Guyana
Americas · South America
Guyana has no published recreational spearfishing licensing regime and no explicit ban. The Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002, consolidated as Cap. 71:08) governs all fishing in Guyana's fisheries waters. It does not outlaw spearfishing as such, but Section 79(2)(g) and (h) empower the Minister to make regulations regulating the use of underwater breathing apparatus and regulating or prohibiting the use of spear guns or other similar devices, and Section 79(2)(f) covers the organisation and regulation of sport fishing. Section 14(1) requires a valid commercial fisher's licence to fish in the fisheries waters (with no separate recreational/amateur licence category in the Act — the only mention of "recreational" is in the definition of "fishery"), so any spearfishing is in principle subject to licensing. The Minister may by Order set closed seasons, prohibited fishing areas and minimum species sizes as general licence conditions (Section 22(2)), and may prescribe closed seasons, closed areas and prohibited methods of fishing or fishing gear by regulation (Section 79(2)(b)); a spear gun could also fall within "prohibited fishing gear" if banned for a fishery by regulation (Section 2). Fishing is prohibited inside marine reserves (Section 27) and the Shell Beach Protected Area (Protected Areas Act 2011, declared October 2011, IUCN category VI) without permission, and explosives/poisons are banned (Section 29). Sea turtles are protected (the Act empowers turtle-protection regulations under Section 79(2)(p), and "fish" expressly includes turtles). In practice, marine recreational spearfishing is essentially non-existent because Guyana's Atlantic coast is extremely turbid from Amazon/Orinoco sediment mud banks, giving near-zero underwater visibility; the country is a freshwater/river sport-fishing destination (e.g. arapaima) rather than a spearfishing one. Status is best treated as restricted/uncertain pending confirmation that no spear-gun regulation has been issued under Section 79.
Naposledy aktualizováno Červen 22, 2026
Řídící rámec
- §Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), consolidated as Laws of Guyana Cap. 71:08
- §Protected Areas Act 2011
- §Maritime Boundaries Act 1977 (No. 10 of 1977) - definitions of fishing and fisheries waters
- Povolení povinné
- Povinné
Zákon doslova
Právní texty
Přesná zákonná a regulační ustanovení upravující harpunový rybolov zde, citovaná tak, jak byla zveřejněna, s odkazem na každý oficiální zdroj.
Commercial fisher's licences
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
14. (1) No person shall fish in the fisheries waters without a valid commercial fisher's licence issued under this section. ... (6) Any person who fishes in contravention of subsection (1) or of any condition of a commercial fisher's licence commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars.
Regulations - sport fishing, underwater breathing apparatus and spear guns
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
79. (1) The Minister may make regulations generally for the management and development of fisheries in the fisheries waters. (2) In particular, without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may make regulations for all or any of the following purposes- ... (f) organising and regulating sport fishing in the fisheries waters; (g) regulating the use of underwater breathing apparatus; (h) regulating or prohibiting the use of spear guns or other similar device;
Prohibited fishing methods (explosives, poison, noxious substances)
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
29. (1) Any person who in any part of the fisheries waters or elsewhere in Guyana- (a) uses or permits to be used, or attempts to use any explosive, poison or other noxious substance for the purpose of killing, stunning, disabling or catching fish, or in any way rendering fish more easily caught; or (b) carries or has in his possession or control any explosive, poison or other noxious substance in circumstances indicating an intention of using such explosive, poison or other noxious substance for any of the purposes referred to in the preceding paragraph; commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
Marine reserves
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
27. (1) The Minister may, by Order, declare any area of the fisheries waters and, as appropriate, any adjacent or surrounding land, to be a marine reserve where he considers that special measures are necessary- (a) to afford special protection to the flora and fauna of such areas and to protect and preserve the natural breeding grounds and habitats of aquatic life, with particular regard to flora and fauna in danger of extinction: (b) to allow for the natural regeneration of aquatic life in areas where such life has been depleted; (c) to promote scientific study and research in respect of such areas; or (d) to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of such areas. (2) Any person who, without permission granted under subsection (3)- (a) fishes or attempts to fish; (b) takes or destroys any flora or fauna other than fish; ... in any marine reserve, commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Controls over sale of fish taken in the course of sport fishing
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
23. (1) No fish taken in the course of sport fishing or fisheries related research or survey operations shall be sold except with the prior authorization of the Chief Fisheries Officer and in accordance with such conditions as he may impose.
