South Africa

Επιτρεπόμενες περιοχές

• Open coastal waters outside Marine Protected Areas and estuaries

  Recreational spearfishing with a valid spearfishing-endorsed permit is generally permitted along the South African coastline in waters that are not declared no-take Marine Protected Areas, not estuaries/tidal rivers/tidal lagoons, and not designated closed areas. Permit holders must observe bag limits, size limits and closed seasons.

  Speargun only; snorkel only (no scuba or artificial breathing apparatus); own-use catch (no sale/barter/trade); overall cumulative daily bag limit of ten fish; species size limits and closed seasons apply; no spearfishing in estuaries.

  spearfishingsa.co.za
• Controlled zones within certain Marine Protected Areas

  Within some MPAs there are controlled areas where recreational activities such as angling or spearfishing may be permitted subject to the conditions of the MPA management authority. Permit holders fishing within an MPA must adhere to the conditions of the Management Agency for that specific MPA.

  Must comply with the specific MPA management authority conditions; many MPA zones are no-take restricted areas where all fishing is prohibited.

  aquarium.co.za

Απαγορευμένες περιοχές

• Estuaries, tidal rivers and tidal lagoonsestuary / tidal river / tidal lagoon (no spearfishing)

  The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for spearfishing shall not catch fish or attempt to catch fish in an estuary; no person may use a speargun in a tidal river or tidal lagoon.

  spearfishingsa.co.za
• Tsitsikamma Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (no-take / restricted zone)

  One of the oldest and largest no-take marine protected areas in the world; the entire MPA is a restricted (no-take) zone where fishing and spearfishing are prohibited. Proclaimed in Government Gazette No. 21948 of 29 December 2000; managed by SANParks.

  en.wikipedia.org
• Pondoland Marine Protected Area (restricted no-take zones)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zones)

  Declared 2004. Contains offshore, inshore and estuarine restricted (no-take) zones where fishing is prohibited, including the tidal portions of the Msikaba and Mtentu Rivers and a central restricted zone of about 643 km2.

  en.wikipedia.org
• Strand (Lourens River mouth to Gordon's Bay harbour eastern breakwater)closed area (shore angling only - no spearfishing)

  Only shore angling (and no other type of fishing, including spearfishing) is allowed between the mouth of the Lourens River and the eastern breakwater of the harbour at Gordon's Bay, extending 500 m seawards.

  spearfishingsa.co.za
• Hermanus (Kraal Rock to Rietfontein, Walker Bay)closed area (shore angling only - no spearfishing)

  Only shore angling (and no other type of fishing, including spearfishing) is allowed between the beacons at Kraal Rock (HR1), Walker Bay, and Rietfontein (HR2), Hermanus, extending 500 m seawards from the high-water mark.

  spearfishingsa.co.za
• Dyer Islandclosed area (shore angling only - no spearfishing)

  Only shore angling is allowed at Dyer Island, in an area extending two nautical miles seawards from the high-water mark; spearfishing is therefore not permitted.

  spearfishingsa.co.za
• Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area (Restricted zones)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zones)

  MPA on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast (off Umkomaas), declared under section 43 of the Marine Living Resources Act. It is zoned into Restricted zones (incl. the Crown Area Restricted zone on the 25 m isobath and the Produce Restricted zone) and a Controlled zone. Spearfishing is prohibited in the Restricted zones, and it is an offence to be in possession of an armed speargun there.

  saflii.org
• Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area (no-take restricted zones)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zones)

  Inshore MPA around the Cape Peninsula near Cape Town, managed by SANParks. It contains six restricted areas, five of which are no-take zones where all fishing including spearfishing is prohibited (St James between the St James and Kalk Bay tidal pools, Castle Rock, Paulsberg between Smitswinkel Point and Venus Pool, Cape of Good Hope between Hoek van die Bobbejaan and the fence at Scarborough); in the sixth (Karbonkelberg) only snoek may be caught deeper than the 35 m contour.

  en.wikipedia.org
• iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area (Restricted and Wilderness zones)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zones)

  Large MPA along the far-northern KwaZulu-Natal (Maputaland) coast, consolidating the former St Lucia and Maputaland MPAs, managed by the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority and declared under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (Government Gazette 42478/42479 of 2019). It is zoned into eight inshore Restricted Zones (Kosi, Saxon, Dog Point, Lala Nek, Nine Mile, Msiki, Perriers, Railway Ledge), an Inshore Wilderness Zone and offshore Restricted Zones (incl. the Sodwana Diving Restricted Zone) where all fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited. (Note: the inshore Controlled Zones separately permit limited spearfishing for listed pelagic species; this prohibited pin sits inside a no-take Restricted Zone.)

  saambr.org.za
• uThukela Marine Protected Area (Restricted zones)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zones)

  Coastal and offshore MPA on the central KwaZulu-Natal coast around the Thukela River mouth (Mtunzini to Tinley Manor), declared under the NEM: Protected Areas Act (Government Gazette 42478/42479 of 2019). It contains two inshore Restricted Zones (Amatikulu, uSetheni) and an offshore Restricted Zone (uThukela Offshore, TORZ, including the Kob and Carpenter reefs) that are no-take areas where fishing, including the deployment of spearguns, is prohibited. (The Controlled Zones separately permit permitted linefishing/spearfishing; this prohibited pin sits in the no-take TORZ.)

  saambr.org.za
• Namaqua National Park Marine Protected Area (Restricted zones)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zones)

