Singapore
Asia · South-Eastern Asia
Recreational spearfishing is heavily restricted and effectively impractical in Singapore. The primary legal obstacle is weapons law, not fisheries law: spearguns are classified as 'guns' under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 (GEWCA, in force from 1 July 2025, replacing the Arms and Explosives Act 1913), so possessing, importing or using one requires a gun licence from the Police Regulatory Department. Only rubber band-powered (band) spearguns may be licensed; pneumatic / compressed-air spearguns are prohibited outright. Separately, fishing is only permitted within NParks/PUB-designated fishing areas, and is banned in marine parks and nature reserves such as Sisters' Islands Marine Park; fishing outside designated areas is an offence carrying fines up to S$3,000. The combination means there is no readily accessible, lawful recreational spearfishing in Singapore's marine waters: anyone wishing to spearfish would need a gun licence for a band speargun and would still be barred from the protected and most coastal areas. Carrying a speargun in transit/luggage without authorisation can lead to prosecution.
Sidst opdateret Juni 15, 2026
Overordnet lovramme
- §Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 (Act 3 of 2021; commenced 1 July 2025) - classifies spearguns as 'guns'
- §Arms and Explosives Act 1913 (former weapons regime replaced by GEWCA 2021)
- §Fisheries Act 1966 and Fisheries (Fishing Gear) Rules (gear / fishing controls)
- §Parks and Trees Act 2005 and NParks fishing regulations (designated fishing areas; marine parks and nature reserves)
- Licens påkrævet
- Påkrævet
- Spydpistol
- Tilladt
- 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.
Type of spearguns allowed for spearfishing (GEWCA regulatory FAQ)
Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 - SPF / Police Regulatory Department GEWCA Regulatory Regime FAQ
What type of spearguns are allowed for spearfishing? Only rubber band-powered spearguns are permitted. Spearguns operating by compressed air (pneumatic) or other means are prohibited.
Spearguns are 'guns' under GEWCA 2021 (secondary legal commentary)
Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 (Act 3 of 2021)
Less conventional firearms such as airguns, paint ball guns, electronic dart guns, tasers or spearguns, starting pistol used in sporting competitions [are included within the meaning of 'gun' under the Act]. ... For possessing a non-prohibited gun without authorisation: maximum imprisonment term of 36 months and a maximum fine of $5,000 for each fully assembled gun, up to a maximum total of $50,000.
Sisters' Islands Marine Park visitor rules - fishing and collection prohibited
NParks - Sisters' Islands Marine Park (managed under Parks and Trees Act regime)
Do not camp, barbecue or fish. Do not collect or remove any plants, animals or shells from the park.
Fishing restricted to designated areas; penalty
NParks - Fishing activity guidelines
Fish only in designated fishing areas. ... You may be fined up to $3,000 if you are caught violating fishing regulations.
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.
Apply to the Police Regulatory Department (Guns, Explosives and Weapons Division) of the Singapore Police Force for a gun licence. Only band-powered spearguns are eligible.
Få din licensÅbner den officielle portal · police.gov.sg
- Type
- Gun licence (possession/import) for a rubber band-powered speargun, issued under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021. Pneumatic spearguns cannot be licensed (prohibited).
- Pris
- unknown
- Gyldighed
- unknown
- Sådan får du licensen
- Apply to the Police Regulatory Department (Guns, Explosives and Weapons Division) of the Singapore Police Force for a gun licence. Only band-powered spearguns are eligible.
- Myndighed
- Singapore Police Force - Police Regulatory Department (Guns, Explosives and Weapons Division)
Udstyr og teknik
Udstyrskrav
Hvilket udstyr er tilladt, hvordan det må bruges, og hvilke betingelser der er knyttet hertil.
Restriktioner
- Spearguns are classified as 'guns' under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 and require a gun licence to possess, import or use.
- Only rubber band-powered (band/elastic) spearguns are permitted.
- Pneumatic / compressed-air spearguns are prohibited outright.
- Carrying a speargun in transit or in luggage without authorisation can lead to prosecution.
- Net fishing and wire-mesh traps are prohibited in NParks-managed areas.
