Isle of Man
Europe · Northern Europe
Recreational spearfishing is not specifically named or prohibited in Manx law and is generally lawful in the Isle of Man's coastal waters (as in the wider British Isles), but it is constrained by general sea-fisheries rules and marine conservation byelaws. No licence is required for recreational saltwater fishing/angling. However: bass may only be 'fished for and/or taken by recreational rod and line anglers only', which excludes spear-taking of bass; it is an offence to retain any salmon or sea-trout caught in the sea; statutory minimum landing sizes apply to all sea fish and shellfish; and the Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 impose significant restrictions inside the island's 10 Marine Nature Reserves, including a prohibition on taking scallops and queen scallops by diving in most reserves, protection of numerous listed species/habitats, and complete no-take Eelgrass Conservation Zones (with limited seasonal exceptions). Crab and lobster taken by recreational potting require a hobby potting licence. There is no DEFA document that names 'spearfishing' explicitly; the status is therefore inferred from the general framework and is best described as restricted.
Viimati uuendatud Detsember 7, 2025
Reguleeriv raamistik
- §Fisheries Act 2012 (Isle of Man)
- §Wildlife Act 1990 (Isle of Man)
- §Recreational Sea Fishing (Bass) Regulations 2016 (SD)
- §Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 (SD 2018/0186)
- §Marine Nature Reserves (Designation) Order 2018
- §Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 (as extended to the Isle of Man) and minimum landing size provisions
- Litsents nõutav
- Ei nõuta
- Odapüügirelv
- Lubatud
- Välismaalased
- Tere tulemast
Seadus sõna-sõnalt
Seadustekstid
Täpsed seadusandlikud ja regulatiivsed sätted, mis reguleerivad siin spearfishing'ut, tsiteeritud nii nagu avaldatud, koos lingiga igale ametlikule allikale.
Bass: recreational rod and line only
Recreational Sea Fishing (Bass) Regulations 2016 (as summarised on the official DEFA recreational fishing page)
Within the Isle of Man's territorial waters (12nm) bass may be fished for and/or taken by recreational rod and line anglers only. Anglers must abide by the following conditions: General restrictions: Only one bass may be retained in any period of 24 hours. An angler may continue to fish after keeping a bass, but must not keep another one for the following 24 hours. Size limits: A bass may be retained only if it is at least 50cm and no more than 60cm in length, as measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. Taking and killing of bass: Retained bass must be removed in a whole state (i.e. not gutted or otherwise mutilated) from the foreshore, jetty or recreational fishing vessel from which it was caught.
Saltwater angling: no licence, minimum landing sizes, salmon/sea-trout retention prohibited
Isle of Man Government - Recreational Fishing (official guidance)
Although no licence is required for saltwater angling, please remember to observe the various minimum landing sizes. It is an offence to retain any salmon or sea-trout caught in the sea.
Protection of certain flora and fauna within the Marine Nature Reserves
Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 (SD 2018/0186), Wildlife Act 1990
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), within the Reserves no person may extract or damage any of the following - (a) Eelgrass; (b) European eel, except by a catch and release technique; (c) flame shell; (d) horse mussels; (e) Iceland clam; (f) kelp forest; (g) maerl; (h) rocky reef; (i) sea anemone; (j) sea caves; (k) spiny lobster, except for within Douglas Bay Marine Nature Reserve, Laxey Bay Marine Nature Reserve, Niarbyl Bay Marine Nature Reserve and the Port Erin Bay Marine Nature Reserve; (l) stalked jellyfish; and (m) scallops and queen scallops except - (i) under and in accordance with the conditions of a sea fishing licence; or (ii) as provided for by byelaw 10.
Restrictions on taking scallops and queen scallops by diving
Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 (SD 2018/0186), Wildlife Act 1990
(1) No person may take any scallops or queen scallops whilst diving within any of the Reserves, except within Langness Marine Nature Reserve and West Coast Marine Nature Reserve. (2) For the purpose of this byelaw "diving" means totally or partially submerged and breathing with the aid of breathing apparatus, or wearing a face visor, mask or goggles.
