Norway
Europe · Northern Europe
Recreational spearfishing (undervannsjakt) in saltwater is legal in Norway without any licence and is treated as 'sportfishing with hand-held gear' (sportsfiske med handreiskapar). Spearfishers must obey the same recreational sea-fishing rules as anglers: minimum sizes, protected and partially-protected species, the 100-metre distance from fish farms and the ban on selling catch. Lobster, anadromous salmonids (salmon and sea trout) and freshwater fish other than pike may not be taken by spear. In freshwater, spearfishing is generally prohibited except for pike, and only with the landowner's consent. Spearfishing is also caught by area/seasonal bans: cod fishing is banned year-round in the inner Oslofjord and all fishing (including while diving) is prohibited in 14 designated coastal-cod spawning areas from Lindesnes to the Swedish border from 1 January to 30 April. Rubber-powered (sling/strikk) spearguns are not regulated by the Weapons Act, but pneumatic (compressed-air) spearguns fall under the Weapons Act with an 18-year age limit and secure-storage requirements. Foreign/tourist spearfishers may only export their catch (max 18 kg, twice per year) if they have fished through a registered tourist-fishing business.
Sidst opdateret Juni 16, 2026
Overordnet lovramme
- §Forskrift om gjennomføring av fiske, fangst og høsting av viltlevende marine ressurser (høstingsforskriften), FOR-2021-12-23-3910 (replaced the 2004 'Forskrift om utøvelse av fisket i sjøen', FOR-2004-12-22-1878)
- §Lov om forvaltning av viltlevande marine ressursar (havressurslova), LOV-2008-06-06-37
- §Forskrift om regulering av fiske i Oslofjorden, FOR-2025-12-19-2889 (coastal cod / Oslofjord fishing bans)
- §Forskrift om høsting av hummer (lobster harvesting regulation)
- §Lov om laksefisk og innlandsfisk mv. (lakse- og innlandsfiskloven), LOV-1992-05-15-47 (anadromous and freshwater fish)
- §Lov om skytevåpen og ammunisjon mv. (våpenloven) — applies to pneumatic/compressed-air spearguns (trykkharpun)
- Licens påkrævet
- Ikke påkrævet
- Spydpistol
- Tilladt
- Udlændinge
- Velkommen
Loven, ordret
Lovtekster
De præcise lovbestemmelser og reguleringsforskrifter, der regulerer harpunfiskeri her, citeret som offentliggjort, med et link til hver officiel kilde.
Spearfishing with knife or harpoon classified as sport fishing with hand-held gear
Tourist-fishing rules as applied to underwater hunting (dykking.no summary of Fiskeridirektoratet rules)
Undervannsjakt med kniv eller harpun faller inn under definisjonen «sportsfiske med handreiskapar».
Year-round cod ban and spawning-area closure including diving
Fiskeridirektoratet — Vern av kysttorsk i sør (regulatory guidance based on Oslofjord/coastal-cod regulations)
Det er forbudt å fiske torsk i Oslofjorden hele året. Fra og med 1. januar til og med 30. april er alt fiske, unntatt etter anadrom fisk som laks og sjøørret, forbudt i gyteområder for torsk. Forbudet gjelder også ved dykking.
Minimum sizes for fish species (minstemål)
Forskrift om gjennomføring av fiske, fangst og høsting av viltlevende marine ressurser (høstingsforskriften), FOR-2021-12-23-3910
Det er forbudt å fiske fisk mindre enn: [...] 7. Hyse a. Nord for 62° N: 40 cm b. Sør for 62° N: 32 cm [...] 9. Kveite: 84 cm og 7,2 kg [...] 13. Makrell: 30 cm [...] 18. Rødspette: 29 cm [...] 20. Sei a. Nord for 62° N: 45 cm b. Sør for 62° N: 40 cm [...] 31. Torsk a. Nord for 62° N i. Utenfor 4 nautiske mil av grunnlinjene: 44 cm ii. Innenfor 4 nautiske mil av grunnlinjene: 55 cm b. Sør for 62° N: 40 cm
Partial protection of lobster, halibut, wrasse, lumpfish and redfish
Fiskeridirektoratet — Freda og delvis freda artar (recreational-fishing guidance citing the harvesting/lobster regulations)
Frå svenskegrensa til og med Vestland fylke er hummaren freda frå og med 1. desember til 1. oktober kl.08.00. Frå Vestland til og med Troms og Finnmark fylke er hummaren freda frå og med 1. januar til 1. oktober kl.08.00. Det er forbode å fiske kveite sør for 62°N heile året. Det er forbode for fritidsfiskarar å fiske leppefisk med ruse. I Nordland, Troms og Finnmark er rognkjeks freda heile året. Nord for 62°N er det forbode å fiske uer, med unntak av fiske med jukse frå og med 1. juni til og med 31. august.
