Ecuador · Spearfishing zone
Galapagos Marine Reserve
What this zone is
Overview
How spearfishing is treated at Galapagos Marine Reserve.
Marine protected area of approximately 143,000 km2 extending 40 nautical miles from the archipelago baseline (plus internal waters). Extractive fishing is reserved exclusively to registered local artisanal fishers (PARMA licence, restricted to permanent Galapagos residents). Industrial fishing and fishing from tourist vessels are banned; recreational spearfishing by tourists/non-residents is not permitted. Underwater (diving) extractive fishing by licensed artisanal fishers additionally requires a DIGMER matricula.
On the coast
Location
Approximate reference point for this zone. See the full picture on the interactive map.
0.7000°S, 91.0000°W
View on the mapSource
This zone is documented in the official source below.
Before you dive
License for Ecuador
Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.
Apply to the Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca / Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca (MAGP) for authorization and registration to practice extractive sport fishing with a harpoon (Art. 124). Sport-fishing vessel permits are requested online via the SIAP system (https://siap.aciis.services/acrm/) with cedula/RUC, naval registration, tonnage certificate, safety inspection and proof of payment. In Galapagos, only registered resident artisanal fishers may obtain a PARMA licence from the DPNG plus a DIGMER diving matricula for underwater fishing.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · gob.ec