Belgium
Europe · Western Europe
Recreational spearfishing (underwater fishing with a speargun/harpoon) has no legal basis anywhere in Belgium and is effectively prohibited. Fishing is regulated separately for inland waters (a regional competence of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels) and for the North Sea (a Flemish fisheries competence within the EU Common Fisheries Policy, with the marine environment a federal competence). In inland waters the only legally permitted gear is the rod/hand line (and an eel 'peur' / crayfish balance net); spearguns are not a permitted fishing gear. Wallonia goes further and explicitly prohibits harpooning fish. At sea, recreational fishing requires no licence but is limited to angling-type methods; there is no recognised recreational spearfishing regime, and gill/tangle nets were banned for recreational use along the whole Belgian coast in 2015. No Belgian authority issues a spearfishing licence.
Last updated June 16, 2026
Governing framework
- §Wallonia: Decree of 27 March 2014 on fluvial fishing, fish management and fishery structures (Decret relatif a la peche fluviale, a la gestion piscicole et aux structures halieutiques)
- §Wallonia: Walloon Government Decree of 8 December 2016 on the conditions for opening and the procedures for exercising fishing (Arrete du Gouvernement wallon du 8 decembre 2016)
- §Flanders: Reglement Openbare Visserij (Public Fisheries Regulations), issued annually by Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos, under the Flemish river fisheries legislation
- §Federal / North Sea: management of the Belgian part of the North Sea is a federal competence (FPS Public Health, Marine Environment), within the EU Common Fisheries Policy; fisheries legislation is a Flemish competence
- Speargun
- Prohibited
- Foreigners
- Not allowed
The law, verbatim
Legal texts
The exact statutory and regulatory provisions that govern spearfishing here, quoted as published, with a link to each official source.
Permitted fishing gear (Wallonia) - only hand line and crayfish balance net
Arrete du Gouvernement wallon relatif aux conditions d'ouverture et aux modalites d'exercice de la peche (8 December 2016)
Il est interdit d'employer un engin de pêche autre que : 1° la ligne à main; 2° la balance à écrevisses. L'emploi de l'épuisette est permis uniquement pour enlever le poisson ou l'écrevisse pris à la ligne. Les dimensions de l'épuisette sont libres.
Prohibition on harpooning fish (Wallonia)
Arrete du Gouvernement wallon relatif aux conditions d'ouverture et aux modalites d'exercice de la peche (8 December 2016)
Il est interdit d'harponner le poisson avec une ligne à main munie d'un ou plusieurs hameçons dans le but d'accrocher le poisson par l'une ou l'autre partie du corps.
Fishing gear carried on waterways limited to hand line and landing net; Government empowered to prohibit fishing modes/implements (Wallonia primary decree)
Decret du 27 mars 2014 relatif a la peche fluviale, a la gestion piscicole et aux structures halieutiques
Art. 11. Les bateliers et plaisanciers qui fréquentent les voies hydrauliques ne peuvent avoir dans leurs bateaux aucun engin de pêche, à l'exception de la ligne à main et de l'épuisette, sauf à prouver que ces engins sont destinés à la pêche dans les eaux auxquelles le présent décret n'est pas applicable ou à une autre activité que la pêche. — Art. 10, § 1er. Le Gouvernement détermine, après avis du Conseil, soit partout, soit dans certains cours d'eau, ou dans certaines parties de cours d'eau: [...] 4° les modes, engins et appareils de pêche prohibés;
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
- ClosedSpawning closed season for most coarse fish in Flanders inland watersApr 16 – May 31
In Flemish inland public waters a general closed season applies during the spring spawning period (mid-April to end of May) for most species. This concerns angling; spearfishing is not a permitted method in any case.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
Inland angling permits via the regional authority (Natuur en Bos for Flanders; Service public de Wallonie for Wallonia). No mechanism exists to license spearfishing.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · natuurenbos.vlaanderen.be
- Type
- No spearfishing licence exists. Inland angling requires a regional fishing permit (Flanders: Vlaams visverlof; Wallonia: permis de peche). Recreational sea fishing requires no licence.
- Cost
- Flanders inland fishing permit from approx. EUR 13 (standard 'gewoon visverlof'); Walloon permits vary by type. No spearfishing-specific licence is offered.
- Validity
- Annual (calendar year) for inland angling permits; Walloon tourist permit (Permit T) valid 14 days.
- How to obtain
- Inland angling permits via the regional authority (Natuur en Bos for Flanders; Service public de Wallonie for Wallonia). No mechanism exists to license spearfishing.
- Authority
- Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos (Flanders); Service public de Wallonie - Departement de la Nature et des Forets (Wallonia)
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Inland waters: only a rod/hand line is a permitted fishing gear (plus eel 'peur' in Flanders; crayfish balance net in Wallonia). Spearguns/harpoons are not listed among permitted gear.
- Wallonia explicitly prohibits harpooning fish (Walloon Government Decree of 8 December 2016, Article 8, par. 2).
- Recreational gill and tangle nets are banned along the entire Belgian coast (Flemish Government decision, 13 March 2015).
Spearguns can be purchased/owned by adults (18+) in Belgium, but using them to take fish is not a permitted fishing method in any Belgian jurisdiction. The legality of mere possession is separate from the fisheries prohibition on the method.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
Not applicable to spearfishing (method not permitted). Angling catch and size limits apply to rod-and-line fishing under the regional public fisheries regulations and, at sea, under EU/Flemish recreational rules.
Species size/bag limits exist for recreational angling (e.g. in the Flemish Reglement Openbare Visserij and Walloon arretes) but are not reproduced here because spearfishing as a method is not authorised.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Not allowedRestrictions
- Spearfishing is not a permitted fishing method for anyone in Belgium, residents or foreigners alike.
