Germany
Europe · Western Europe
Recreational spearfishing (Speerfischen / Harpunieren) is prohibited everywhere in Germany. Fishing law in Germany is regulated at the state (Land) level, and the fisheries acts of all 16 Bundesländer ban the use of spears, harpoons and other injuring devices for catching fish (with fishing hooks as the only exception). This applies to both inland waters and the marine coastal waters of the three coastal states (Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen / Lower Saxony). The prohibition is reinforced federally by the Animal Welfare Act (Tierschutzgesetz), which forbids causing pain, suffering or harm to a vertebrate without good reason and requires killing animals while avoiding pain. Separately, under the federal Weapons Act (Waffengesetz), a speargun/harpoon is classed as a weapon that may be acquired and possessed from age 18, but possession does not make its use for fishing lawful. No state offers a general permit for recreational spearfishing; the only statutory exceptions are narrow (e.g. scientific purposes, or eel fishing in Lower Saxony under a specific exemption).
Last updated June 15, 2026
Governing framework
- §Tierschutzgesetz (Animal Welfare Act), federal, as amended (§ 1, § 4)
- §Waffengesetz (Weapons Act / WaffG), federal, 2002 as amended (§ 2, Anlage 2)
- §Fischereigesetz für das Land Schleswig-Holstein (Landesfischereigesetz - LFischG), 10 February 1996 as amended (§ 31)
- §Fischereigesetz für das Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (LFischG M-V), 13 April 2005 as amended (§ 12)
- §Niedersächsisches Fischereigesetz (Nds. FischG), as amended (§ 44)
- 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.
Prohibition of causing harm to animals without good reason
Tierschutzgesetz (Animal Welfare Act)
Niemand darf einem Tier ohne vernünftigen Grund Schmerzen, Leiden oder Schäden zufügen.
Killing of vertebrate animals only while avoiding pain
Tierschutzgesetz (Animal Welfare Act)
Ein Wirbeltier darf nur unter wirksamer Schmerzausschaltung (Betäubung) in einem Zustand der Wahrnehmungs- und Empfindungslosigkeit oder sonst, soweit nach den gegebenen Umständen zumutbar, nur unter Vermeidung von Schmerzen getötet werden.
Prohibited fishing methods in Schleswig-Holstein (Baltic and North Sea coast)
Fischereigesetz für das Land Schleswig-Holstein (Landesfischereigesetz - LFischG)
(1) Es ist verboten, beim Fischfang schädigende Mittel, insbesondere künstliches Licht, explodierende, betäubende und giftige Mittel sowie verletzende Geräte, mit Ausnahme von Angelhaken, anzuwenden. Langleinen bleiben der Erwerbsfischerei vorbehalten.
Prohibited fishing methods in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Baltic coast)
Fischereigesetz für das Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (LFischG M-V)
Es ist verboten, bei der Fischerei Schusswaffen, Speere, Harpunen, Schlingen, künstliche Köder mit feststehendem Mehrfachhaken oder andere verletzende Geräte mit Ausnahme von Angelhaken [...] zu verwenden oder in gebrauchsfertigem Zustand auf oder an Gewässern mit sich zu führen.
Prohibited fishing methods in Lower Saxony (North Sea coast)
Niedersächsisches Fischereigesetz (Nds. FischG)
(1) Es ist verboten, beim Fischfang anzuwenden: Sprengstoffe und ähnlich wirkende Stoffe, Mittel und Verfahren, die geeignet sind, die dem Fischereirecht unterliegenden Tiere zu betäuben oder zu vergiften, Leuchten und Fackeln, die dazu dienen, Tiere anzulocken oder zusammenzutreiben, Schußwaffen, Speere, Harpunen und Schlingen. (2) Der fischereikundliche Dienst (§ 60) kann für wissenschaftliche Zwecke Ausnahmen von den Verboten des Absatzes 1 zulassen; er kann Ausnahmen von dem Verbot des Absatzes 1 Nr. 2 auch für die Regulierung von Fischbeständen, von dem Verbot des Absatzes 1 Nr. 3 auch für den Aalfang zulassen.
Harpoon classed as a weapon; minimum age 18 for acquisition, but use for spearfishing prohibited
Waffengesetz (WaffG) / commentary on Anlage 2
Laut § 2 WaffG ist die Abgabe einer Harpune, da eine Waffe, nur an Personen ab 18 Jahren gestattet. [...] Denn in Deutschland ist das Speerfischen untersagt, sodass eine Harpune zum Angeln oder Sportfischen nicht verwendet werden darf.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
No seasonal closures recorded — verify locally before diving.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
No license for recreational spearfishing exists. Narrow statutory exceptions (e.g. scientific purposes) may be granted by the competent state fisheries authority; in Lower Saxony a specific exemption exists only for eel fishing under § 44 Abs. 2 Nds. FischG.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Type
- Not applicable - recreational spearfishing is prohibited and cannot be licensed. A general angling permit (Fischereischein plus Erlaubnisschein) does not authorise spearfishing.
- How to obtain
- No license for recreational spearfishing exists. Narrow statutory exceptions (e.g. scientific purposes) may be granted by the competent state fisheries authority; in Lower Saxony a specific exemption exists only for eel fishing under § 44 Abs. 2 Nds. FischG.