Restrictions within Eelgrass Conservation Zones (no-take)
Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 (SD 2018/0186), Wildlife Act 1990
(1) Within any Eelgrass Conservation Zone, no person may - (a) use a pot; (b) use towable fishing gear to trawl or dredge; or (c) anchor. (2) No person may undertake recreational rod and line angling within the Ramsey Bay Marine Nature Reserve Eelgrass Conservation Zone referred to in paragraph (d) of "Eelgrass Conservation Zone" in byelaw 3. (3) No person may collect any living animal or plant on the foreshore or in the sea from the shore of the Eelgrass Conservation Zone within Ramsey Bay Marine Nature Reserve by any means, including hand gathering, subject to paragraph (4). (4) Lugworms and razor clams may be taken from the foreshore of the Eelgrass Conservation Zone within Ramsey Bay Marine Nature Reserve between Spring High Water Mark and Spring Low Water Mark from 1 October to 31 March each year.
Protection of flora and physiographical features in certain Reserves (sand eels, Wart Bank)
Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 (SD 2018/0186), Wildlife Act 1990
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), no person may extract or damage - (a) the intertidal mud habitat of the Langness Marine Nature Reserve; (b) sand eels within the Calf of Man and Wart Bank Marine Nature Reserve except for by using a normal rod and line technique; or (c) the subtidal sand bank (known as Wart Bank) within the Calf of Man and Wart Bank Marine Nature Reserve.
Millal saab sukelda
Hooajad ja ajapiirangud
Suletud, avatud ja piiratud perioodid aasta jooksul. Kinnita alati liigispetsiifilised sulgemised kohapeal.
- PiiratudBass (Dicentrarchus labrax)
Bass may be taken only by recreational rod and line (not by spear); only one bass per 24 hours; slot size 50-60 cm. No statutory closed season is published for recreational rod and line bass in Manx guidance, but commercial/recreational EU-style seasonal closures may apply via the general licence.
- SuletudRamsey Bay Marine Nature Reserve - Eelgrass Conservation ZoneApr 1 – Sept 30
No-take year-round in the Eelgrass Conservation Zone (no fishing or other removal of marine life), except collection of lugworm and razor clams (razorshells) is permitted from 1 October to 31 March. The closed window for collection is therefore 1 April to 30 September.
- AvatudRamsey Bay MNR Eelgrass Conservation Zone - lugworm and razor clam collection onlyOkt 1 – Märts 31
Lugworms and razor clams may be taken from the foreshore of the Eelgrass Conservation Zone within Ramsey Bay MNR between Spring High Water Mark and Spring Low Water Mark from 1 October to 31 March each year. All other taking/removal remains prohibited.
Kalapüügiluba
Litsents
Mida vajad vees viibimiseks, kui palju see maksab ja kuidas seda saada.
- Tüüp
- No licence required for recreational saltwater angling/fishing (including spearfishing). A separate hobby crab and lobster potting licence is required to use up to 5 pots; a recreational sea fishing licence regime exists under section 45 of the Fisheries Act 2012.
- Maksumus
- unknown
- Kehtivus
- unknown
- Kuidas saada
- No licence needed for sea angling/spearfishing. For crab/lobster potting, application and catch-return forms are available from DEFA Fisheries (hobby crab and lobster potting page).
- Ametiasutus
- Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA), Fisheries Directorate
Varustus ja tehnika
Varustuse reeglid
Milline varustus on lubatud, kuidas seda võib kasutada ja millised tingimused sellega kaasnevad.
Piirangud
- Spearfishing itself is not specifically named or banned in Manx legislation; spearguns are generally lawful for recreational sea fishing as in the wider British Isles.
- Bass may be taken only by 'recreational rod and line' - taking bass by spear is not permitted.
