Viet Nam
Asia · South-Eastern Asia
Recreational spearfishing is not specifically prohibited under national law and is practised along Vietnam's coast, but it is heavily restricted in practice. There is no spearfishing-specific statute; the activity is governed by the general Law on Fisheries 2017 (18/2017/QH14) and Decree 26/2019/ND-CP. Spearfishing is prohibited inside marine protected areas (MPAs), national parks, nature reserves and their strictly protected sub-zones (e.g. Hon Mun/Nha Trang Bay, Cu Lao Cham, Con Dao, Phu Quoc), and the use of 'destructive methods, means and fishing tackle' as well as banned substances, explosives, electricity and toxins is forbidden nationwide. Catching endangered/precious/rare aquatic species (turtles, marine mammals, many corals, giant clams, etc.) is banned. No recreational licence is generally required, but importing a speargun can be treated as importing a weapon at customs. Exact recreational catch/size limits and zone boundaries are not centrally published, so divers must check with local authorities.
Última actualización junio 15, 2026
Marco regulador
- §Law on Fisheries No. 18/2017/QH14 (2017, in force 1 January 2019)
- §Decree No. 26/2019/ND-CP detailing implementation of the Law on Fisheries (2019)
- Licencia obligatoria
- No obligatoria
- Escafandra
- Prohibido
- Extranjeros
- Bienvenidos
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.
Prohibited actions in fishing activities
Law on Fisheries No. 18/2017/QH14
Article 7. Prohibited actions in fishing activities 1. Destruction of aquatic resources, aquatic ecosystem, reproductive areas, areas where offspring live and residence of aquatic species. 2. Obstruction of natural migration patterns of aquatic species. 3. Encroachment of or damage to protected zones of aquatic resource and MPAs. 4. Catching of fishery products, aquaculture and construction and other activities that affect the habitats and aquatic resources in subdivisions under strict protection and subdivisions of ecological recovery of MPAs. 5. Illegal operation of fishing vessels and other watercrafts in subdivisions under strict protection of MPAs except for force majeure. 6. Illegal fishing, unreported fishing, unregulated fishing (hereinafter referred to as “illegal fishing”); purchase, sale, transport, storage, preliminary processing and processing of fishery products originating from illegal fishing, fishery products with impurities for commercial fraud purposes. 7. Use of banned substances or chemicals, toxins, explosives, electric impulses, electric currents, destructive methods, means and fishing tackle for extracting aquatic resources.
Marine protected areas (MPAs)
Law on Fisheries No. 18/2017/QH14
Article 15. MPAs 1. MPAs include national parks, nature reserves, species and habitat conservation areas and landscape protection zones. MPAs shall be classified in accordance with regulations of law on biodiversity. 2. Criteria for establishing nature reserves and landscape conservation areas shall comply with regulations of law on biodiversity. 3. Criteria for establishing a national park: a) Its marine ecosystem is significant to Vietnam and the world, is special or represents a natural ecoregion; b) The park is a regular or seasonal natural habitat of at least an aquatic species included in the list of endangered, precious and rare aquatic species that are entitled to prior protection or included in the group of aquatic species banned from extraction of the abovementioned list; c) It has special values to science and education; d) It has environmental landscapes, unique beauty of nature and ecotourism values.
Management and protection of endangered, precious and rare aquatic species
Decree No. 26/2019/ND-CP detailing the Law on Fisheries
Article 7. List of endangered, precious and rare aquatic species ... 1. Endangered, precious and rare aquatic species are classified into 2 groups, including Group I and Group II. 4. The List of endangered, precious and rare aquatic species is provided in the Appendix II hereof. Article 8. Management and protection of endangered, precious and rare aquatic species 1. Species classified into Group I shall be caught to serve one of the following purposes: conservation, scientific research, creation of original breeds and international cooperation. 2. Species classified into Group II shall be caught to serve one of the following purposes: conservation, scientific research, creation of original breeds and international cooperation or satisfy the conditions specified in Section II Appendix II hereof. 3. Organizations and individuals catching endangered, precious and rare aquatic species for the purpose of conservation, scientific research, creation of original breeds or international cooperation shall obtain a written approval from the Directorate of Fisheries and submit reports on implementation results to the Directorate of Fisheries.
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.
No se registran vedas estacionales — verifícalo localmente antes de bucear.
Permiso para pescar
Licencia
Qué necesitas para poder estar en el agua, cuánto cuesta y cómo conseguirlo.
- Tipo
- No general recreational fishing licence
- Coste
- No national licence fee; some private fishing lakes charge a daily fee (reported ~VND 100,000 per rod).
- Validez
- unknown
- Cómo obtenerla
- No licence is required for recreational fishing in public waters. A written approval from the Directorate of Fisheries is required only to catch listed endangered/precious/rare species (conservation/research purposes).
- Autoridad
- Directorate of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
Equipo y técnica
Normas de equipo
Qué equipo está permitido, cómo puede usarse y las condiciones asociadas.
Restricciones
- Use of 'destructive methods, means and fishing tackle' for extracting aquatic resources is prohibited (Law on Fisheries Art. 7(7)); enforcement to spearguns is at authorities' discretion.
- Explosives, electric current/impulses, toxins and banned chemicals/substances are strictly prohibited nationwide (Art. 7(7)).
- Secondary sources report harpooning while using scuba diving equipment is not permitted.
- Importing a speargun may be treated as importing a weapon at Vietnamese customs and should be declared; weapons import is restricted.
Vietnamese law contains no explicit speargun-specific provision. The legality of speargun use hinges on location (banned in all MPAs/national parks) and the general ban on 'destructive' gear and methods. Customs treatment of spearguns as weapons is the most concrete practical constraint for travellers.
