San Marino
Europe · Southern Europe
San Marino is a landlocked microstate with no sea coastline, so marine spearfishing is geographically impossible. Inland, only recreational angling (pesca sportiva) in fresh waters is regulated, governed by Law 119/1990 ('Modifica alla legge che istituisce la licenza per l'esercizio della pesca in acque dolci'), which requires a fishing licence issued by the Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva. The law and the federation make no provision whatsoever for underwater fishing / spearfishing (pesca subacquea); the regulated waters are small streams (e.g. Torrente Marano, Torrente Ausa) and a small artificial lake (Lago di Faetano) that are unsuitable for and not associated with spearfishing. Law 119/1990 expressly prohibits fishing by means of explosives, stupefying/poisonous chemicals, fixed or mobile nets across watercourses, and electric current. On this basis spearfishing is treated as not permitted (no recognised legal framework allowing it).
Last updated June 15, 2026
Governing framework
- §Legge 23 ottobre 1990 n.119 - Modifica alla legge che istituisce la licenza per l'esercizio della pesca in acque dolci
- §Legge 5 marzo 1963 n.15 (replaced by Law 119/1990 - original law instituting the freshwater fishing licence)
- §Annual 'Calendario della pesca' issued by Reggenza decree under Art. 8 of Law 119/1990
- License required
- Required
- Speargun
- Prohibited
- Scuba
- 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.
Freshwater fishing licence required
Legge 23 ottobre 1990 n.119
Chi esercita la pesca in acque dolci pubbliche o comunicanti con le pubbliche deve essere munito della licenza di cui alla presente legge.
Licence issuance by the Sammarinese Sport Fishing Federation; validity in San Marino and Italy
Legge 23 ottobre 1990 n.119
La licenza da pesca viene rilasciata a tutti i cittadini ed ai forensi residenti in Repubblica, dalla Federazione Sammarinese pesca Sportiva, ed autorizza l'esercizio della pesca in territorio sammarinese e su tutto il territorio della Repubblica Italiana a norma dell'art.56 della Convenzione di Amicizia e Buon Vicinato fra la Repubblica di San Marino e la Repubblica Italiana del 31 marzo 1939, modificato dall'Accordo Aggiuntivo del 20 dicembre 1960.
Licence validity period and identification booklet
Legge 23 ottobre 1990 n.119
La licenza ha validità di un anno, è personale e viene rilasciata unitamente ad un libretto di riconoscimento da rinnovarsi ogni 5 anni.
Penalties and prohibited fishing methods (explosives, chemicals, nets, electric current)
Legge 23 ottobre 1990 n.119
La licenza da pesca deve essere esibita ad ogni richiesta degli Agenti di Vigilanza, pena la multa da L.20.000= a L.50.000=. La stessa pena è applicata a chi si dedica all'esercizio della pesca con licenza o libretto scaduto. Per coloro che, pur muniti di licenza da pesca, esercitano detta attività con i mezzi, nelle epoche, nei luoghi o per i pesci o crostacei non consentiti dalle vigenti leggi o disposizioni speciali, la multa va da L.100.000= a L.200.000=. L'impiego di esplosivi, prodotti chimici atti ad intorpidire, stordire o uccidere i pesci, le reti o apparecchiature fisse o mobile di pesca attraverso corsi di acqua, nonchè l'uso della corrente elettrica comporta, oltre al sequestro delle attrezzature abusivamente impiegate, una multa che va da L.200.000= a L.500.000=. In caso di recidiva nelle violazioni di cui ai precedenti commi, le sanzioni pecuniarie possono essere raddoppiate nel massimo.
Annual fishing tax; reduction for military and uniformed corps
Legge 23 ottobre 1990 n.119
Il rilascio o il rinnovo della licenza da pesca sono soggetti al pagamento della tassa annua di L.10.000=, da effettuarsi presso l'Ufficio del Registro. I militari e gli appartenenti ai Corpi Uniformati godono di una riduzione del 50% sulla predetta tassa.
