Türkiye · Spearfishing zone
Turkish seas (Aegean, Mediterranean, Black Sea coasts) outside closed zones
What this zone is
Overview
How spearfishing is treated at Turkish seas (Aegean, Mediterranean, Black Sea coasts) outside closed zones.
Recreational speargun fishing by free-diving is permitted along Türkiye's sea coasts in daylight, subject to the gear, size, and area restrictions of Circular 6/2, except in the specific closed marine zones listed in MADDE 17 and in inland/fresh waters.
What applies here
Restrictions
Specific rules and limits that apply within this area.
Daytime only; free-diving only (no scuba/hookah/auxiliary air); no artificial light; marker buoy mandatory; no fishing within 100 m of marine aquaculture cages or 200 m of shore-based farms; no fishing in marked swimming areas (within 200 m of shore) from 1 Apr to 15 Nov.
When it applies
Seasons
Time-of-year periods that affect spearfishing in this zone.
Year-round, daylight hours only
Source
This zone is documented in the official source below.
Before you dive
License for Türkiye
Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.
Apply to a provincial or district directorate (il/ilçe müdürlüğü) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Since 1 January 2026 anyone fishing with a speargun must hold the Ek-1 Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi showing that they fish by the diving method — verbatim: '1 Ocak 2026 tarihinden itibaren sualtı tüfeği kullanarak avcılık yapacak kişilerin il/ilçe müdürlüklerinden dalma yöntemiyle avcılık yaptıklarını gösterir Ek-1'de yer alan Amatör Balıkçı Belgesini alması zorunludur' (Circular 6/2, MADDE 16(4)(ç), added by Tebliğ 2025/12, RG 16/4/2025 No. 32872). For other amateur methods the document stays optional and need not be carried. The circular does not state how a foreign national obtains the Ek-1 document — foreigners resident or officially present in Türkiye are otherwise issued the Ek-2 Misafir Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi, and tourist amateurs use a tourism-operator permit or an Ek-3 avlanma fişi — so non-citizens planning to spearfish should confirm the position with the provincial (il) directorate before diving.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · resmigazete.gov.tr
