SpearfishingMap

Netherlands

Europe · Western Europe

Recreational spearfishing (speervissen / onderwaterjacht met de harpoen) is effectively prohibited throughout the Netherlands, in both marine and inland waters. In the sea area and coastal waters (zeegebied en kustwateren), the Uitvoeringsregeling visserij (Article 14, paragraph 1, sub a) explicitly forbids fishing with 'de harpoen' (the harpoon) and any other gear suitable for wounding fish. In inland waters (binnenwateren), the Reglement voor de binnenvisserij 1985 (Article 2) only permits a closed list of fishing gear (rod/hengel, peur, traps, nets, etc.) and the harpoon is not on that list, so its use is unlawful. Separately, under the Wet wapens en munitie a spear gun/harpoon is classified as a category IV weapon, which an adult may possess at home but may not carry in public or use; combined with the fisheries prohibition this leaves no lawful way to practise spearfishing. No license exists for spearfishing because the activity itself is not permitted.

Prohibited
DatatillidHøj tillid

Sidst opdateret Juni 15, 2026

Overordnet lovramme

  • §Visserijwet 1963 (Fisheries Act 1963), BWBR0002416
  • §Uitvoeringsregeling visserij (Fisheries Implementation Regulation), BWBR0024539 - Article 14
  • §Reglement voor de binnenvisserij 1985 (Regulation on inland fisheries 1985), BWBR0009027 - Article 2
  • §Wet wapens en munitie (Weapons and Ammunition Act), category IV - harpoon
Spydpistol
Forbudt
Udlændinge
Ikke tilladt

Loven, ordret

Lovtekster

De præcise lovbestemmelser og reguleringsforskrifter, der regulerer harpunfiskeri her, citeret som offentliggjort, med et link til hver officiel kilde.

01Artikel 14, lid 1, onder aNetherlands · national

Prohibition on fishing with the harpoon in sea area and coastal waters

Uitvoeringsregeling visserij (BWBR0024539)

NLOriginal

Het is verboden in het zeegebied en de kustwateren te vissen met: a. de harpoen, de elger, de aalschaar, of enig ander vistuig, hetwelk geeigend is de vis te verwonden, met uitzondering van het hoekwant, de reep, de dobber, de zetangel of fleur, de hengel of spieringtuig, en b. een visnet waarvan het netwerk van metaalgaas is vervaardigd, met uitzondering van de kreeftenkorf en enig ander net, bestemd of mede bestemd tot het vangen van schaal- en schelpdieren, zeesterren en zee- of koraalmos.

02Artikel 2, lid 1Netherlands · national

Closed list of permitted fishing gear in inland waters (harpoon not included)

Reglement voor de binnenvisserij 1985 (BWBR0009027)

NLOriginal

Het is verboden te vissen met andere vistuigen dan de volgende: de hengel, de peur, de kreeftenkorf, de visfuik, de aalfuik, de ankerkuil, het aalkistje, het aalhoekwant, de aaldogger, de zegen, de aalzegen, de aaskuil, het staand net, de gebbe, het kruisnet, het electrovisapparaat en het schepnet. (De harpoen komt niet voor op deze limitatieve lijst van toegestane vistuigen, zodat het vissen met de harpoen in de binnenwateren verboden is.)

03Artikel 1, lid 3Netherlands · national

Definition of 'fishing' (vissen) under the Fisheries Act 1963

Visserijwet 1963 (BWBR0002416)

NLOriginal

het te water brengen, te water hebben, lichten of ophalen van vistuigen alsmede het op enigerlei andere wijze pogen om vis uit het water te bemachtigen

04Categorie IVNetherlands · national

Harpoon classified as a category IV weapon under the Weapons and Ammunition Act

Wet wapens en munitie

NLOriginal

Wapens uit categorie IV zijn onder meer: zwaarden, degens, wapenstokken, bepaalde luchtdrukwapens, harpoenen en kruisbogen. Dergelijke wapens mogen door personen vanaf 18 jaar in bezit worden gehouden, maar mogen niet op de openbare weg of in voor het publiek toegankelijke plaatsen worden gedragen.

Hvornår du kan dykke

Sæsoner og tidsbegrænsninger

Lukkede, åbne og begrænsede perioder over året. Bekræft altid artsspecifikke lukkede perioder lokalt.

Ingen sæsonlukkede perioder registreret — bekræft lokalt inden du dykker.

Tilladelse til at fiske

Licens

Hvad du skal have for at må være i vandet, hvad det koster, og hvordan du får det.

Licens: ukendt — bekræft lokaltvia Sportvisserij Nederland (recreational angling); Ministerie van Landbouw, Visserij, Voedselzekerheid en Natuur (fisheries policy)

There is no spearfishing license because spearfishing with a harpoon is prohibited in both marine and inland waters. The general recreational angling permit (VISpas, issued by Sportvisserij Nederland) covers rod fishing only and does not authorise the use of a harpoon.

Få din licens

Åbner den officielle portal · sportvisserijnederland.nl

Type
Not applicable - no spearfishing license exists
Sådan får du licensen
There is no spearfishing license because spearfishing with a harpoon is prohibited in both marine and inland waters. The general recreational angling permit (VISpas, issued by Sportvisserij Nederland) covers rod fishing only and does not authorise the use of a harpoon.
Myndighed
Sportvisserij Nederland (recreational angling); Ministerie van Landbouw, Visserij, Voedselzekerheid en Natuur (fisheries policy)
Officiel licensportal · sportvisserijnederland.nl

Udstyr og teknik

Udstyrskrav

Hvilket udstyr er tilladt, hvordan det må bruges, og hvilke betingelser der er knyttet hertil.

