Albania
Europe · Southern Europe
Recreational/amateur spearfishing (underwater fishing) is legal in Albania but heavily restricted. It is governed by Law No. 64/2012 on Fisheries (notably Article 45) and Ministry of Agriculture Directive No. 6 of 11.04.2022 on recreational-leisure fishing. Spearfishing is prohibited for persons under 16, from sunset to dawn, with the use of oxygen/scuba cylinders, within 500 m of beaches used by bathers (100 m on rocky shores), and entering tourist areas with a loaded speargun. Catch is capped at 5 kg of fishery products per person per day (exceeded only if a single fish weighs more than 5 kg) and selling the catch is forbidden. Amateur fishing requires authorization from the competent local authority; foreigners may only obtain short-term authorizations and must be members of a national association. A license/authorization is required to fish from a boat (obtained via the e-Albania portal). All fishing is banned in the Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park.
Azken eguneraketa Ekaina 14, 2026
Arau-esparrua
- §Law No. 64/2012 on Fisheries, dated 31 May 2012 (amended by Law No. 80/2017)
- §Law No. 7908, dated 05.04.1995 on Fishing and Aquaculture (earlier framework, Art. 23 recreational boat licence)
- §Directive (Udhëzim) of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development No. 6, dated 11.04.2022 on recreational-leisure fishing equipment and authorization
- §Ministry of Agriculture regulation (October 2021) banning all fishing in the Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park
- Baimena beharrezkoa
- Beharrezkoa
- Arpoia
- Baimenduta
- Scuba
- Debekatuta
- Atzerritarrak
- Ongi etorria
Legea, hitzez hitz
Lege-testuak
Hemen arpoiarekin arrantzatzea arautzen duten xedapen araugile eta arauzko zehatza, argitaratutakoak aipatuak, iturri ofizial bakoitzeko esteka batekin.
Prohibitions for amateur fishing (night fishing, spearguns under 16, sale of catch)
Law No. 64/2012 on Fisheries (dated 31 May 2012)
During amateur fishing it is prohibited: fishing from sunset till dawn; fishing with spear guns by persons under the age of 16; selling fish caught during this activity.
Amateur fishing authorization and eligibility
Law No. 64/2012 on Fisheries (dated 31 May 2012)
Amateur fishing authorization is granted by the competent local authority, only to Albanian or foreign citizens who are members of national associations. Authorizations may be long-term (full calendar year) or short-term (maximum 30 days). Foreign citizens may only apply for short-term authorizations.
Sport fishing requires no authorization
Law No. 64/2012 on Fisheries (dated 31 May 2012)
Sport fishing is organized fishing activity consisting of a free competition between individual fishermen. Sport fishing does not require any authorization.
Amateur underwater (spearfishing) restrictions
Ministry of Agriculture rules on amateur underwater fishing (per Directive No. 6, dated 11.04.2022, under Law No. 64/2012)
It is forbidden to use oxygen cylinders during diving; the occupation of corals, molluscs is prohibited; it is prohibited to enter areas frequented by tourists with a loaded rifle; it is forbidden to exercise the activity at a distance of less than 500 m from the beaches frequented by vacationers; it is forbidden to exercise the activity at a distance of less than 100 m on the rocky beaches.
Daily catch limit for recreational fishing
Directive (Udhëzim) of the Minister of Agriculture No. 6, dated 11.04.2022
The fisherman catches no more than 5 kg of fish products per day and this amount can be exceeded if a single individual weighing more than 5 kg is caught.
Recreational fishing equipment and catch limit (original Albanian)
Udhëzim Nr. 6, datë 11.04.2022 (Ministria e Bujqësisë dhe Zhvillimit Rural)
Jo më shumë se 2 kallama për peshkatar dhe jo më shumë se 3 grepa për kallam. Peshkatari zë jo më shumë se 5 kg produkte peshkore në ditë.
Noiz urpean sar zaitezken
Denboraldiak eta denbora-mugak
Urteko itxitako, irekitako eta mugatutako aldiak. Egiaztatu beti espeziearen arabera lokalean.
- ItxitaAll amateur spearfishing (daily time-of-day restriction)sunset – dawn
Amateur fishing, including with spear guns, is prohibited from sunset until dawn (Article 45, Law No. 64/2012).
