Burkina Faso · Spearfishing zone
La Mare aux Hippopotames (faunal reserve / Ramsar site / UNESCO Biosphere Reserve)
What this zone is
Overview
How spearfishing is treated at La Mare aux Hippopotames (faunal reserve / Ramsar site / UNESCO Biosphere Reserve).
Freshwater lake and floodplain on the Mouhoun (Black Volta) River, ~60 km north of Bobo-Dioulasso, Houet Province. A classified faunal reserve (1937), the only UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Burkina Faso (1977) and a Ramsar wetland of international importance (1990, site 491). As an 'aire de protection faunique', fishing here is allowed only under the special regime of Art. 205 of the 2011 Forest Code (licensed fishing guide), and the national ban on firearms/bladed weapons for fishing (Art. 175) excludes spearfishing. A concrete, mappable instance of the existing generic 'special protection areas' prohibited category.
On the coast
Location
Approximate reference point for this zone. See the full picture on the interactive map.
11.6119°N, 3.9167°W
View on the mapSource
This zone is documented in the official source below.
Before you dive
License for Burkina Faso
Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.
Apply to the competent regional authority designated by ministerial order; the permit is valid only in the region for which it was issued (Art. 193-194). Customary/subsistence fishing is free and requires no permit (Art. 204); scientific/educational fishing is exempt but needs prior written authorisation (Art. 202-203).
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · servicepublic.gov.bf