Pneumatic vs rubber spearguns under the Weapons Act; forbidden species
Frivannsliv — Lovverk om undervannsjakt (community guidance summarising Fiskeridirektoratet and Våpenloven rules)
Hummer, anadrome fiskearter (laks og ørret) og ferskvannsfisk (bortsett fra gjedde) er forbudt å jakte i Norge. Strikkharpun reguleres ikke av Våpenloven, men for trykkharpun er det 18 års aldersgrense og blant annet krav om forsvarlig oppbevaring. Det er lov å bruke kunstig lys ved undervannsjakt i sjø på saltvannsfisk og skalldyr.
Hvornår du kan dykke
Sæsoner og tidsbegrænsninger
Lukkede, åbne og begrænsede perioder over året. Bekræft altid artsspecifikke lukkede perioder lokalt.
- LukketAll fishing (including spearfishing while diving) in 14 designated coastal-cod spawning areas from Lindesnes along the Skagerrak coast, in the Oslofjord and to the Swedish borderjan 1 – apr 30
From 1 January to 30 April all fishing except for anadromous fish (salmon and sea trout) is prohibited in cod spawning areas. The Directorate of Fisheries states the ban also applies while diving ('Forbudet gjelder også ved dykking').
- LukketTorsk (cod) in the Oslofjord (from Telemark to the Swedish border, inside the baseline)jan 1 – dec 31
Year-round ban on fishing/taking cod in the Oslofjord, applies to both recreational and commercial fishers and to spearfishing.
- LukketHummer (European lobster) from the Swedish border through Vestland county — may not be taken by spear at any time; the recreational lobster season elsewhere runs only 1 Oct (from 08:00) to 1 Decdec 1 – okt 1
Lobster is protected (closed) from 1 December to 1 October at 08:00 from the Swedish border through Vestland; from Vestland through Troms and Finnmark it is protected from 1 January to 1 October at 08:00. Lobster may not legally be taken by spearfishing in Norway.
- LukketKveite (Atlantic halibut) north of 62°Ndec 20 – apr 20
Halibut fishing is closed from 20 December to 20 April north of 62°N. South of 62°N halibut fishing is banned all year ('Det er forbode å fiske kveite sør for 62°N heile året').
- BegrænsetUer (redfish) north of 62°Njun 1 – aug 31
North of 62°N redfish may only be fished with handline ('jukse') from 1 June to 31 August; otherwise protected.
- ÅbenGeneral spearfishing conditions (practical season for visibility/fish activity)jul 1 – nov 30
Not a legal season, but the practical best spearfishing window with good visibility (up to ~35 m) is roughly July to November per community/dive sources.
Tilladelse til at fiske
Licens
Hvad du skal have for at må være i vandet, hvad det koster, og hvordan du får det.
- Type
- No licence required for recreational saltwater spearfishing by Norwegian residents; freshwater requires landowner permission and possibly a fishing fee
- Pris
- Free for saltwater recreational fishing/spearfishing
- Gyldighed
- n/a
- Sådan får du licensen
- No licence needed for saltwater. For freshwater (pike only by spear) the landowner's permission is required and, where applicable, payment of the national fishing licence fee (fiskeravgift) for the relevant waters.
- Myndighed
- Fiskeridirektoratet (saltwater) / Miljødirektoratet and landowners (freshwater)
Udstyr og teknik
Udstyrskrav
Hvilket udstyr er tilladt, hvordan det må bruges, og hvilke betingelser der er knyttet hertil.
Restriktioner
- Rubber-powered/sling spearguns (strikkharpun) are not regulated by the Weapons Act — no age limit, no registration, no storage requirement (treated like bow and arrow).
- Pneumatic/compressed-air spearguns (trykkharpun) fall under the Weapons Act (våpenloven): minimum age 18 and secure-storage requirements apply.
