Spain · Spearfishing zone
Celula C o Zona de Usos Regulados - Reserva Marina de Interes Pesquero de Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas (Murcia)
What this zone is
Overview
How spearfishing is treated at Celula C o Zona de Usos Regulados - Reserva Marina de Interes Pesquero de Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas (Murcia).
Cell C or Regulated-Use Zone, the inner waters added to the Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas marine reserve by Decreto 31/2026, de 14 de mayo (BORM 116 of 22 May 2026, in force since 23 May 2026), which repealed the 1995 declaration for the Murcian inner waters and re-zoned the reserve into cells A, B and C. It is a nearshore strip in two sectors, north and south of the Cabo de Palos lighthouse, covering the levante and poniente coves between Las Amoladeras beach and the port of Cabo de Palos; the decree publishes a single vertex list for both sectors and draws the split only on its annexed map, so this record carries one representative point, in the southern sector. Article 7.2 prohibits recreational underwater fishing and recreational fishing competitions of every kind there. Shore angling stays permitted (art. 7.3) and fishing from a boat is not permitted except for exceptionally authorised squid jigging and chambel (art. 7.4), so of the recreational modalities it is precisely spearfishing that is banned; diving is allowed only between sunrise and sunset (art. 7.6). Spearfishing is in fact prohibited in all three cells - art. 5.1 bans all maritime fishing, extraction and recreational activity in cell A, and art. 6.1/6.2 ban all fishing and extraction in cell B and forbid divers from carrying any instrument usable to take marine species - cell C is simply the cell where the ban on it is spelled out by name.
On the coast
Location
Approximate reference point for this zone. See the full picture on the interactive map.
37.6298°N, 0.6909°W
View on the mapSource
This zone is documented in the official source below.
Before you dive
License for Spain
Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.
Apply through the fisheries authority of the relevant coastal Autonomous Community (online or in person). A medical certificate of fitness for underwater/free-diving (issued by a doctor qualified in hyperbaric/underwater medicine), or a valid federation licence covering the medical, plus suitable accident insurance, is generally required. ID (DNI for citizens; NIE/passport for foreigners) and payment of the regional fee are needed.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · mapa.gob.es



