Croatia · Spearfishing zone
Malostonski zaljev / Mali Ston Bay special marine reserve
What this zone is
Overview
How spearfishing is treated at Malostonski zaljev / Mali Ston Bay special marine reserve.
Mali Ston Bay (Malostonski zaljev i Malo more), enclosed between the Pelješac peninsula and the mainland, is a special marine reserve declared in 1983 and protected primarily as a shellfish-farming ecosystem. It is NOT a no-take area: Article 4(1) of Pravilnik NN 125/2020 expressly permits commercial fishing there with a listed gear set. For a spearfisher the operative rule is Article 2(1): sport and recreational fishing in a special marine reserve requires a special licence issued in accordance with the act of the managing public institution, which may prohibit or further restrict it (Pravilnik NN 48/2026, Article 13(4)). No such act has been published — the reserve's management plan states the framework for issuing those licences is still being established — so do not spearfish here without confirming the reserve's current licence conditions.
On the coast
Location
Approximate reference point for this zone. See the full picture on the interactive map.
42.9331°N, 17.5317°E
View on the mapSource
This zone is documented in the official source below.
Before you dive
License for Croatia
Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.
A sport licence may be issued ONLY to a member of a sport-fishing federation. For the ANNUAL sport licence the member must belong to HSSRM specifically (Zakon čl. 28. st. 1. t. b)); for DAILY and MULTI-DAY sport licences membership of any national sport-fishing federation suffices (Zakon čl. 29. st. 3.), which is the route open to a visiting foreign spearfisher who holds their own federation's card - at purchase the buyer states the membership-card number and the name of the national federation (Pravilnik čl. 19. st. 3.). Issuing a sport licence contrary to čl. 29. st. 3. is a listed misdemeanour. All sport licences and their special permits are sold by HSSRM member associations (Pravilnik čl. 18. st. 4.); since NN 48/2026, daily and multi-day sport licences may also be bought through the Directorate of Fisheries online shop (čl. 18. st. 5.). Recreational licences are sold by the Ministry - Directorate of Fisheries, its regional offices, authorised vendors and its online shop (čl. 18. st. 1.). All licences are issued electronically. Budget for the licence fee PLUS the federation membership card (and any club subscription).
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · hssrm.hr