Arrantza-baimena
Baimena
Uretara sartzeko behar duzuna, zenbat kostatzen den eta nola lortu.
Apply through the e-Albania portal (e-albania.al), select the fishing/tourist fishing authorization service, upload ID/passport (and for boats: registration/rental, navigation certificate, proof of payment) and pay the fee. Amateur fishing authorization is granted by the competent local authority and requires membership of a national association.
Lortu zure baimenaAtari ofiziala irekitzen du · e-albania.al
- Mota
- Amateur fishing authorization (license required for boat-based fishing; shore fishing with rod/handline does not require a licence). Tourist/boat fishing authorization obtained via e-Albania portal.
- Kostua
- Approximately 1,000 Albanian Lek (~EUR 8.50) per day for tourist/boat fishing authorization (secondary source).
- Baliozkotasuna
- Long-term authorizations cover the full calendar year; short-term authorizations a maximum of 30 days. Tourist/boat authorization up to 30 days.
- Nola lortu
- Apply through the e-Albania portal (e-albania.al), select the fishing/tourist fishing authorization service, upload ID/passport (and for boats: registration/rental, navigation certificate, proof of payment) and pay the fee. Amateur fishing authorization is granted by the competent local authority and requires membership of a national association.
- Agintaritza
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - Fisheries Directorate / competent local authority
Ekipajea eta teknika
Ekipaje-arauak
Zer ekipaje dagoen baimenduta, nola erabil daitekeen eta aplikatzen diren baldintzak.
Murrizketak
- Spear guns prohibited for persons under the age of 16 (Art. 45, Law 64/2012).
- Use of oxygen/scuba cylinders while diving is forbidden for amateur underwater fishing.
- Entering tourist-frequented areas with a loaded speargun/rifle is prohibited; equipment must be unloaded on land or in transit.
- Occupation/taking of corals and molluscs is prohibited.
- Spearfishing is reported to require a minimum 50 m distance from other fishers (secondary source).
No explicit maximum number of spears per gun was found in the retrieved legal texts. Recreational rod-fishing is limited to 2 rods per angler and 3 hooks per rod (Directive No. 6/2022), but this applies to rod fishing rather than spearfishing.
Zer har dezakezun
Harrapaketa-mugak eta babestutako espezieak
Eguneroko kuotak, tamaina minimoak eta inoiz hartu behar ez diren espezieak.
Eguneroko muga
No more than 5 kg of fishery products per person per 24 hours; may be exceeded only if a single fish caught weighs more than 5 kg.
Babestutako espezieak — ez hartu
- BabestuaEuropean eel (ngjala / Anguilla anguilla)
- BabestuaBluefin tuna (toni i kuq / Thunnus thynnus)
- BabestuaSwordfish (peshku shtizë / Xiphias gladius)
Fishing must comply with restrictions and minimum-size measures for species under restricted fishing regimes (e.g. sea bream, bluefin tuna, swordfish). Specific minimum sizes were not retrieved verbatim and are set by ministerial instruction. Selling the catch is strictly prohibited (Art. 45, Law 64/2012).
Nork arrantza egin dezakeen
Bisitariak eta bertakoek
Arauak nola desberdinak diren atzerriko bisitarientzat eta bertako bizilagunendako.
Atzerriko bisitariak
BaimendutaBaimen berezia beharrezkoa
Eskakizunak
- Must be a member of a national association to obtain amateur fishing authorization.
- May only apply for short-term authorizations (maximum 30 days).
- For boat-based fishing, obtain tourist/boat fishing authorization via the e-Albania portal using passport data.
Murrizketak
- Cannot obtain long-term (full-year) authorizations - foreigners are limited to short-term authorizations.
- Subject to all general spearfishing restrictions (age 16, no night fishing, no scuba, 500m/100m beach buffers, no sale of catch).
Law No. 64/2012 provides that foreign citizens fishing from vessels must obtain permission. Tourist fishing can also be organized through professional/recreational fishing operators.
Bizilaguneak
Amateur fishing authorization (long-term full-year or short-term up to 30 days), granted by the competent local authority.