Definition of fish (Laws of Guyana consolidated Fisheries Act)
Fisheries Act, Laws of Guyana Cap. 71:08 (Act 30 of 1956, as amended)
"fish" includes all or any of the varieties of marine, estuarine or fresh water fishes, crustacea, whales, porpoises, manatees, mollusca or other marine animal and plant life or fresh water animal and plant life;
General licence conditions - open/closed seasons, prohibited fishing areas, minimum sizes
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
22. ... (2) The Minister may, by Order, specify general conditions additional to those prescribed to which all fishing licences or any category of fishing licences shall be subject including conditions relating to open and closed seasons, prohibited fishing areas, minimum mesh sizes and minimum species sizes.
Regulations - fisheries management and conservation measures (closed seasons, closed areas, prohibited methods)
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
79. ... (2) In particular, without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may make regulations for all or any of the following purposes- (a) providing for the licensing, regulation and management of any particular fishery; (b) prescribing fisheries management and conservation measures including prescribed mesh sizes, gear standards, minimum species sizes, closed seasons, closed areas, prohibited methods of fishing or fishing gear and schemes for limiting entry into all or any specified fisheries;
Regulations - marine reserves, taking of coral and shells, and protection of turtles
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
79. ... (2) ... the Minister may make regulations for all or any of the following purposes- ... (o) regulating- (i) the management and protection of marine reserves; (ii) the taking of coral and shells; (iii) the setting of fish pens and pin seines; (iv) the taking of aquarium or ornamental fish; (p) prescribing measures for the protection of turtles;
Definition of "prohibited fishing gear"
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002), Cap. 71:08
"prohibited fishing gear" in relation to any fishery in an area means- (i) any net the mesh size of which does not conform to the prescribed mesh size for the type of net, for the fishery in that area; (ii) any trap or other fishing gear which does not conform to any standards prescribed for that type of trap or other fishing gear for the fishery in that area; or (iii) any other net or fishing gear which is prohibited by any regulations made under this Act for a fishery in that area;
Kdy se můžete potápět
Sezóny a časová omezení
Uzavřená, otevřená a omezená období v průběhu roku. Místní uzavření pro konkrétní druhy vždy ověřte.
Žádná sezónní uzavření nezaznamenána — před potopením ověřte místně.
Povolení k rybolovu
Povolení
Co potřebujete k legálnímu vstupu do vody, kolik to stojí a jak to získat.
Application for a commercial fisher's licence is made to the Chief Fisheries Officer in the prescribed form (Fisheries Act 2002, Section 14(3)). No published recreational or sport-fishing licence procedure was found.
Získejte povoleníOtevře oficiální portál · agriculture.gov.gy
- Typ
- Commercial fisher's licence (no separate recreational/spearfishing licence published)
- Cena
- unknown
- Platnost
- unknown
- Jak získat
- Application for a commercial fisher's licence is made to the Chief Fisheries Officer in the prescribed form (Fisheries Act 2002, Section 14(3)). No published recreational or sport-fishing licence procedure was found.
- Úřad
- Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture (Chief Fisheries Officer)
Vybavení a technika
Pravidla pro vybavení
Jaké vybavení je povoleno, jak se smí používat a jaké jsou podmínky.
Omezení
- Spear guns and similar devices may be regulated or prohibited by ministerial regulation under Section 79(2)(h) of the Fisheries Act 2002; no published regulation confirming current spear-gun rules was retrievable.
- Use of underwater breathing apparatus may be regulated by ministerial regulation under Section 79(2)(g).
- A spear gun could be treated as 'prohibited fishing gear' if banned for a fishery in an area by regulations made under the Act (Section 2 interpretation), but no such regulation was retrievable.
- The Minister may prescribe prohibited methods of fishing or fishing gear, and gear standards, by regulation (Section 79(2)(b)).