Annual fishing calendar; power to restrict/extend seasons, waters, fishing forms and species
Legge 23 ottobre 1990 n.119
La Reggenza, sentito il parere della Federazione della pesca Sportiva, emetterà con Decreto, ogni anno, il Calendario della pesca. Con lo stesso Decreto o con Decreto successivo la Reggenza potrà restringere o prolungare il periodo di pesca, vietare o permettere la medesima sia in forma generale che in determinati corsi o specchi d'acqua, nonchè per talune forme di pesca, che per specie ittiche.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
- RestrictedAll freshwater fishing in San Marino (no spearfishing-specific season exists)unknown – unknown
Under Art. 8 of Law 119/1990, the Reggenza issues an annual 'Calendario della pesca' (fishing calendar) by decree, on the advice of the Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva, and may restrict or extend the fishing period, prohibit or permit fishing generally or in specific watercourses/water bodies, and set rules for particular forms of fishing or fish species. The specific verbatim dates of any given year's calendar could not be retrieved from an authoritative source, so the exact closed/open dates are marked unknown. No season is defined for spearfishing because spearfishing is not a regulated activity here.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
Written application on stamped paper to the Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva, with: certificate of citizenship; certificate of San Marino residence for non-citizen residents (forensi); two authenticated passport photos; receipt of the tax payment from the Ufficio del Registro; revenue stamps for the booklet cost and related fees (Law 119/1990, Art. 4).
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · fps-sm.org
- Type
- Freshwater fishing licence (licenza per l'esercizio della pesca in acque dolci) - rod-and-line sport angling; no spearfishing licence exists
- Cost
- Annual tax of ITL 10,000 (legacy lira figure in Law 119/1990, Art. 7); 50% reduction for military and uniformed corps. Current euro amount not confirmed from an authoritative source.
- Validity
- 1 year (licence); identification booklet renewed every 5 years (Art. 3)
- How to obtain
- Written application on stamped paper to the Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva, with: certificate of citizenship; certificate of San Marino residence for non-citizen residents (forensi); two authenticated passport photos; receipt of the tax payment from the Ufficio del Registro; revenue stamps for the booklet cost and related fees (Law 119/1990, Art. 4).
- Authority
- Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva (FSPS)
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Explosives prohibited (Law 119/1990, Art. 6)
- Chemical products to stun, daze or kill fish prohibited (Art. 6)
- Fixed or mobile nets/apparatus across watercourses prohibited (Art. 6)
- Use of electric current prohibited (Art. 6)
- Spearguns / spearfishing gear are not mentioned or authorised by the freshwater fishing law; spearfishing is not a recognised legal fishing method
The legal framework only contemplates rod-and-line sport angling in fresh waters. Spearguns and scuba are not addressed because spearfishing is not a regulated activity; San Marino has no sea coast, so marine spearfishing is impossible.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
unknown
Daily limits, minimum sizes and protected species for freshwater fishing are set year-to-year through the annual 'Calendario della pesca' decree (Law 119/1990, Art. 8) rather than in the primary law. The verbatim current-year limits could not be retrieved from an authoritative source. Note: a conservation project has reintroduced the lasca (a native cyprinid) to the Torrente Marano, indicating active fish-fauna protection in inland waters.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Not allowedRestrictions
- The San Marino freshwater fishing licence is issued only to citizens and to non-citizen residents (forensi) of the Republic (Law 119/1990, Art. 2); non-resident foreigners are not provided for.
- Spearfishing is not available to anyone (no marine waters; no legal provision for inland spearfishing).
Non-resident foreign visitors cannot obtain the San Marino freshwater licence under Law 119/1990, which limits issuance to citizens and resident forensi. Regardless of residence, spearfishing is not a permitted/recognised activity in San Marino.
Residents
Freshwater fishing licence (citizens and resident forensi)
Requirements
- Citizenship certificate (citizens) or San Marino residence certificate (forensi)
- Two authenticated passport photographs
- Payment of the annual fishing tax at the Ufficio del Registro
- Revenue stamps for booklet and related fees
Benefits
- Licence authorises fishing in San Marino and, by treaty (Art. 56 of the 1939 San Marino-Italy Friendship and Good Neighbourliness Convention, as amended 1960), throughout Italian territory
- Military and uniformed-corps members receive a 50% reduction on the annual tax
Applies to rod-and-line freshwater angling only; no spearfishing entitlement is conferred.
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.