- Within Marine Nature Reserves, taking scallops and queen scallops 'whilst diving' (including while wearing a mask, visor or goggles, or using breathing apparatus) is prohibited except in Langness MNR and West Coast MNR (byelaw 10).
- Use of gill/specified nets to capture fish is prohibited in Ramsey Bay MNR; netting is prohibited from the beach to 750 m seawards in the Peel Bay-Point of Ayre-Ramsey migratory-fish protection zone.
- No statutory daily bag limit or speargun-specific equipment limits were located for recreational sea spearfishing outside the bass rules.
No DEFA equipment rule explicitly addresses spearguns. The 'diving' definition in byelaw 10 (which captures snorkelling/mask use) is the most directly relevant constraint on spear-taking of scallops within reserves. SCUBA use for spearfishing is not addressed in the located sources; treat as unknown.
Mida võib võtta
Saagi piirangud ja kaitstavad liigid
Päevased kvoodid, minimaalsed mõõtmed ja liigid, mida ei tohi kunagi võtta.
Päevane limiit
Bass: only one (1) may be retained in any period of 24 hours. No general daily bag limit located for other recreationally caught sea fish.
Minimaalsed mõõtmed
- Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)min 50 cm
- Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta)min 43 cm
- Cod (Gadus morhua)min 35 cm
- Pollack (Pollachius pollachius)min 30 cm
- Saithe (Pollachius virens)min 35 cm
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)min 30 cm
- Whiting (Merlangius merlangus)min 27 cm
- Hake (Merluccius merluccius)min 27 cm
- Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)min 27 cm
- Sole (Solea vulgaris)min 24 cm
- Megrim (Lepidorhombus spp.)min 20 cm
- Mackerel (Scomber spp.)min 20 cm
- Herring (Clupea harengus)min 20 cm
- Horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.)min 15 cm
- Ling (Molva molva)min 63 cm
- Blue Ling (Molva dypterygia)min 70 cm
- Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus)min 12 cm
Kaitstud liigid — ära võta
- KaitstudSalmon (it is an offence to retain any salmon caught in the sea)
- KaitstudSea-trout (it is an offence to retain any sea-trout caught in the sea)
- KaitstudEuropean eel (catch-and-release only within Marine Nature Reserves)
- KaitstudEelgrass (Zostera marina) - protected habitat within Reserves
- KaitstudFlame shell (Limaria hians) - protected within Reserves
- KaitstudHorse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) - protected within Reserves
- KaitstudIceland clam / ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) - protected within Reserves
- KaitstudMaerl - protected within Reserves
- KaitstudKelp forest - protected within Reserves
- KaitstudRocky reef / sea caves - protected within Reserves
- KaitstudSea anemone (Edwardsia timida) - protected within Reserves
- KaitstudSpiny lobster / crawfish (Palinurus elephas) - protected within most Reserves
- KaitstudStalked jellyfish (Calvadosia campanulata) - protected within Reserves
- KaitstudScallop (Pecten maximus) and queen scallop (Aequipecten opercularis) - protected within Reserves except under licence / permitted diving exceptions
Minimum landing sizes are statutory and apply island-wide to recovered fish/shellfish (measured tip of snout to end of tail fin; shellfish by carapace/shell as specified). Shellfish minima include: Edible crab 140 mm; Lobster 90 mm; Crawfish 110 mm; Scallop 110 mm; Queen scallop 55 mm; Velvet crab 65 mm; Spider crab cock 130 mm/hen 120 mm; Whelk 75 mm; Norway lobster (total) 70 mm. These are sizes in mm (carapace/shell), not cm length, so they are recorded here in notes rather than the cm-based size_limits array. Bass has a slot size of 50 cm minimum to 60 cm maximum.
Kellel on õigus kalastada
Külastajad ja elanikud
Kuidas reeglid erinevad välismaalaste ja kohalike elanike jaoks.
