United States of America · Spearfishing zone

Tennessee Reef Research-Only Area (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary)

Prohibited zoneresearch-only area (no-take)

What this zone is

Overview

How spearfishing is treated at Tennessee Reef Research-Only Area (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary).

Tennessee Reef, off Long Key, is a Special-use “Research-only area” of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Under 15 CFR 922.164(e)(3) no one may enter it at all except in transit without interruption or under a NOAA research/education permit, and 922.164(e)(5) applies the Ecological Reserve/SPA prohibitions there as well — which expressly forbid “spearing” and “fishing by any means”. This is a stricter regime than the surrounding Sanctuary Preservation Areas.

On the coast

Location

Approximate reference point for this zone. See the full picture on the interactive map.

24.7457°N, 80.7810°W

View on the map

Source

This zone is documented in the official source below.

ecfr.gov

Before you dive

License for United States of America

Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.

License requiredvia State fish and wildlife agencies (e.g. FWC Florida, CDFW California, Hawaii DLNR/DAR, TPWD Texas); NOAA Fisheries for federal waters/HMS permits.

Purchase from the relevant state fish and wildlife agency online portal, license vendors, or in person. Requirements differ by state and by resident/non-resident status.

Get your license

Opens the official portal · fisheries.noaa.gov

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