Allowed areas
Small artificial lake managed by the Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva as a sport-angling venue (rod-and-line competitions). It is the principal organised freshwater fishing location in San Marino. There is no provision for, or practice of, spearfishing here.
Sport angling under federation rules and the annual fishing calendar; spearfishing not provided for. Coordinates are approximate (locality of Faetano).
Public fresh waters and waters connected to them are open to licensed rod-and-line fishing under Law 119/1990. These are small, shallow streams unsuitable for and not associated with spearfishing. A licence from the Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva is required.
Licence required; only methods allowed by law and the annual calendar; explosives, stupefying/poisonous chemicals, nets across watercourses and electric current are prohibited (Law 119/1990, Art. 6).
Conditions on the water
Live conditions
Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in San Marino, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.
Live marine & weather near Lago di Faetano (Lake Faetano).
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva (FSPS)
national sport fishing federation / fishing licence issuing authority
fps-sm.orgStrada del Marano 101, 47896 Faetano, San Marino; tel/fax +378 0549 903920; email info@fps-sm.orgUGRAA - Ufficio Gestione Risorse Ambientali e Agricole, Dipartimento Territorio e Ambiente
environment authority (ecological surveillance, agricultural and aquatic fauna legislation)
dipartimentoterritorio.pa.smDipartimento Territorio e Ambiente, Repubblica di San MarinoReggenza (Captains Regent) of the Republic of San Marino
head of state / issues the annual fishing calendar decree
consigliograndeegenerale.smPalazzo Pubblico, San Marino
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Legge 23 ottobre 1990 n.119 - Modifica alla legge che istituisce la licenza per l'esercizio della pesca in acque dolci (FAOLEX, full text)
Officialfaolex.fao.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [02]
Legge 18 luglio 1979 n.42 - Modifiche alla legge sulla caccia (FAOLEX; hunting law, reviewed to confirm it does not cover fishing/spearfishing)
Officialfaolex.fao.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [03]
Decreto Delegato 10 ottobre 2011 n.165 - Tutela delle acque e gestione delle risorse idriche (Consiglio Grande e Generale; water-protection decree, reviewed - no fishing-activity rules)
Officialconsigliograndeegenerale.smAccessed Jun 15 - [04]
Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva - official website (licence-issuing authority; Lake Faetano venue; no spearfishing)
Officialfps-sm.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [05]
UGRAA - Dipartimento Territorio e Ambiente, Repubblica di San Marino (environmental/ecological surveillance authority)
Officialdipartimentoterritorio.pa.smAccessed Jun 15 - [06]
San Marino RTV - 'Rivive la lasca nel Marano': reintroduction of a native fish species in the Torrente Marano (inland fish-fauna protection)
Secondarysanmarinortv.smAccessed Jun 15
Researcher notes
San Marino is a landlocked Southern European microstate (coastline=false); marine/sea spearfishing is geographically impossible. Spearfishing (pesca subacquea) is NOT a recognised or regulated activity: it is not mentioned in the freshwater fishing law (Law 119/1990), in the sport-fishing federation's materials, or in the reviewed water-protection decree (Decreto Delegato 165/2011). Only rod-and-line freshwater sport angling is regulated, through a licence issued by the Federazione Sammarinese Pesca Sportiva and the annual 'Calendario della pesca' decree. Law 119/1990, Art. 6 expressly bans destructive methods (explosives, stupefying chemicals, nets across watercourses, electric current). The relevant waters (Torrente Marano, Torrente Ausa, Torrente San Marino, Lago di Faetano) are small streams and a small artificial lake unsuitable for spearfishing. Verbatim primary law text was retrieved from FAOLEX (FAO legal database); the exact current annual calendar (specific seasons, catch and size limits, protected species) could not be retrieved verbatim from an authoritative source and is therefore marked unknown rather than guessed. Legacy monetary amounts are quoted in Italian lire (ITL) as they appear in the 1990 law; current euro equivalents were not confirmed. Coordinates for Lago di Faetano are approximate (Faetano locality). spearfishing_allowed set to 'no' because there is no legal basis permitting it and no waters where it is practiced; confidence is 'medium' due to retrieval of the primary law but absence of a directly on-point spearfishing provision and of the current annual calendar text.
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