  West-coast MPA fronting the Namaqua National Park (Groenrivier to Bitterrivier), declared under the NEM: Protected Areas Act (Government Gazette 42478/42479 of 2019) and managed by SANParks. It contains several inshore Restricted Zones (Groenrivier, Jaar se Baai, Kwas se Baai, Bitterrivier, Boulderbaai) and, critically, a single Offshore Restricted Zone (NORZ) covering the entire offshore area beyond the 200 m inshore strip, all of which are no-take areas where fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  saambr.org.za
• Robben Island Marine Protected Area (Restricted Zone)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zone)

  MPA around Robben Island in Table Bay off Cape Town, declared under the NEM: Protected Areas Act (Government Gazette 42478/42479 of 2019). Its Robben Island Restricted Zone (RIRZ) around the island is a no-take zone where all fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited (only the two offshore Controlled Zones permit limited permitted fishing).

  saambr.org.za
• Addo Elephant Marine Protected Area (Bird Island / St Croix Restricted zones)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zones)

  Algoa Bay MPA that replaced and expanded the former Bird Island Marine Reserve, declared under the NEM: Protected Areas Act (Government Gazette 42478/42479 of 2019) and managed by SANParks. It contains the Bird Island Offshore Restricted Zone (BIORZ, around the Bird, Seal, Stag and Black Rocks islands), the St Croix Island Offshore Restricted Zone (StCORZ, around the St Croix island group), the Sundays Inshore Restricted Zone and other Restricted Zones that are no-take areas where fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited — indeed the gazette expressly bans even possession of a speargun in the BIORZ and SIRZ.

  saambr.org.za
• De Hoop Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (no-take / restricted zone)

  MPA on the Western Cape south coast between Arniston and the Breede River mouth, extending 3 nautical miles seaward, and an important Southern Right whale nursery. The entire MPA is a Restricted (no-take) zone where all fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited (declared as an MPA under the Marine Living Resources Act, Government Notice R.1429 of 29 December 2000; managed by CapeNature).

  mpaforum.org.za
• Betty's Bay Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (shore angling only - no spearfishing)

  MPA on the Western Cape coast (formerly the H.F. Verwoerd Marine Reserve) between Stony Point and Jock-se-baai, managed by CapeNature under the Marine Living Resources Act (Government Notice R.1429 of 29 December 2000). No fishing is allowed off a vessel within its boundaries and only recreational shore-angling (with the necessary permit) is exempted from the section 43(2) fishing prohibition; spearfishing (a separate, non-angling permit category done in the water) is therefore not permitted anywhere in the MPA.

  mpaforum.org.za
• Goukamma Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (shore angling only - no spearfishing)

  MPA on the Western Cape Garden Route coast between Buffels Bay (Walker's Point) and the western boundary of the Goukamma Nature Reserve, extending 1 nautical mile seaward, managed by CapeNature under the Marine Living Resources Act (Government Notice R.1429 of 29 December 2000). No fishing from boats, spear-fishing or bait-collecting is permitted; only recreational shore-angling is allowed, so spearfishing is prohibited throughout the MPA.

  faolex.fao.org
• Robberg Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (shore angling only - no spearfishing)

  MPA around the Robberg Peninsula near Plettenberg Bay (Western Cape), managed by CapeNature under the Marine Living Resources Act (Government Notice R.1429 of 29 December 2000). Rock-and-surf shore angling is permitted, but fishing from boats, spearfishing and bait collecting are forbidden, so spearfishing is not permitted anywhere in the MPA.

  faolex.fao.org
• Sardinia Bay Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (no-take / restricted zone)

  MPA on the Eastern Cape coast near Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), between beacons near Schoenmakerskop and Bushy Park, extending 1 nautical mile seaward, declared under the Marine Living Resources Act (Government Notice R.1429 of 29 December 2000). It is a no-take area where all fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  mpaforum.org.za
• Hluleka Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (no-take / restricted zone)

  MPA on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast between Coffee Bay and Port St Johns, fronting the Hluleka Nature Reserve and extending 6 nautical miles seaward, declared under the Marine Living Resources Act (Government Notice R.1429 of 29 December 2000) and managed by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency. The entire MPA is a no-take zone where all fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited.

  mpaforum.org.za
• Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area (no-take control zones)marine protected area (no-take / control zones)

  MPA on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast around the Mbashe River mouth, fronting the Dwesa and Cwebe Nature Reserves and extending 6 nautical miles seaward, declared under the Marine Living Resources Act (Government Notice R.1429 of 29 December 2000) and managed by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency. It has no-take Control Zones where all fishing, including recreational spearfishing, is prohibited (a small area has since been opened only to permitted local subsistence fishers).

  mpaforum.org.za
• Stilbaai Marine Protected Area (Skulpiesbaai and Geelkrans restricted zones)marine protected area (no-take / restricted zones)

  MPA on the Western Cape coast at Stilbaai, managed by CapeNature under the Marine Living Resources Act (declared 2008). Fishing is permitted in its Controlled areas but is banned in three no-take Restricted Zones: the Skulpiesbaai restricted zone (the sea part of the MPA west of E021°24.970' / 21.4162, west of the Stilbaai fishing harbour), the larger Geelkrans restricted zone (east of E021°27.737' / 21.4623, adjacent to the Geelkrans Nature Reserve) and the Goukou estuarine restricted zone; spearfishing is prohibited in the restricted zones.

  mpaforum.org.za