SpearfishingMap

Jamaica

Americas · Caribbean

Recreational spearfishing is legal in Jamaica but heavily restricted. A valid fishing licence/registration from the National Fisheries Authority is required (the Fisheries Act, 2018 mandates licences for recreational fishing). Spearfishing with impaling devices (spearguns, Hawaiian slings) is prohibited at night, between 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Mechanical spearguns were officially phased out from 31 March 2010 (government-funded replacement with Hawaiian slings) and night diving for spearfishing was banned from the same date; a special permit is required for compressors and other mechanical underwater-breathing devices used for fishing. All fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited inside designated Special Fishery Conservation Areas (fish sanctuaries) and marine parks (e.g. Montego Bay Marine Park) except under licence/permission. Closed seasons apply to spiny lobster (Apr 1 – Jun 30) and queen conch (declared annually). Spearfishing is widely cited as the single greatest threat to Jamaica's marine biodiversity.

Restricted
Confianza de los datosConfianza media

Última actualización abril 22, 2026

Marco regulador

  • §The Fisheries Act, 2018 (No. 18 of 2018)
  • §The Fishing Industry Act, 1975 (largely repealed/replaced by the 2018 Act)
  • §The Fishing Industry (Special Fishery Conservation Area) Regulations, 2012
  • §The Fisheries (Spiny Lobster) Regulations and amendments (2009, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2026)
  • §The Fisheries (Conservation of Queen Conch) (Family Strombidae) Regulations, 2023
Licencia obligatoria
Obligatoria
Fusil de pesca
Permitido

La ley, literal

Textos legales

Las disposiciones legales y reglamentarias exactas que regulan la pesca submarina aquí, citadas tal como están publicadas, con un enlace a cada fuente oficial.

01Regulation 4(1)Jamaica · national

Fishing prohibited in Special Fishery Conservation Areas except under licence

The Fishing Industry (Special Fishery Conservation Area) Regulations, 2012

ENOriginal

No person shall fish in a special fishery conservation area except in accordance with a license issued by the Licensing Authority.

02Amendment provision on impaling devicesJamaica · national

Ban on use of impaling devices (speargun, Hawaiian sling) at night

Fishing Industry Act amendment (2011) / Fishing Industry Regulations

ENOriginal

A person shall not, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. use for the purpose of harvesting fish, any impaling device - including Hawaiian sling, speargun or any other impaling device.

Cuándo puedes bucear

Temporadas y restricciones horarias

Periodos de veda, de apertura y restringidos a lo largo del año. Confirma siempre localmente las vedas específicas de cada especie.

Ene
Feb
Mar
Abr
May
Jun
Jul
Ago
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dic
VedaRestringidoAbierto
  • VedaSpiny lobster (Panulirus argus) - all species of spiny lobsterAbr 1 – Jun 30

    Annual closed season for spiny lobster. Fishing for any species of spiny lobster during the closed season is illegal; possession without special permission is also illegal during this period.

    jis.gov.jm
  • VedaQueen conch (Strombus / Aliger gigas, Family Strombidae)Ago 30 – Feb 28

    Annual queen conch closed season (dates as cited for the 2023 regulations; declared/varied annually by the National Fisheries Authority). During the closed season it is illegal to possess, sell, process or trade any conch products or by-products, under the Fisheries (Conservation of Queen Conch) (Family Strombidae) Regulations, 2023.

    jis.gov.jm

Permiso para pescar

Licencia

Qué necesitas para poder estar en el agua, cuánto cuesta y cómo conseguirlo.

Licencia obligatoriaa través de National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining

Apply and register online via the National Fisheries Authority IrieFINS online licensing and registration system, or contact the NFA directly. The Fisheries Act, 2018 requires licences for recreational fishing; persons fishing without a valid licence are liable to penalties.

Consigue tu licencia

Abre el portal oficial · fisheries.gov.jm

Licencia obligatoria
Tipo
Fishing licence / fisher registration (recreational fishing licence under the Fisheries Act, 2018; spearfishers must hold a valid fishing licence)
Coste
unknown
Validez
Renewed annually
Cómo obtenerla
Apply and register online via the National Fisheries Authority IrieFINS online licensing and registration system, or contact the NFA directly. The Fisheries Act, 2018 requires licences for recreational fishing; persons fishing without a valid licence are liable to penalties.
Autoridad
National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining
Portal oficial de licencias · fisheries.gov.jm

Equipo y técnica

Normas de equipo

Qué equipo está permitido, cómo puede usarse y las condiciones asociadas.

Fusil de pescaPermitido

Restricciones

  • Impaling devices (speargun, Hawaiian sling or any other impaling device) may not be used to harvest fish between 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. (night spearfishing ban).
  • Mechanical spearguns were officially phased out from 31 March 2010, with a government programme replacing them with Hawaiian slings.
  • Night diving for spearfishing was banned effective 31 March 2010.
  • A special permit is required for compressors and other mechanical devices used for underwater-breathing purposes for fishing (effective 31 March 2010).
  • Zero tolerance for fishing with dynamite, bleach or other toxic substances.

Spearfishing remains legal by day under licence using permitted gear (notably Hawaiian slings). The legal status of mechanical/band spearguns is restrictive: the government ran a buy-back/replacement programme favouring Hawaiian slings, and night use of any impaling device is prohibited.

Lo que puedes capturar

Límites de captura y especies protegidas

Cuotas diarias, tallas mínimas y especies que nunca deben capturarse.