- Spearfishing is classified as 'sportfishing with hand-held gear' (sportsfiske med handreiskapar) and must use hand-held methods only.
- Artificial light is permitted for saltwater spearfishing on saltwater fish and shellfish (to see or attract fish).
- Gaffs (klepp/lyster-type spears) are prohibited in freshwater under Norwegian law.
- Persons under 16 should only use a harpoon under adult supervision after proper training.
- Spearfishing is generally practised on freediving/apnea; community sources note diving alone is discouraged. Whether SCUBA may be used for spearfishing is not clearly addressed in retrieved official sources (unknown).
Norway, unlike many EU states, does NOT prohibit night spearfishing — the EU night-spearfishing ban does not apply in Norway per the Directorate of Fisheries. SCUBA-assisted spearfishing legality was not confirmed in official sources and is left as unknown.
Hvad du må tage
Fangstbegrænsninger og fredede arter
Daglige kvoter, minimumsstørrelser og arter, der aldrig må fanges.
Dagsgrænse
No general daily numeric limit for residents' personal-use saltwater fishing, but the catch may not be sold. Foreign tourists may export a maximum of 18 kg of fish/fish products, up to twice per calendar year, and only if fishing via a registered tourist-fishing business.
Minimumsstørrelser
- Torsk (cod) — south of 62°Nmin 40 cm
- Torsk (cod) — north of 62°N, inside 4 nmmin 55 cm
- Torsk (cod) — north of 62°N, outside 4 nmmin 44 cm
- Hyse (haddock) — south of 62°Nmin 32 cm
- Hyse (haddock) — north of 62°Nmin 40 cm
- Sei (saithe) — south of 62°Nmin 40 cm
- Sei (saithe) — north of 62°Nmin 45 cm
- Kveite (Atlantic halibut)min 84 cm
- Makrell (mackerel)min 30 cm
- Rødspette (plaice)min 29 cm
Fredede arter — må ikke fanges
- FredetHummer (European lobster) — may not be taken by spear
- FredetAnadrome laksefisk (Atlantic salmon and sea trout) — may not be taken by spear
- FredetFreshwater fish other than pike
- FredetVanlig ål (European eel, Anguilla anguilla)
- FredetBrugde (basking shark)
- FredetPigghå (spurdog)
- FredetHåbrann (porbeagle)
- FredetSilkehai (silky shark)
- FredetBlålange (blue ling)
- FredetLeppefisk (wrasse) — recreational rod/spear restrictions; trap (ruse) prohibited for recreational fishers
- FredetTorsk (cod) in the Oslofjord — banned year-round
- FredetSteinbit (wolffish) in Saltstraumen marine protected area
Halibut over 2 metres must be released ('Release all halibut above 2 metres long'). For recreational fishing there is no minimum size for sei (saithe), makrell (mackerel), brosme, steinbit and lyr provided the catch is not sold; the sizes above are the general/commercial minstemål from høstingsforskriften § 47. Keep more than 100 metres from the nearest fish farm. Selling recreational catch is illegal.
Hvem må fiske
Besøgende og fastboende
Hvordan reglerne adskiller sig for udenlandske besøgende og lokale fastboende.
Udenlandske besøgende
TilladtKrav
- Same recreational fishing rules as residents (minimum sizes, protected species, 100 m from fish farms, no sale of catch).
- To export catch out of Norway, the angler/spearfisher must have fished while staying at a registered tourist-fishing business (turistfiskebedrift) — requirement in force since 1 January 2021.
- Pneumatic spearguns: 18-year age limit and secure storage under the Weapons Act.
Restriktioner
- Fish export limited to 18 kg of fish/fish products per person, up to twice per calendar year, and only via a registered tourist-fishing business.
- May not sell catch.
- May not directly catch king crab (only a registered tourist company has a quota).
- Catch not exported should be eaten or given away, not discarded.
Spearfishing with knife or harpoon is treated identically to other hand-held tourist fishing ('sportsfiske med handreiskapar'); dive centres/clubs hosting foreign spearfishers must register as tourist-fishing businesses for guests to legally export catch.
Fastboende
No licence for saltwater recreational spearfishing; freshwater pike spearing requires landowner permission
Krav
- Follow minimum sizes, protected/partially-protected species and area closures.