- Explosives, poisons and other noxious substances are prohibited for taking fish (Section 29).
Whether a spear gun is currently allowed, restricted, or prohibited in practice depends on subsidiary regulations made under Section 79, which were not retrievable during this research. The primary Act itself neither bans nor expressly permits spear guns.
Co smíte ulovit
Limity úlovků a chráněné druhy
Denní kvóty, minimální velikosti a druhy, které nesmíte nikdy lovit.
Denní limit
unknown
Chráněné druhy — neulovit
- ChráněnoLeatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- ChráněnoGreen turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- ChráněnoHawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- ChráněnoOlive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Sea turtles are protected under the Fisheries Act 2002 and the Protected Areas Act 2011 (Section 79(2)(p) of the Fisheries Act provides for prescribing measures for the protection of turtles; the statutory definition of "fish" in Section 2 expressly includes turtles). The freshwater arapaima (Arapaima gigas / pirarucu) is also strictly protected as a fishery resource: harvesting/killing is prohibited except under the tri-partite Arapaima Management Plan (Government of Guyana Fisheries Department, Iwokrama Centre and the North Rupununi District Development Board), which permits only a quota of adults to be taken in a defined window and otherwise mandates catch-and-release for sport fishing in community-managed North Rupununi zones; this is administered by permit/protocol rather than a published spearfishing rule. No general spearfishing daily-bag or minimum-size limits were retrievable; the Act empowers the Minister to set minimum species sizes and closed seasons both as general licence conditions by Order (Section 22(2)) and by regulation (Section 79(2)(b)).
Kdo smí rybařit
Návštěvníci a rezidenti
Jak se pravidla liší pro zahraniční návštěvníky a místní rezidenty.
Zahraniční návštěvníci
Omezení
- Foreign fishing vessels require a foreign fishing vessel licence and an access agreement (Sections 17-18). No recreational foreigner spearfishing regime was found.
No specific rules for foreign recreational spearfishers were retrievable. General fishing in the fisheries waters requires a licence (Section 14).
Rezidenti
Commercial fisher's licence (no published recreational category)
Indigenous and local coastal communities (e.g. around Shell Beach) traditionally engage in fishing and crabbing for livelihood, but no codified resident recreational spearfishing rules were found.
Kde na pobřeží
Povolené a zakázané zóny
Pojmenované oblasti, které jsou otevřeny nebo uzavřeny pro harpunový rybolov. Celkový obraz zobrazte na interaktivní mapě.
Zakázané oblasti
- Shell Beach Protected Areanational protected area / marine and coastal turtle nesting reserve
National protected area declared under the Protected Areas Act 2011, in Region 1 (Barima-Waini), northwest Guyana, stretching over ~120 km of beach and mudflats and covering approximately 123,055 hectares. Major nesting site for four endangered sea turtle species (Leatherback, Green, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley), which are protected under the Fisheries Act 2002 and the Protected Areas Act 2011. Managed by the Protected Areas Commission; resource use (including fishing) is regulated and subject to permission.
Any area of the fisheries waters (and adjacent land) the Minister declares a marine reserve by Order. Within a marine reserve, fishing or attempting to fish, and taking or destroying flora or fauna, are offences unless written permission is granted (Section 27(2)-(3)). No specific marine-reserve Orders were retrievable during this research; treat as a legal mechanism rather than a confirmed named zone.
Podmínky na vodě
Živé podmínky
Živý snímek mořských a meteorologických podmínek u pobřežního referenčního bodu v Guyana od Open-Meteo. Podmínky se podél pobřeží liší — berte jako orientační.
Živé mořské podmínky a počasí u Shell Beach Protected Area.
Koho se zeptat
Úřady
Oficiální orgány odpovědné za rybolov a vydávání povolení.
Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture
fisheries authority
agriculture.gov.gyChief Fisheries Officer (Denzil Roberts), Regent & Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown; tel 225-9559/9552; fisheriesguyana@gmail.comProtected Areas Commission
protected areas authority
pac.gov.gyManages the National System of Protected Areas including Shell Beach Protected Area
Odkud to pochází
Zdroje
Každé tvrzení na této stránce se opírá o jeden z těchto zdrojů.
