Latvia · Spearfishing zone
Irbe Strait Marine Protected Area
What this zone is
Overview
How spearfishing is treated at Irbe Strait Marine Protected Area.
Marine Natura 2000 area in the Irbe Strait (Irbes jūras šaurums), the main exit from the Gulf of Riga to the open Baltic between the Courland Peninsula (Latvia) and Saaremaa (Estonia). Coastal waters run between Oviši and Cape Kolka. Designated for reef/sandbank habitats, migratory waterbirds and grey seals; forms a transboundary complex with Estonia. Seabed-damage and commercial-harvesting restrictions apply; underwater hunting is not explicitly banned by the area rules - treat as a sensitive habitat/seal area and verify restrictions.
On the coast
Location
Approximate reference point for this zone. See the full picture on the interactive map.
57.6000°N, 22.1000°E
View on the mapSource
This zone is documented in the official source below.
Before you dive
License for Latvia
Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.
Purchase online at makskeresanaskarte.lv or manacope.lv; also sold via retail networks (Maxima, Narvesen) and Latvijas Pasts post offices. From 10 January 2026, point 11.5 of Cabinet Regulation No. 800 (inserted by MK noteikumi Nr. 739 of 09.12.2025) requires catches of certain species taken in the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga coastal waters to be registered and reported on www.makskeresanaskarte.lv, expressly implementing Article 55(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009; the duty covers underwater hunting (zemudens medibas). The binding text says only 'atsevisku zivju sugu' (certain fish species) and does not enumerate them - the Ministry of Agriculture and the site operator identify six (salmon, cod, eel, herring, sprat, plaice), so treat that list as ministry communication rather than statute.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · makskeresanaskarte.lv