- Keep more than 100 m from fish farms.
- Pneumatic speargun users must be 18+ and store the gun securely (Weapons Act).
Fordele
- Free saltwater fishing and spearfishing for personal use, no licence or registration.
- May use boats/own access without tourist-business registration; no export restriction for own domestic consumption.
Norwegian residents do not face the tourist-fishing export quota; the catch is for personal use and may not be sold.
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.
Tilladte områder
Northern Norway archipelago noted by spearfishing community sources for excellent spearfishing and large fish (cod, pollack, wolffish). Spearfishing legal subject to national species/size rules.
Standard national rules: minimum sizes, protected species, 100 m from fish farms, no sale of catch.
Beginner-friendly stretch with gentler currents, abundant fish and good shore access per community sources. Coordinates are an approximate region centroid (low-precision stub), not a precise dive point.
Standard national rules apply; note Oslofjord cod ban does not reach this far, but coastal-cod spawning-area closures (1 Jan-30 Apr) can apply at specific sites.
Forbudte områder
- Inner Oslofjord (Telemark to Swedish border, inside the baseline)fishing-restriction zone (coastal cod protection)
Cod may not be taken anywhere in the Oslofjord year-round; from January 2026 three large areas of the Oslofjord are fully closed to all fishing. Spearfishing is subject to these bans.
- Coastal cod spawning areas (Lindesnes to Swedish border) — 14 designated areasseasonal spawning protection area
All fishing, including while diving/spearfishing, is prohibited from 1 January to 30 April in 14 designated cod spawning areas along the Skagerrak coast and Oslofjord. Coordinates are an approximate region centroid (low-precision stub) spanning multiple discrete areas, not a precise point.
- Saltstraumen marine protected area (stonebiter/wolffish protection)marine protected area
Catch of stonebiter (steinbit/wolffish) prohibited in the Saltstraumen marine protected area since 26 August 2024 under 'Forskrift om forbud mot fangst av steinbit i Saltstraumen marine verneområde'.
- Indre Oslofjord no-take zone (Nullfiskeområde Indre fjord, Bunnefjorden)no-take marine zone (nullfiskeområde)
Year-round total no-take zone in the inner Oslofjord effective from 1 January 2026 under FOR-2025-12-19-2889. All fishing and all harvesting of fish and shellfish - including by diving/spearfishing - is prohibited. Vedlegg 3 defines the boundary with coordinates around 59°24.9'-59°25.1'N, 010°29.9'-010°35.4'E; the point given is a representative center.
- Faerder no-take zone (Nullfiskeomrade Faerder, outer Oslofjord)no-take marine zone (nullfiskeomrade)
Year-round total no-take zone around Faerder in the outer Oslofjord (Faerder national park area), effective 1 January 2026 under FOR-2025-12-19-2889. All fishing and harvesting of fish and shellfish, including while diving/spearfishing, is prohibited. Boundary polygon (Vedlegg 3) spans roughly 59°00.4'-59°15.1'N and 010°20.1'-010°31.1'E; point is a representative center.
- Hvaler no-take zone (Nullfiskeomrade Hvaler, Skagerrak)no-take marine zone (nullfiskeomrade)
Year-round total no-take zone around the Hvaler archipelago (Ytre Hvaler national-park area) in the Skagerrak, effective 1 January 2026 under FOR-2025-12-19-2889. All fishing and harvesting of fish and shellfish, including by diving/spearfishing, is prohibited. Boundary polygon (Vedlegg 3) spans roughly 58°56.5'-59°07.8'N and 010°40.0'-011°04.9'E; point is a representative center.
- Furoya no-take zone, Tvedestrand (Forbudssone Furoya)no-take marine reserve (nullfiskeomrade)
Norway's first total no-take marine zone, established in Tvedestrand municipality (Agder/Skagerrak) in 2012 and continued under the conservation-zone regulation. All forms of fishing are prohibited inside the Furoya zone (except a small designated children's crab area), which by definition bans spearfishing. The point is near Hestoya/Furoya, the reference position cited in the boundary description.
Forhold på vandet
Live forhold
Live hav- og vejrøjebliksbillede nær et kystreferencepunkt i Norway, fra Open-Meteo. Forholdene varierer langs kysten — brug som vejledning.