Speargun possession is governed by weapons law (GEWCA 2021, in force 1 July 2025), administered by the Singapore Police Force, not by fisheries law. Even with a licensed band speargun, the area restrictions on fishing (designated areas only; banned in marine parks/reserves) still apply, making lawful recreational spearfishing in marine waters largely impractical.
Hvad du må tage
Fangstbegrænsninger og fredede arter
Daglige kvoter, minimumsstørrelser og arter, der aldrig må fanges.
Dagsgrænse
unknown
NParks asks anglers to practise catch-and-release and to release juveniles and any endangered or threatened marine species. No spearfishing-specific bag or size limits were found in retrieved official sources.
Hvem må fiske
Besøgende og fastboende
Hvordan reglerne adskiller sig for udenlandske besøgende og lokale fastboende.
Udenlandske besøgende
Ikke tilladtSærlig licens påkrævet
Krav
- Would require a Singapore gun licence for any band speargun, the same as for residents.
- Import/transit of spearguns requires authorisation from the Police Regulatory Department under GEWCA 2021.
Restriktioner
- Bringing a speargun into Singapore (including in transit or in luggage) without a licence can lead to prosecution.
- Pneumatic spearguns cannot be brought in or licensed at all.
Tourists/visitors are subject to the same weapons-licensing regime. In practice foreigners cannot freely spearfish; spearfishing community sources widely advise spearfishers to travel to Malaysia or Indonesia instead.
Fastboende
Gun licence (band speargun) under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021
Krav
- Apply to the Police Regulatory Department for a gun licence to possess/import a rubber band-powered speargun.
- Fish only within NParks/PUB designated fishing areas (spearfishing not authorised by area designation alone).
No spearfishing-specific recreational licence exists; the controlling permit is the weapons (gun) licence. Citizens and PRs are subject to the same GEWCA regime.
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
Recreational fishing in Singapore is permitted only in designated fishing areas managed by NParks and PUB. These are line/rod fishing zones - they do NOT authorise spearfishing, which additionally requires a gun licence for a band speargun. Commonly cited designated areas include Bedok Jetty (East Coast Park), Changi Beach Park, Pasir Ris Park, Sembawang Park, West Coast Park, Pulau Ubin and Woodlands Waterfront Park.
Line/rod fishing only; spearfishing not authorised by area designation. Catch-and-release encouraged; juveniles and protected/endangered species must be released. Fishing outside designated areas is prohibited (fine up to S$3,000).
Forbudte områder
- Sisters' Islands Marine Parkmarine park / marine protected area
Singapore's first marine park (designated 2014, managed by NParks). Comprises Sisters' Islands and the western reefs of St John's Island and Pulau Tekukor. Fishing and removal/collection of any plants, animals or shells is prohibited.
- Coney Island (Pulau Serangoon)national park / nature area
NParks-managed island park where fishing is prohibited (the whole island is off-limits to fishing per fishing guides citing NParks rules).
- Nature reserves and non-designated waters (general)nature reserve / non-designated area
Fishing (and therefore spearfishing) is prohibited everywhere except NParks/PUB designated fishing areas. This includes nature reserves and any area marked with 'No Fishing' signage.
- Sungei Buloh Wetland Reservenature reserve / wetland reserve
NParks-managed wetland nature reserve on the north-west coast of Singapore (Kranji), part of the Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network. Fishing (and thus spearfishing) and collection of wildlife is prohibited; as a gazetted nature reserve, fishing offences can attract fines up to S$50,000.
- Chek Jawa Wetlands (Pulau Ubin)wetland / intertidal protected area
About 100-ha intertidal wetland at the south-eastern tip of Pulau Ubin, comprising six ecosystems (sandy/rocky beach, seagrass lagoon, coral rubble, mangroves, coastal forest). NParks lists Chek Jawa among the no-fishing areas; collection or removal of marine life is an offence.
- Labrador Nature Reserve rocky shorenature reserve / rocky shore
The 300 m natural rocky shore at Labrador Nature Reserve (southern mainland coast) is the last on Singapore's mainland and is protected; NParks lists Labrador's rocky shore among the no-fishing areas (note: line fishing is allowed elsewhere along the Labrador Park promenade/jetty, but not on the protected rocky shore).