- [01]
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002) - full text PDF (Guyana Seabob Fishery)
Oficiálníguyanaseabobfishery.comPřístup získán Čvn 14 - [02]
Fisheries Act, Laws of Guyana Cap. 71:08 (consolidated) - FAOLEX
Oficiálnífaolex.fao.orgPřístup získán Čvn 14 - [03]
Fisheries - Ministry of Agriculture (Guyana) - Fisheries Department
Oficiálníagriculture.gov.gyPřístup získán Čvn 14 - [04]
Shell Beach Protected Area - Protected Areas Commission, Guyana
Oficiálnípac.gov.gyPřístup získán Čvn 14 - [05]
Fisheries Act (Cap 71:08) - ECOLEX legislation record
Sekundárníecolex.orgPřístup získán Čvn 14 - [06]
Fisheries Act - Guyana (The Outlaw Ocean global fishing legislation toolkit)
Sekundárnítheoutlawocean.comPřístup získán Čvn 14 - [07]
The Mud That Makes Us (Guyana Chronicle) - Amazon/Orinoco mud banks on Guyana's coast
Sekundárníguyanachronicle.comPřístup získán Čvn 14 - [08]
Fisheries Act, Chapter 71:08 (consolidated L.R.O. 1/2012) - FAOLEX
Oficiálnífaolex.fao.orgPřístup získán Čvn 22 - [09]
Catch & release draft Arapaima legislation completed - Ministry of Agriculture (Guyana)
Oficiálníagriculture.gov.gyPřístup získán Čvn 22 - [10]
The Arapaima Management Plan - People not Poaching (NRDDB / Iwokrama / Fisheries Department tri-partite co-management)
Sekundárnípeoplenotpoaching.orgPřístup získán Čvn 22
Poznámky výzkumníka
Guyana is a coastal South American country, but its Atlantic shelf is dominated by fluid mud banks of Amazon/Orinoco sediment, producing extremely turbid water with near-zero underwater visibility; marine recreational spearfishing is therefore effectively impractical and not an established activity. Guyana's recreational fishing reputation is built on freshwater river angling (notably arapaima catch-and-release). The Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002, Cap. 71:08) is the controlling national statute and was located and parsed in full from the official full-text PDF; verbatim provisions are captured above on spear guns/underwater breathing apparatus/sport fishing (Section 79(2)(f),(g),(h)), the broader regulation-making powers for conservation measures including closed seasons, closed areas and prohibited methods/gear (Section 79(2)(a),(b)) and for marine-reserve management, coral/shell taking and turtle protection (Section 79(2)(o),(p)), general licence conditions on closed seasons / prohibited fishing areas / minimum sizes (Section 22(2)), the definition of "prohibited fishing gear" (Section 2), sport-fishing sale controls (Section 23), licensing (Section 14), marine reserves (Section 27) and prohibited methods (Section 29). The Act contains NO recreational/amateur fishing licence category (only a commercial fisher's licence); 'recreational' appears solely in the definition of 'fishery'. CRITICAL LIMITATION (unchanged): the Act delegates the actual treatment of spear guns and sport fishing to subsidiary regulations under Section 79; no such regulation specifically addressing or banning recreational spearfishing was retrievable, so the practical legal status (allowed vs restricted vs prohibited) could not be definitively confirmed - hence spearfishing_allowed=restricted. data_confidence raised low->medium because the controlling statute and its closed-season/prohibited-method/gear mechanisms are now fully documented and the residual uncertainty is well-characterised (a missing subsidiary regulation) rather than an unexamined gap. Guyana's only inland fisheries management plan is the tri-partite Arapaima Management Plan (Fisheries Department / Iwokrama / NRDDB), under which arapaima sport fishing is catch-and-release-only in community zones and direct harvesting is by permitted quota only - administered by protocol/permit, not by a published spearfishing rule. No closed seasons, catch limits, license fees, or named marine reserves specific to spearfishing were retrievable; these are marked unknown/empty rather than guessed. To confirm spear-gun status, contact the Fisheries Department (fisheriesguyana@gmail.com) for any regulations issued under Section 79.
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