mxConsultat el Jun 14 - [02]
CONAPESCA-01-016 Permiso para Pesca Deportivo-Recreativa - gob.mx
Oficialgob.mxConsultat el Jun 14 - [03]
CONAPESCA - Permiso de Pesca Deportiva
Oficialconapesca.gob.mxConsultat el Jun 14 - [04]
Ley General de Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentables (LGPAS) - Camara de Diputados
Oficialdiputados.gob.mxConsultat el Jun 14 - [05]
Mexican Fishing Laws - SpearfishingCaribe
Secundarispearfishingcaribe.comConsultat el Jun 14 - [06]
Cabo Pulmo National Park - Wikipedia
Secundarien.wikipedia.orgConsultat el Jun 14
Notes de l'investigador
Confidence is high for the federal regulatory framework: NOM-017-PESC-1994 verbatim clauses were retrieved from the official FONMAR reproduction and permit costs/catch limits from the official gob.mx CONAPESCA document. The DOF source page (codigo=5323155) and the live CONAPESCA portal could not be fetched directly (TLS/timeout), so those URLs are cited but verbatim text was taken from the FONMAR and gob.mx mirrors. Note an internal nuance in NOM-017: general sport fishing allows 10 fish/day (clause 4.7), but underwater/spear fishing is specifically capped at 5 fish/day (clause 4.9). Permit fees are indicative and adjusted annually (figures shown reflect the CONAPESCA-01-016 schedule retrieved). Closed-season (veda) dates for grouper/lobster/octopus come from a secondary source and should be re-verified against the current Carta Nacional Pesquera and DOF veda decrees, as they change. Revillagigedo coordinates are approximate (centroid near Socorro Island). Spearfishing is prohibited inside no-take ANPs (Cabo Pulmo, Revillagigedo) and other protected areas managed by CONANP.
Notifiqueu-me quan canviïn les normes de Mexico
Us enviarem un correu quan les temporades o normatives de Mexico s'actualitzin en el nostre conjunt de dades.