- Authority
- Competent state (Land) fisheries authority
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Use of spears (Speere), harpoons (Harpunen) and other injuring devices for fishing is prohibited in all German states; only fishing hooks (Angelhaken) are permitted as a catching device.
- A speargun/harpoon is classed as a weapon under the Weapons Act (WaffG) and may only be acquired/transferred to persons aged 18 or over (§ 2 WaffG).
- Possession of a speargun is lawful from age 18, but using it to catch fish is prohibited (Speerfischen untersagt).
The ban is on the use of injuring devices for fishing, not on owning a speargun. Owning a speargun (e.g. for use abroad) is legal from age 18; using it in German waters to take fish is not.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
Not applicable - recreational spearfishing is prohibited.
Catch limits and minimum sizes apply to lawful angling (rod and line) under each state's fisheries regulations, but are not relevant to spearfishing because spearfishing itself is prohibited.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Not allowedRestrictions
- The prohibition on spearfishing applies to everyone in German waters regardless of nationality or residence.
- A foreign spearfishing/freediving qualification does not authorise spearfishing in Germany.
Foreign visitors are subject to the same prohibition as German residents. Spearfishing licences or experience obtained abroad confer no rights in Germany.
Residents
Not applicable - no spearfishing licence exists for residents.
German residents may obtain an angling licence (Fischereischein) for rod-and-line fishing, but this does not permit spearfishing. The prohibition applies equally to residents.
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 German marine and inland watersnational prohibition (all waters)
Recreational spearfishing with spears, harpoons or other injuring devices is prohibited in all German waters under the fisheries acts of all 16 federal states. There are no zones where recreational spearfishing is permitted, including the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) and North Sea (Nordsee) coastal waters.
- Wadden Sea National Parks (Nationalpark Schleswig-Holsteinisches / Niedersächsisches / Hamburgisches Wattenmeer)national park / UNESCO World Heritage marine protected area
Protected marine and intertidal areas along the German North Sea coast with strict nature-conservation rules; spearfishing is prohibited as elsewhere in Germany and additional conservation restrictions apply.
Conditions on the water
Live conditions
Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in Germany, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.
Live marine & weather near Wadden Sea National Parks (Nationalpark Schleswig-Holsteinisches / Niedersächsisches / Hamburgisches Wattenmeer).
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL) - Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
fisheries / agriculture ministry (federal)
Landesamt für Landwirtschaft, Lebensmittelsicherheit und Fischerei Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (LALLF M-V)
state fisheries authority
Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, ländliche Räume, Europa und Verbraucherschutz Schleswig-Holstein (Fischereibehörde)
state fisheries authority
Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (LAVES) - Dezernat Binnenfischerei
state fisheries / consumer protection authority
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Tierschutzgesetz § 1 (gesetze-im-internet.de, official federal law portal)
Officialgesetze-im-internet.deAccessed Jun 15 - [02]
Tierschutzgesetz § 4 (gesetze-im-internet.de, official federal law portal)
Officialgesetze-im-internet.deAccessed Jun 15 - [03]
Fischereigesetz für das Land Schleswig-Holstein (LFischG), official state PDF
Officialschleswig-holstein.deAccessed Jun 15 - [04]
Fischereigesetz für das Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (LFischG M-V), § 12 (umwelt-online)
Officialumwelt-online.deAccessed Jun 15 - [05]
Niedersächsisches Fischereigesetz (Nds. FischG), § 44 - FAO FAOLEX legal database PDF
Officialfaolex.fao.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [06]
Harpune gemäß Waffengesetz - explanation of WaffG age limit and spearfishing prohibition
Secondarybussgeldkatalog.netAccessed Jun 15 - [07]
Speerfischen in Deutschland? Geht das? (apnoetauchen-lernen.de, dive education site)
Secondaryapnoetauchen-lernen.deAccessed Jun 15 - [08]
Spearfishing in Europe - Law, Rules and Restrictions (harpune.info)
communityharpune.infoAccessed Jun 15
Researcher notes
Germany has a sea coastline (Baltic Sea and North Sea), but recreational spearfishing is prohibited nationwide. Fishing law is a competence of the federal states (Länder), and each state's fisheries act bans spears/harpoons or, more broadly, 'verletzende Geräte mit Ausnahme von Angelhaken' (injuring devices except fishing hooks). Verbatim provisions were captured for the three coastal states (Schleswig-Holstein § 31, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern § 12, Niedersachsen § 44) plus the federal Animal Welfare Act (§ 1, § 4). The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern § 12 verbatim text was retrieved from umwelt-online and includes a bracketed ellipsis marking omitted enumerated items between the listed gear and the 'mit sich zu führen' clause; the listed gear and the Angelhaken exception are quoted exactly. The federal Weapons Act (WaffG) treats a harpoon/speargun as a weapon: acquisition/possession is allowed from age 18, but using it for fishing is prohibited. No seasons or allowed zones exist because the activity itself is illegal. data_confidence is high: the core prohibition is confirmed by official verbatim statutory text from multiple jurisdictions and corroborated by secondary sources. The only narrow statutory exceptions are for scientific purposes (all states) and eel fishing in Lower Saxony (§ 44 Abs. 2 Nds. FischG); there is no general recreational-spearfishing permit anywhere in Germany.
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