Välisvõõrad
LubatudPiirangud
- Same rules as residents for recreational sea angling/spearfishing: no licence required, but minimum landing sizes, bass rod-and-line-only rule, no salmon/sea-trout retention, and Marine Nature Reserve byelaws all apply.
- Commercial sea fishing (by vessel) requires a sea fishing licence and recent Manx rules restrict foreign crew/vessels; this does not affect non-commercial recreational spearfishing.
No residency requirement located for recreational sea fishing/spearfishing. Visitors are subject to the same conservation rules as residents.
Elanikud
No licence required for recreational saltwater angling/spearfishing; hobby crab and lobster potting licence required for potting (up to 5 pots).
Nõuded
- Observe statutory minimum landing sizes.
- Do not retain salmon or sea-trout caught in the sea.
- Take bass only by rod and line, max one per 24 hours, slot size 50-60 cm.
- Comply with Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 within reserves.
Rules for residents and visitors are effectively identical for recreational sea fishing/spearfishing.
Kus rannikul
Lubatud ja keelatud tsoonid
Nimetatud alad, mis on spearfishing'uks avatud või suletud. Vaata täispilti interaktiivsel kaardil.
Lubatud alad
One of two reserves where taking scallops and queen scallops by diving is explicitly permitted under byelaw 10 (the intertidal mud habitat remains protected under byelaw 11). General sea-fish minimum landing sizes and species protections still apply.
Diving for scallops/queen scallops allowed (exception to byelaw 10). Intertidal mud habitat protected; eelgrass and other byelaw 8 species protected; Eelgrass Conservation Zone within the reserve is no-take.
One of two reserves where taking scallops and queen scallops by diving is explicitly permitted under byelaw 10. General minimum landing sizes and byelaw 8 species protections still apply.
Diving for scallops/queen scallops allowed (exception to byelaw 10). Byelaw 8 protected species still protected.
Recreational saltwater fishing is open with no licence required. Spearfishing is not specifically prohibited. Anglers/spearfishers must observe statutory minimum landing sizes, must not retain salmon or sea-trout, and must not take bass by spear (bass is rod-and-line only).
Observe minimum landing sizes; no retention of salmon/sea-trout; bass rod-and-line only; respect species protections.
Keelatud alad
- Ramsey Bay Marine Nature Reserve - Eelgrass Conservation Zone (Zone 3)marine nature reserve (no-take eelgrass zone)
Most highly protected, no-take zone. No fishing or other removal of marine life is permitted, except collection of lugworm and razor clams from 1 October to 31 March. Recreational rod and line angling is also prohibited here; collecting any living animal or plant from the shore or sea by any means (including hand gathering) is prohibited. Spearfishing would be prohibited.
- Baie ny Carrickey MNR - Eelgrass Conservation Zonemarine nature reserve (eelgrass conservation zone)
Eelgrass Conservation Zone bounded by coordinates A 54 04.7166N 04 43.6166W; B 54 04.7166N 04 43.5166W; C 54 04.6332N 04 43.5166W; D 54 04.6332N 04 43.6166W. No potting, no towable gear, no anchoring; eelgrass protected (byelaw 8).
- Langness MNR - Eelgrass Conservation Zonemarine nature reserve (eelgrass conservation zone)
Eelgrass Conservation Zone bounded by Fort Island Road and a line between A 54 04.2870N 04 36.4656W and B 54 04.3698N 04 36.3108W. No potting, no towable gear, no anchoring; eelgrass protected.
- Laxey Bay MNR - Eelgrass Conservation Zonemarine nature reserve (eelgrass conservation zone)
Eelgrass Conservation Zone bounded by A 54 12.7668N 04 23.8002W; B 54 12.7668N 04 23.3333W; C 54 12.3666N 04 23.3333W; D 54 12.3666N 04 23.8002W. No potting, no towable gear, no anchoring; eelgrass protected.