Forhold på vandet
Live forhold
Live hav- og vejrøjebliksbillede nær et kystreferencepunkt i Singapore, fra Open-Meteo. Forholdene varierer langs kysten — brug som vejledning.
Live hav og vejr nær Sisters' Islands Marine Park.
Hvem du kan spørge
Myndigheder
De officielle organer, der er ansvarlige for fiskeri og licensudstedelse.
Singapore Police Force - Police Regulatory Department (Guns, Explosives and Weapons Division)
weapons regulator (gun/speargun licensing)
police.gov.sgSingapore Police Force, Police Regulatory DepartmentNational Parks Board (NParks)
parks / marine protected areas authority
nparks.gov.sgNParks, SingaporeSingapore Food Agency (SFA)
fisheries authority (administers Fisheries Act 1966)
sfa.gov.sgSingapore Food Agency
Hvor dette kommer fra
Kilder
Hvert udsagn på denne side kan spores tilbage til én af disse referencer.
- [01]
SPF - FAQ for GEWCA Regulatory Regime (states only band spearguns permitted, pneumatic prohibited)
Officielpolice.gov.sgTilgået jun 15 - [02]
SPF - Overview of Gun / Explosive / Weapon Licences
Officielpolice.gov.sgTilgået jun 15 - [03]
NParks - Fishing activity guidelines (designated areas; S$3,000 fine; prohibited gear)
Officielnparks.gov.sgTilgået jun 15 - [04]
NParks - Sisters' Islands Marine Park (no fishing; no collection)
Officielnparks.gov.sgTilgået jun 15 - [05]
Singapore Food Agency - Fisheries Act 1966 and subsidiary legislation
Officielsfa.gov.sgTilgået jun 15 - [06]
Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 - Singapore Statutes Online (primary law; automated access blocked)
Officielsso.agc.gov.sgTilgået jun 15 - [07]
SingaporeLegalAdvice - Gun laws in Singapore (spearguns listed as 'guns'; penalties)
Sekundærsingaporelegaladvice.comTilgået jun 15 - [08]
FishingBooker - Fishing in Singapore guide (designated areas; Coney Island off-limits)
Sekundærfishingbooker.comTilgået jun 15 - [09]
SWI Fishing - Is spearfishing legal in Singapore? (community/secondary; spearguns penalised)
communityswi-fishing.safariwisata.co.idTilgået jun 15 - [10]
harpune.info - Worldwide spearfishing rules list (Singapore: illegal/restricted)
communityharpune.infoTilgået jun 15
Forskernoter
Spearfishing in Singapore is governed primarily by WEAPONS law, not fisheries law. Under the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 (GEWCA, in force 1 July 2025, replacing the Arms and Explosives Act 1913), a speargun is a 'gun' and requires a Police Regulatory Department gun licence; only rubber band-powered spearguns can be licensed and pneumatic/compressed-air spearguns are prohibited (verbatim confirmed in the SPF GEWCA FAQ Q30). On top of this, recreational fishing is allowed only in NParks/PUB designated areas and is banned in marine parks (e.g. Sisters' Islands Marine Park) and nature reserves, so even a licensed band speargun gives no practical place to spearfish in protected coastal waters. CAVEAT ON PRIMARY TEXT: Singapore Statutes Online (sso.agc.gov.sg) blocks automated access (HTTP 403 / CloudFront), so the verbatim text of the GEWCA definition of 'gun' and of the Fisheries (Fishing Gear) Rules could not be retrieved directly; the GEWCA classification of spearguns and the penalty figures are sourced from an official SPF FAQ and reputable secondary legal commentary (SingaporeLegalAdvice) rather than the primary statute page. Licence cost/validity and any spearfishing-specific bag/size limits were not found in official sources and are marked unknown. Confidence is medium: the core legal conclusion (speargun = licensed gun; band only; pneumatic prohibited; fishing only in designated areas) is well supported by official SPF and NParks pages, but the primary statutory text was not directly retrievable.
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