Live hav og vejr nær Lofoten Islands.
Hvem du kan spørge
Myndigheder
De officielle organer, der er ansvarlige for fiskeri og licensudstedelse.
Fiskeridirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries)
fisheries authority
fiskeridir.nohttps://www.fiskeridir.no/Miljødirektoratet (Norwegian Environment Agency)
environment agency
environmentagency.nohttps://www.miljodirektoratet.no/Statsforvalteren (County Governor) — regional fisheries management
regional fisheries authority
statsforvalteren.nohttps://www.statsforvalteren.no/Norges Dykkeforbund (Norwegian Diving Federation)
dive federation
Hvor dette kommer fra
Kilder
Hvert udsagn på denne side kan spores tilbage til én af disse referencer.
- [01]
Sea angling in Norway: regulations you should know — Fiskeridirektoratet (English)
Officielfiskeridir.noTilgået jun 15 - [02]
Vern av kysttorsk i sør — Fiskeridirektoratet
Officielfiskeridir.noTilgået jun 15 - [03]
Freda og delvis freda artar — Fiskeridirektoratet
Officielfiskeridir.noTilgået jun 15 - [04]
Høstingsforskriften (FOR-2021-12-23-3910) § 47 Minstemål — Lovdata
Officiellovdata.noTilgået jun 16 - [05]
Forskrift om regulering av fiske i Oslofjorden (FOR-2025-12-19-2889) — Lovdata
Officiellovdata.noTilgået jun 15 - [06]
Regler for fiske etter saltvannsfisk og skalldyr — Statsforvalteren i Agder
Officielstatsforvalteren.noTilgået jun 15 - [07]
Nye regler om turistfiske gjelder også UV-jakt — dykking.no (Norwegian Diving Federation)
Sekundærdykking.noTilgået jun 15 - [08]
Lovverk om undervannsjakt, bruk av harpun og trykkluftsharpun — Frivannsliv
Sekundærfrivannsliv.noTilgået jun 15 - [09]
undervannsjakt — Store norske leksikon
Sekundærsnl.noTilgået jun 15 - [10]
Spearfishing Norway — The Spearo Trip Guide (SPEARZEN)
communityspearzen.comTilgået jun 15
Forskernoter
Spearfishing is legal and culturally established in Norway (it has a Store norske leksikon entry and an active diving-federation community), but it is 'restricted' rather than freely 'yes' because it inherits the full recreational sea-fishing rule set plus several spearfishing-relevant area/species bans. Key points: (1) Lobster, salmon/sea trout and freshwater fish (except pike) may not be speared. (2) Cod is banned year-round in the Oslofjord; all fishing including diving is banned 1 Jan-30 Apr in 14 coastal-cod spawning areas (Lindesnes to Swedish border). Note a documented source conflict: an earlier Statsforvalteren consultation page stated 'Undervannsjakt i gytefeltene vil være tillatt siden dette er helt selektivt' (spearfishing in spawning grounds would be allowed as fully selective), but the current Fiskeridirektoratet guidance explicitly states 'Forbudet gjelder også ved dykking' (the ban also applies while diving). The Directorate's current position (ban applies to diving) is treated as authoritative. (3) Pneumatic spearguns are regulated under the Weapons Act (18+, secure storage); rubber spearguns are not. (4) Night spearfishing is NOT banned in Norway (unlike the EU rule). (5) Foreigners are allowed but face an 18 kg export limit (twice/year) only via a registered tourist-fishing business. The minimum sizes in catch_limits are the general minstemål from høstingsforskriften § 47; recreational fishers have exemptions (no minimum for sei, makrell, brosme, steinbit, lyr if not sold). The § 47 verbatim_text in law_texts is a faithful excerpt of the Lovdata § 47 numbered list (opening sentence 'Det er forbudt å fiske fisk mindre enn:' followed by the original item numbers/sub-letters for the relevant species), with omitted unrelated species marked '[...]'; the cited Lovdata anchor has been corrected to %C2%A747 (§ 47). SCUBA-assisted spearfishing legality was not confirmed in official sources and is left unknown. Data confidence overall: high for legal status, species bans, equipment-law and foreigner rules; lowered to medium because the § 47 excerpt is a partial (not full) reproduction, two map zones use approximate region centroids, and a documented source conflict remains on spawning-ground diving.
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