- Ramsey Bay MNR - Horse Mussel Conservation Zone (Zone 2)marine nature reserve (horse mussel conservation zone)
No use of a pot and no extraction of scallops or queen scallops by any means; horse mussel reefs protected under byelaw 8. Use of gill or other specified nets to capture fish is prohibited in the whole Ramsey Bay MNR (except a landing net auxiliary to rod and line, or under a migratory-fish licence).
- Marine Nature Reserves (all 10) - protected species / scallop diving banmarine nature reserve network
Across all Manx Marine Nature Reserves, taking scallops and queen scallops by diving is prohibited except within Langness MNR and West Coast MNR (byelaw 10). Byelaw 8 prohibits extracting or damaging eelgrass, European eel (except catch-and-release), flame shell, horse mussels, Iceland clam, kelp forest, maerl, rocky reef, sea anemone, sea caves, spiny lobster (with named exceptions), stalked jellyfish, and scallops/queen scallops. The 10 reserves are: Ramsey Bay, Douglas Bay, Langness, Laxey Bay, Little Ness, Niarbyl Bay, Port Erin Bay, Baie ny Carrickey, Calf of Man and Wart Bank, and West Coast.
- Salmon and sea-trout netting restricted zone (Peel Bay to Ramsey)fisheries restricted zone (migratory fish protection)
Byelaws prohibit all netting activity from the beach and to 750 metres seawards in a restricted zone consisting of the beaches from the north end of Peel Bay, round the Point of Ayre, to the northern side of Ramsey Harbour, to protect salmon and sea trout. (Relates to netting, not spear, but indicates a protected migratory-fish corridor; retaining salmon/sea-trout caught at sea is an offence island-wide.)
- Douglas Bay Marine Nature Reservemarine nature reserve
4.6 km2 MNR on the east coast adjoining Douglas, the island's largest town and port. Protected habitats include rocky reefs, kelp forests and maerl beds. Under the Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018, taking scallops/queen scallops by diving (including while wearing a mask, visor or goggles) is prohibited here (byelaw 10), and byelaw 8 species/habitats are protected. Spiny lobster may be taken here (named exception in byelaw 8(k)). Spearfishing is constrained by these conservation byelaws plus island-wide rules (no salmon/sea-trout retention, minimum landing sizes, bass rod-and-line only).
- Little Ness Marine Nature Reservemarine nature reserve
10 km2 MNR on the east coast extending south from Douglas Bay along Marine Drive to the Little Ness headland. Taking scallops/queen scallops by diving is prohibited under byelaw 10 (not one of the two permitted reserves), and byelaw 8 protected species/habitats apply. Spearfishing subject to MNR byelaws plus island-wide sea-fisheries rules.
- Niarbyl Bay Marine Nature Reservemarine nature reserve
5.66 km2 MNR on the west coast extending from Niarbyl in the north down to Bradda Head in the south. Protected habitats include rocky reefs, kelp forests, sea caves and intertidal blue mussel beds; species include Iceland clam and basking shark. Taking scallops/queen scallops by diving is prohibited under byelaw 10, and byelaw 8 species/habitats are protected. Spiny lobster may be taken here (named exception in byelaw 8(k)). Spearfishing constrained by MNR byelaws plus island-wide rules.
- Port Erin Bay Marine Nature Reservemarine nature reserve
4.5 km2 west-facing bay MNR on the south-west coast at Port Erin, which funnels wind and waves from the Irish Sea. Protected habitats include rocky reefs, kelp forests, brittlestar beds and plaice nurseries. Taking scallops/queen scallops by diving is prohibited under byelaw 10, and byelaw 8 species/habitats are protected. Spiny lobster may be taken here (named exception in byelaw 8(k)). Spearfishing subject to MNR byelaws plus island-wide rules.