Límite diario

unknown

Especies protegidas — no capturar

  • ProtegidaSpiny lobster (closed season Apr 1 - Jun 30; minimum size and no berried/egg-bearing females under lobster regulations)
  • ProtegidaQueen conch (Family Strombidae - annual closed season; possession/sale/processing restricted)
  • ProtegidaMarine turtles and corals are protected under wildlife/environmental law

Parrotfish are heavily advocated for protection and are key reef grazers, but as of the cited reporting they are not nationally banned. Targeting lobster or conch out of season, or undersized, is illegal regardless of method.

Quién puede pescar

Visitantes y residentes

Cómo difieren las normas para los visitantes extranjeros y los residentes locales.

Visitantes extranjeros

Requisitos

  • Same licensing/registration framework applies; a valid fishing licence from the National Fisheries Authority is required to spearfish.
  • Permission/letter required to fish within marine parks such as Montego Bay Marine Park.

Restricciones

  • All national restrictions apply equally: no night spearfishing with impaling devices, no fishing in Special Fishery Conservation Areas/marine parks without a licence, closed seasons for lobster and conch.

No specific foreigner/tourist spearfishing regime was confirmed in authoritative sources. Tourists are generally expected to fish via licensed charters and are barred from sanctuaries and marine parks; independent confirmation from the NFA is recommended before spearfishing as a visitor.

Residentes

Fishing licence / fisher registration (recreational or commercial) via the National Fisheries Authority

Requisitos

  • Register as a fisher and licence the vessel (commercial or recreational) with the Fisheries Division / NFA.
  • Hold a valid annually-renewed fishing licence to spearfish.

The Fisheries Act, 2018 exempts persons fishing from a pond on private property and persons using a fishing line from the seashore from licensing - this exemption does not cover spearfishing.

Dónde en la costa

Zonas permitidas y prohibidas

Áreas concretas abiertas o cerradas a la pesca submarina. Consulta el panorama completo en el mapa interactivo.

Áreas prohibidas

Ver en el mapa

Condiciones en el agua

Condiciones en vivo

Instantánea en vivo del mar y el tiempo cerca de un punto de referencia costero en Jamaica, de Open-Meteo. Las condiciones varían a lo largo de la costa; tómalo como orientativo.

Estado del mar y el tiempo en vivo cerca de Bluefields Bay Special Fishery Conservation Area.

Condiciones

A quién preguntar

Autoridades

Los organismos oficiales responsables de la pesca y las licencias.

  • National Fisheries Authority (NFA)

    fisheries authority

    fisheries.gov.jm+1 876 948 9014; fisheries@nfa.gov.jm

  • Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining

    government ministry

    new.moa.gov.jm

  • Maritime Authority of Jamaica

    maritime authority

    jeijamaica.gov.jm

De dónde proviene

Fuentes

Cada afirmación de esta página se remonta a una de estas referencias.

  1. [01]

    The Fisheries Act, 2018 (No. 18 of 2018) - full text PDF (scanned)

    Oficial
    fisheries.gov.jmConsultado Jun 14
  2. [02]

    The Fishing Industry (Special Fishery Conservation Area) Regulations, 2012 - Jamaica Trade Information Portal

    Oficial
    jamaicatradeportal.gov.jmConsultado Jun 14
  3. [03]

    Legislation - National Fisheries Authority

    Oficial
    fisheries.gov.jmConsultado Jun 14
  4. [04]

    Ban on Mechanical Guns Used for Fishing - Jamaica Information Service

    Oficial
    jis.gov.jmConsultado Jun 14
  5. [05]

    Jamaica passes new Fisheries Act - FAO

    Oficial
    fao.orgConsultado Jun 14
  6. [06]

    Annual Lobster Closed Season April 1 - June 30 - Jamaica Information Service

    Oficial
    jis.gov.jmConsultado Jun 14
  7. [07]

    No Changes to Existing Conch Close Season Regulations - Jamaica Information Service

    Oficial
    jis.gov.jmConsultado Jun 14
  8. [08]

    Online Licensing and Registration (IrieFINS) - National Fisheries Authority

    Oficial
    fisheries.gov.jmConsultado Jun 14
  9. [09]

    Hold the spear - Government pushed to implement new Fisheries Act - Jamaica Gleaner (2013-07-14)

    Secundaria
    jamaica-gleaner.comConsultado Jun 14

Notas del investigador

Spearfishing in Jamaica is legal but restricted, governed primarily by the Fisheries Act, 2018 (which replaced the Fishing Industry Act, 1975 in October 2018) and subsidiary regulations. Confidence is MEDIUM rather than high because the official Fisheries Act 2018 PDF on the NFA site is a scanned/image-only document (JBIG2) that could not be machine-read to extract verbatim spearfishing/equipment sections; the verbatim night-impaling-device clause ('between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. ... any impaling device - including Hawaiian sling, speargun or any other impaling device') is sourced from the Jamaica Gleaner (2013-07-14) which reported the Fishing Industry Act amendment, and the direct article URL returned HTTP 404 on access (text retrieved via search index); it should be re-verified against the consolidated statute. The verbatim Special Fishery Conservation Area Regulations 2012 Reg. 4(1) text and the 14 named conservation areas were retrieved from the official Jamaica Trade Information Portal. Coordinates for sanctuaries are approximate (town/bay level) and should be treated as indicative. The 2012 regulations list 14 Special Fishery Conservation Areas; media report a higher figure (18) including later additions - 13 named prohibited zones are listed here from the official regulation (Galleon appears twice in the source - as St. Elizabeth and as Galleon Harbour). License cost and daily/size catch limits specific to spearfishing were not confirmed in authoritative sources and are marked unknown.

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