- Foreign visitors who wish to angle in inland waters must hold the relevant regional permit (e.g. Walloon tourist permit T).
No nationality-based exception exists that would allow spearfishing.
Residents
Regional inland angling permit (Vlaams visverlof / permis de peche wallon). No resident spearfishing licence exists.
Requirements
- Hold the appropriate regional fishing permit for inland angling.
- Comply with permitted-gear rules (rod/line only); spearfishing is not authorised.
Same prohibition on the spearfishing method applies to residents as to foreigners.
Where on the coast
Allowed & prohibited zones
Named areas that are open to or closed for spearfishing. See the full picture on the interactive map.
Prohibited areas
- All Belgian inland public waters (Flanders)regulatory - permitted-gear restriction (no marine reserve)
In Flemish public inland waters only rod/line (hengel) or an eel 'peur' may be used; a landing net (schepnet) may only be used to lift out fish already caught on the line, not as a fishing method. Spearguns/harpoons are not a permitted fishing gear.
- All Walloon hydraulic waterways and watercourses (Wallonia)regulatory - permitted-gear restriction / explicit harpoon ban
Fishing gear is restricted to the hand line and the crayfish balance net; harpooning fish is explicitly prohibited (Walloon Government Decree of 8 December 2016, Article 8).
- Belgian part of the North Sea (territorial sea and EEZ)marine area under federal/Flemish fisheries regulation
Recreational sea fishing requires no licence but is limited to angling-type methods; no recreational spearfishing regime exists. Gill and tangle nets have been banned for recreational use along the entire Belgian coast since the Flemish Government decision of 13 March 2015. Fisheries are a Flemish competence; the marine environment is a federal competence (FPS Public Health).
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos (Nature and Forest Agency)
fisheries / nature authority (Flanders inland waters)
natuurenbos.vlaanderen.beFlemish Region - Agentschap voor Natuur en BosService public de Wallonie - Departement de la Nature et des Forets (DNF), Service de la Peche
fisheries authority (Wallonia inland waters)
environnement.wallonie.beService public de Wallonie - DNFFPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment - Marine Environment (DG Environment)
marine environment authority (federal, Belgian North Sea)
health.belgium.beFPS Public Health - Marine Environment
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Arrete du Gouvernement wallon du 8 decembre 2016 relatif aux conditions d'ouverture et aux modalites d'exercice de la peche (consolidated text, etaamb / Belgian Official Journal)
Officialetaamb.openjustice.beAccessed Jun 14 - [02]
Decret du 27 mars 2014 relatif a la peche fluviale, a la gestion piscicole et aux structures halieutiques (WALLEX consolidated)
Officialwallex.wallonie.beAccessed Jun 14 - [03]
Loi du 1er juillet 1954 sur la peche fluviale (DNF Wallonie legislation)
Officialenvironnement.wallonie.beAccessed Jun 14 - [04]
Activities in the North Sea: fishing, shipping, energy and more (FPS Public Health - Marine Environment)
Officialhealth.belgium.beAccessed Jun 14 - [05]
Waar en wanneer mag ik vissen of hengelen in Vlaanderen? (Agentschap Natuur en Bos FAQ)
Officialnatuurenbos.vlaanderen.beAccessed Jun 14 - [06]
Visserijregels - overzicht (Agentschap Natuur en Bos)
Officialnatuurenbos.vlaanderen.beAccessed Jun 14 - [07]
Viswetgeving Vlaanderen (Start2Fish) - only rod/line or peur permitted in Flanders inland waters
Secondarystart2fish.beAccessed Jun 14 - [08]
Fishing License Belgium - Flemish & Walloon Permits Explained (De Goeie Vangst)
Secondarydegoeievangst.beAccessed Jun 14 - [09]
Spearfishing Belgium and Netherlands 2020 (DeeperBlue community discussion)
communityforums.deeperblue.comAccessed Jun 14
Researcher notes
Belgium is a federal state where fishing is regulated at the regional level for inland waters (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) and as a Flemish fisheries competence at sea, within the EU Common Fisheries Policy; the marine environment of the North Sea is a federal competence. Recreational spearfishing has no legal framework in any Belgian jurisdiction. In inland waters the lists of permitted gear are restricted to rod/hand line (plus an eel 'peur' in Flanders and a crayfish balance net in Wallonia), so a speargun is not a lawful fishing instrument; Wallonia additionally bans harpooning fish outright (Walloon Government Decree of 8 December 2016, Article 8). The closed permitted-gear list (hand line + crayfish balance net) and the harpoon ban both come from Article 8 of the 2016 decree; the primary 2014 decree contributes Article 11, which specifically forbids boaters and pleasure craft (bateliers et plaisanciers) on the hydraulic waterways from carrying any fishing gear other than the hand line and landing net, and Article 10, par. 1er, 4, which empowers the Walloon Government to determine prohibited fishing modes, implements and apparatus. At sea, recreational fishing is licence-free but limited to angling-type methods, with no recognised spearfishing regime and a 2015 ban on recreational gill/tangle nets along the whole coast. Verbatim French legal text for Wallonia was retrieved from the consolidated Belgian Official Journal copy (etaamb/openjustice) for the 2016 decree and from the WALLEX consolidated text for the 2014 decree, with accents preserved. Confidence is set to 'medium' rather than 'high' because no single Belgian instrument names 'spearfishing/onderwaterjacht/peche sous-marine' as such; the prohibition is established by the closed lists of permitted gear plus the explicit Walloon harpoon ban. Spearguns may be legally owned by adults, but using them to take fish is not authorised.
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