- Calf of Man and Wart Bank Marine Nature Reservemarine nature reserve
20.15 km2 MNR at the southern tip of the island around the Calf of Man islet, with strong tidal currents and the Wart Bank subtidal sand bank. Under byelaw 11 the subtidal sand bank (Wart Bank) may not be extracted/damaged and sand eels may only be taken by normal rod and line. Taking scallops/queen scallops by diving is prohibited under byelaw 10, and byelaw 8 species/habitats are protected. Spearfishing subject to MNR byelaws plus island-wide rules; strong currents make this a hazardous, isolated area.
Tingimused merel
Reaalajas tingimused
Reaalajas mere- ja ilmahetktõmmis Isle of Man lähedal asuva rannikulähedase referentspunkti lähedal, Open-Meteo andmetel. Tingimused varieeruvad piki rannikut — käsitle orientiirina.
Reaalajas mere- ja ilmaolud Langness Marine Nature Reserve lähedal.
Keda küsida
Ametiasutused
Ametlikud organid, mis vastutavad kalapüügi ja litsentsimise eest.
Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) - Fisheries Directorate
fisheries authority
gov.imFisheries Directorate, Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John's, Isle of Man IM4 3AS; Tel +44 1624 685884DEFA Ecosystem Policy Team / Wildlife, Biodiversity and Protected Sites (Marine Nature Reserves)
environment authority
gov.imDEFA, Isle of Man Government
Kust see pärineb
Allikad
Iga väide sellel lehel pärineb ühest neist viidetest.
- [01]
Isle of Man Government - Recreational Fishing (saltwater angling, bass rules, potting, minimum landing sizes)
Ametlikgov.imKasutatud Juuni 15 - [02]
Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 (SD 2018/0186) - full text
Ametlikgov.imKasutatud Juuni 15 - [03]
Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 - FAOLEX copy
Ametlikfaolex.fao.orgKasutatud Juuni 15 - [04]
Isle of Man Minimum Landing Sizes of Sea Fish (DEFA, 2022)
Ametlikgov.imKasutatud Juuni 15 - [05]
Ramsey Marine Nature Reserve Zones (DEFA) - eelgrass no-take zone, zone descriptions
Ametlikgov.imKasutatud Juuni 15 - [06]
Isle of Man Government - Marine Nature Reserves overview
Ametlikgov.imKasutatud Juuni 15 - [07]
Isle of Man Government - Isle of Man Sea Fishing Licence (commercial)
Ametlikgov.imKasutatud Juuni 15
Uurija märkused
Spearfishing is not explicitly named in Isle of Man legislation; no DEFA page or byelaw uses the word 'spearfishing'. The legal position is inferred from the general recreational sea-fisheries framework (Fisheries Act 2012; Wildlife Act 1990) and confirmed verbatim sources. Status set to 'restricted' because: (a) recreational sea fishing is open and unlicensed and spearguns are not banned, but (b) bass must be taken by rod and line only (excluding spearing), (c) salmon/sea-trout retention is prohibited, (d) statutory minimum landing sizes apply island-wide, and (e) the Manx Marine Nature Reserves Byelaws 2018 impose strong restrictions inside the 10 MNRs, including a ban on taking scallops/queen scallops by diving (mask/snorkel/scuba) in most reserves and complete no-take Eelgrass Conservation Zones. The byelaw text and minimum landing sizes were extracted verbatim from the official DEFA PDFs (the gov.im HTML pages block automated fetching; the recreational fishing page text was captured via the Internet Archive snapshot of 2023-05-28, and PDFs were extracted directly). data_confidence is 'medium': the conservation byelaws and bass/angling rules are precise and well-sourced, but there is no explicit statement that recreational spearfishing as such is permitted or prohibited, and SCUBA-assisted spearfishing legality outside reserves could not be confirmed. Coordinates for Eelgrass Conservation Zones are taken from the byelaw schedule (decimal-converted centroids); other reserve centroids are approximate. Recommend a direct enquiry to DEFA Fisheries to confirm spearfishing-specific guidance.
Teavita mind, kui Isle of Man reeglid muutuvad
Saadame sulle e-kirja, kui Isle of Man hooajad või eeskirjad meie andmestikus uuendatakse.