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 licence published), so any spearfishing is in principle subject to licensing. Fishing is prohibited inside marine reserves (Section 27) and the Shell Beach Protected Area (Protected Areas Act 2011) without permission, and explosives/poisons are banned (Section 29). Sea turtles are protected. 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.
Zuletzt aktualisiert Juni 14, 2026
Rechtsrahmen
- §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
- Lizenz erforderlich
- Erforderlich
Das Gesetz, wortgetreu
Gesetzestexte
Die genauen gesetzlichen und behördlichen Bestimmungen, die das Speerfischen hier regeln, wie veröffentlicht zitiert, mit einem Link zu jeder offiziellen Quelle.
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;
Wann du tauchen darfst
Saisonzeiten & zeitliche Einschränkungen
Schon-, Fang- und eingeschränkte Zeiten über das Jahr. Bestätige artspezifische Schonzeiten stets vor Ort.
Keine saisonalen Schonzeiten erfasst — vor dem Tauchen vor Ort prüfen.
Erlaubnis zum Fischen
Lizenz
Was du brauchst, um ins Wasser zu dürfen, was es kostet und wie du es bekommst.
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.
Hol dir deine LizenzÖffnet das offizielle Portal · agriculture.gov.gy
- Typ
- Commercial fisher's licence (no separate recreational/spearfishing licence published)
- Kosten
- unknown
- Gültigkeit
- unknown
- Wie zu erhalten
- 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.
- Behörde
- Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture (Chief Fisheries Officer)
Ausrüstung & Technik
Ausrüstungsregeln
Welche Ausrüstung erlaubt ist, wie sie verwendet werden darf und welche Auflagen gelten.
Einschränkungen
- 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).
- 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.
Was du entnehmen darfst
Fangbeschränkungen & geschützte Arten
Tagesquoten, Mindestmaße und Arten, die niemals entnommen werden dürfen.
Tageslimit
unknown
Geschützte Arten — nicht entnehmen
- GeschütztLeatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- GeschütztGreen turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- GeschütztHawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- GeschütztOlive 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). No general spearfishing daily-bag or minimum-size limits were retrievable; the Act empowers the Minister to set minimum species sizes and closed seasons by regulation (Section 79(2)(b)).
Wer fischen darf
Besucher & Einheimische
Wie sich die Regeln für ausländische Besucher und einheimische Bewohner unterscheiden.
Ausländische Besucher
Einschränkungen
- 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).
Einheimische
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.
Wo an der Küste
Erlaubte & verbotene Zonen
Benannte Gebiete, die für das Speerfischen offen oder gesperrt sind. Das Gesamtbild siehst du auf der interaktiven Karte.
Verbotene Gebiete
- 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.
Bedingungen auf dem Wasser
Live-Bedingungen
Live-Momentaufnahme von Meer und Wetter nahe einem Küstenreferenzpunkt in Guyana, von Open-Meteo. Die Bedingungen variieren entlang der Küste — als Richtwert betrachten.
Live-Meer & -Wetter nahe Shell Beach Protected Area.
Wen man fragt
Behörden
Die offiziellen Stellen, die für Fischerei und Lizenzierung zuständig sind.
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
Woher das stammt
Quellen
Jede Aussage auf dieser Seite lässt sich auf eine dieser Referenzen zurückführen.
- [01]
Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 12 of 2002) - full text PDF (Guyana Seabob Fishery)
Offiziellguyanaseabobfishery.comAbgerufen Jun 14 - [02]
Fisheries Act, Laws of Guyana Cap. 71:08 (consolidated) - FAOLEX
Offiziellfaolex.fao.orgAbgerufen Jun 14 - [03]
Fisheries - Ministry of Agriculture (Guyana) - Fisheries Department
Offiziellagriculture.gov.gyAbgerufen Jun 14 - [04]
Shell Beach Protected Area - Protected Areas Commission, Guyana
Offiziellpac.gov.gyAbgerufen Jun 14 - [05]
Fisheries Act (Cap 71:08) - ECOLEX legislation record
Sekundärecolex.orgAbgerufen Jun 14 - [06]
Fisheries Act - Guyana (The Outlaw Ocean global fishing legislation toolkit)
Sekundärtheoutlawocean.comAbgerufen Jun 14 - [07]
The Mud That Makes Us (Guyana Chronicle) - Amazon/Orinoco mud banks on Guyana's coast
Sekundärguyanachronicle.comAbgerufen Jun 14
Anmerkungen des Rechercheurs
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 in full; verbatim provisions on spear guns/underwater breathing apparatus (Section 79), sport-fishing controls (Section 23), licensing (Section 14), marine reserves (Section 27) and prohibited methods (Section 29) are captured above from the official full-text PDF. CRITICAL LIMITATION: the Act delegates the actual treatment of spear guns and sport fishing to subsidiary regulations under Section 79; no such regulation specifically addressing recreational spearfishing was retrievable, so the practical legal status (allowed vs restricted vs prohibited) could not be definitively confirmed - hence data_confidence=low and spearfishing_allowed=restricted. 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, contact the Fisheries Department (fisheriesguyana@gmail.com) for any regulations issued under Section 79.
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