SpydpistolForbudt

Restriktioner

  • The harpoon and any other gear suitable for wounding fish is prohibited in the sea area and coastal waters (Uitvoeringsregeling visserij, Art. 14(1)(a)).
  • In inland waters only the gear listed in Art. 2 of the Reglement voor de binnenvisserij 1985 is allowed; the harpoon is not listed.
  • A spear gun/harpoon is a category IV weapon under the Wet wapens en munitie: it may be possessed at home by adults but may not be carried in public, which in practice prevents its use for spearfishing.

Because the harpoon is forbidden both as fishing gear and as a weapon carried in public, no form of spearfishing equipment can be lawfully used to take fish in Dutch waters. Standard rod-and-line recreational fishing remains legal with the appropriate permit (VISpas).

Hvad du må tage

Fangstbegrænsninger og fredede arter

Daglige kvoter, minimumsstørrelser og arter, der aldrig må fanges.

Dagsgrænse

Not applicable to spearfishing (prohibited). General recreational angling rules with bag/size limits and closed seasons apply to rod fishing only.

Spearfishing is prohibited, so spearfishing-specific catch limits do not exist. Minimum sizes and closed seasons exist for rod-caught species under the Uitvoeringsregeling visserij and the Reglement voor de binnenvisserij 1985 but are outside the scope of spearfishing.

Hvem må fiske

Besøgende og fastboende

Hvordan reglerne adskiller sig for udenlandske besøgende og lokale fastboende.

Udenlandske besøgende

Ikke tilladt

Restriktioner

  • The prohibition on fishing with the harpoon applies to everyone regardless of nationality; foreign visitors may not spearfish in Dutch marine or inland waters.
  • Bringing and using a spear gun is subject to the Wet wapens en munitie (category IV weapon) in addition to the fisheries prohibition.

There is no exemption for tourists or foreign divers. The same fisheries and weapons rules apply to residents and non-residents alike.

Fastboende

Not applicable - no spearfishing license; rod fishing requires a VISpas

Residents are subject to the same prohibition. For ordinary rod fishing they need a VISpas; there is no comparable permit that would authorise spearfishing.

Hvor langs kysten

Tilladte og forbudte zoner

Navngivne områder der er åbne for eller lukket for harpunfiskeri. Se det fulde billede på det interaktive kort.

Forbudte områder

Se på kort

Hvem du kan spørge

Myndigheder

De officielle organer, der er ansvarlige for fiskeri og licensudstedelse.

  • Ministerie van Landbouw, Visserij, Voedselzekerheid en Natuur (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature)

    fisheries authority / environment ministry

    rijksoverheid.nl

  • Sportvisserij Nederland (Dutch Sport Fishing Federation)

    recreational fishing federation / permit issuer (VISpas)

    sportvisserijnederland.nl

  • Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (NVWA)

    fisheries enforcement authority

    nvwa.nl

  • Justis (Screeningsautoriteit) - Wet wapens en munitie

    weapons licensing / classification authority

    justis.nl

Hvor dette kommer fra

Kilder

Hvert udsagn på denne side kan spores tilbage til én af disse referencer.

  1. [01]

    Uitvoeringsregeling visserij (BWBR0024539) - official consolidated text, valid from 01-04-2026, Article 14

    Officiel
    wetten.overheid.nlTilgået jun 15
  2. [02]

    Uitvoeringsregeling visserij - FAOLEX archived copy (BWBR0024539), full Dutch text including Article 14

    Officiel
    faolex.fao.orgTilgået jun 15
  3. [03]

    Visserijwet 1963 (BWBR0002416) - official consolidated text

    Officiel
    wetten.overheid.nlTilgået jun 15
  4. [04]

    Reglement voor de binnenvisserij 1985, Artikel 2 (permitted inland fishing gear list)

    Sekundær
    maxius.nlTilgået jun 15
  5. [05]

    Reglement voor de binnenvisserij 1985 (BWBR0009027) - official text

    Officiel
    wetten.overheid.nlTilgået jun 15
  6. [06]

    Justis - Welke soorten wapens zijn verboden (Wet wapens en munitie, category IV including harpoon)

    Officiel
    justis.nlTilgået jun 15
  7. [07]

    Sportvisserij Nederland - Visserijwet en regels (binnenwater)

    Officiel
    sportvisserijnederland.nlTilgået jun 15
  8. [08]

    harpune.info - Spearfishing in Europe: Law, Rules and Restrictions (Netherlands: prohibited)

    community
    harpune.infoTilgået jun 15

Forskernoter

Spearfishing is not lawful anywhere in the Netherlands. The decisive verbatim provision is Article 14(1)(a) of the Uitvoeringsregeling visserij, which expressly forbids fishing with 'de harpoen' (and any other gear suitable for wounding fish) in the sea area and coastal waters. For inland waters, Article 2 of the Reglement voor de binnenvisserij 1985 sets out a closed (limitative) list of permitted gear that does not include the harpoon, so its use there is equally unlawful. Independently, the harpoon/spear gun is a category IV weapon under the Wet wapens en munitie. There are therefore no permitted spearfishing zones and no spearfishing license. Confidence is high for the prohibition itself (two official consolidated legal texts plus the weapons classification). The inland Article 2 verbatim text was captured from a secondary legal aggregator (maxius.nl) cross-checked against the official register; the parenthetical note clarifying that the harpoon is absent from the list is editorial, not part of the statutory text. No closed/open seasons are recorded because spearfishing is banned outright rather than seasonally regulated.

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