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
- ProtegidaEndangered, precious and rare aquatic species Group I and Group II per Decree 26/2019/ND-CP Appendix II (186 species; 126 in Group I banned from commercial exploitation)
- ProtegidaAll marine mammal species in Vietnamese waters (Group I)
- ProtegidaMarine turtles
- ProtegidaCITES Appendix-listed aquatic species
No publicly consolidated recreational daily bag or minimum-size table was located. Catching any Group I endangered/precious/rare species is prohibited except by written approval from the Directorate of Fisheries (Decree 26/2019 Art. 8). Corals, giant clams, seahorses and similar reef organisms are commonly listed and must not be taken.
Quién puede pescar
Visitantes y residentes
Cómo difieren las normas para los visitantes extranjeros y los residentes locales.
Visitantes extranjeros
PermitidoRequisitos
- Comply with the same Law on Fisheries / Decree 26 rules as residents.
- Declare spearfishing/diving equipment at customs; a speargun may be classed as a weapon.
Restricciones
- No spearfishing inside MPAs, national parks or nature reserves.
- The Law on Fisheries applies to foreign individuals engaged in fishery in Vietnam's land, islands, archipelago and sea.
Foreigners are not specifically barred from recreational spearfishing in open, non-protected coastal waters, but the same prohibitions and the customs weapons concern apply. Local guidance is strongly advised.
Residentes
No general recreational licence
Requisitos
- Comply with Law on Fisheries 2017 and Decree 26/2019/ND-CP.
- Do not fish in MPAs / strictly protected zones or take protected species.
Same baseline rules as foreigners; traditional/subsistence coastal fishing exists but commercial capture is licensed separately under the Law on Fisheries.
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
- Hon Mun Marine Protected Area (Nha Trang Bay)marine protected area
Vietnam's first marine conservation area, in Nha Trang Bay, with a strictly protected core zone where fishing/extraction is not allowed. As an MPA, spearfishing is prohibited under Law on Fisheries Art. 7(3)(4).
- Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands) MPA / UNESCO Biosphere Reservemarine protected area / biosphere reserve
Marine protected area and UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve (designated 2009) off Hoi An, established for biodiversity protection. Spearfishing is prohibited as an MPA under Law on Fisheries Art. 7.
- Con Dao National Park (Con Dao Archipelago)national park / marine protected area
National marine park and one of Vietnam's most important sites for marine and coastal biodiversity (sea turtles, dugongs, coral). Fishing/extraction in the marine national park is prohibited; spearfishing not allowed under Law on Fisheries Art. 7.
- Phu Quoc Marine Protected Areamarine protected area
Marine protected area around Phu Quoc Island (Kien Giang). Spearfishing is reported as illegal/prohibited here; a local tour operator discontinued spearfishing trips after guides were found targeting reef fish in MPA reef areas.
Condiciones en el agua
Condiciones en vivo
Instantánea en vivo del mar y el tiempo cerca de un punto de referencia costero en Viet Nam, 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 Hon Mun Marine Protected Area (Nha Trang Bay).
A quién preguntar
Autoridades
Los organismos oficiales responsables de la pesca y las licencias.
Directorate of Fisheries (Tong cuc Thuy san), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
fisheries authority
mard.gov.vnunknownMarine protected area management boards (e.g. Hon Mun MPA, Cu Lao Cham MPA, Con Dao National Park)
marine protected area authority
unknown
De dónde proviene
Fuentes
Cada afirmación de esta página se remonta a una de estas referencias.
- [01]
Law on Fisheries No. 18/2017/QH14 (English) – FAO FAOLEX full text PDF
Oficialfaolex.fao.orgConsultado Jun 15 - [02]
Law on Fisheries (18/2017/QH14) record – ECOLEX
Oficialecolex.orgConsultado Jun 15 - [03]
Decree No. 26/2019/ND-CP detailing the Law on Fisheries (English) – VASEP PDF
Oficialseafood.vasep.com.vnConsultado Jun 15 - [04]
Spearfishing is illegal in Marine Protected Areas and so is Phu Quoc – OnBird
communityonbird.vnConsultado Jun 15 - [05]
Spearfishing Rules Worldwide – Vietnam entry – harpune.info
Secundariaharpune.infoConsultado Jun 15 - [06]
Hon Mun Island marine conservation area – Vinpearl
Secundariavinpearl.comConsultado Jun 15 - [07]
Cham Islands (Cu Lao Cham) travel guide – Hoi An Day Trip
Secundariahoiandaytrip.comConsultado Jun 15 - [08]
Vietnam National Parks (incl. Con Dao) – Indochina Travel
Secundariaindochinatravel.comConsultado Jun 15 - [09]
Vietnam conservation regulations / Decree 26 species groups – Mongabay
Secundarianews.mongabay.comConsultado Jun 15
Notas del investigador
Vietnam has no spearfishing-specific law; legality is inferred from the Law on Fisheries 2017 and Decree 26/2019. Spearfishing is practised in open coastal waters but is prohibited in all MPAs, national parks and nature reserves and where 'destructive' gear/methods are used. Verbatim provisions captured (Law Art. 7, 15; Decree 26 Art. 7-8) are official FAO/government English translations. Specific recreational catch/size limits, closed seasons and precise MPA no-take boundary coordinates were not found in centrally published official form; zone coordinates given are approximate island/bay centroids from secondary sources, not legal boundaries. The customs treatment of spearguns as weapons is a notable practical risk for travellers. Confidence is medium: primary legal texts are solid, but recreational-specific detail relies on secondary tourism/dive sources. fishinginvietnam.com pages (which discuss spearfishing spots and the no-recreational-licence rule and ~VND 100,000/rod lake fees) returned HTTP 403 to direct fetch; their key facts are reflected from search summaries only.
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