Eskakizunak
- Albanian citizen and member of a national fishing association.
- License/authorization required to fish from a boat; not required for shore fishing with rod/handline.
Onurak
- Eligible for long-term (full calendar year) authorizations, unlike foreigners who are limited to short-term.
Sport fishing (organized free competition between individual fishermen) does not require any authorization under Article 39 of Law 64/2012.
Kostan non
Baimendutako eta debekatutako eremuak
Arpoiarekin arrantzatzeko irekita edo itxita dauden eremu izendatuak. Ikusi irudi osoa mapa interaktiboan.
Debekatutako eremuak
- Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Parkmarine national park
Albania's only national marine park (Karaburun Peninsula and Sazan Island, Vlorë County), designated 28 April 2010, covering roughly 125 km². All fishing activities were banned within the protected area by a Ministry of Agriculture regulation in October 2021.
- Beaches frequented by bathers (sandy)buffer / bather safety zone
Amateur underwater fishing is forbidden within 500 m of beaches used by vacationers/bathers.
- Rocky beachesbuffer / bather safety zone
Amateur underwater fishing is forbidden within 100 m of rocky beaches.
- Porto Palermo-Llamani Bay Protected Area (Natural Park)marine protected area / natural park
Albania's second declared marine protected area, in Porto Palermo Bay south of Himarë, Vlorë County. Declared a Natural Park by Council of Ministers Decision (DCM) No. 557, dated 29.07.2022. Total area 1,694.98 ha including 1,490.4 ha of marine area, zoned into a strictly protected core zone (~25%, a no-take zone with the highest level of protection), a traditional-use/sustainable-development zone, and a recreational zone. The core (no-take) zone prohibits fishing; spearfishing should be treated as prohibited at least within the core zone.
- Butrint National Parknational park (IUCN II) with marine/lagoon waters
National park in Vlorë County, southern Albania (IUCN category II; UNESCO World Heritage; Ramsar site no. 1290). Area ~9,424 ha including Lake Butrint, the Vivari Channel connecting to the Ionian Sea, and the Ksamil islands. As an IUCN II national park its waters are protected and fishing is regulated/restricted; spearfishing should be treated as prohibited/restricted within the park. Note: no verbatim fishing/spearfishing ban was located in the source; prohibition status is inferred from national-park status.
- Divjakë-Karavasta National Parknational park / coastal lagoon (Ramsar)
National park on the Adriatic coast of central Albania (Fier County), ~22,389 ha. Protects the Karavasta Lagoon (one of the largest in the Mediterranean, separated from the Adriatic by a sandbar), sandy beaches and pine forest; a Ramsar wetland of international importance and a Dalmatian pelican breeding site. As a national park its lagoon and coastal waters are protected; fishing is regulated and spearfishing should be treated as restricted/prohibited. Note: no verbatim fishing/spearfishing ban was located in the source; prohibition status is inferred from national-park status.
Uraren gaineko baldintzak
Baldintza biziak
Albaniako kostaldeko erreferentzia-puntu baten ondoko itsas eta eguraldi-egoera bizia, Open-Meteo bidez. Baldintzak aldatzen dira kostaldean zehar — adierazgarritzat hartu.
Itsas eta eguraldi-baldintza biziak Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park ondoan.
Nori galdetu
Agintariak
Arrantza eta baimenez arduratzen diren organo ofizialak.
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ministria e Bujqësisë dhe Zhvillimit Rural) - Fisheries Directorate
fisheries authority
e-Albania (national e-government portal for fishing authorizations)
licensing portal
National Agency of Protected Areas (AKZM) - manager of Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park
environment / protected areas authority
Hemendik datorren informazioa
Iturriak
Orri honetako aldarrikapen bakoitza erreferentzia haietako batera lotzen da.
- [01]
FAO AdriaMed - General outline of marine capture fisheries legislation and regulations in the Adriatic Sea countries: Albania (Law No. 64/2012, Articles 28, 39, 40, 41, 44, 45)
Ofizialafaoadriamed.orgSarbidea Eka 14 - [02]
Transparence.al - All the rules to keep in mind when you go for recreational fishing (amateur underwater fishing rules, 5 kg limit, beach buffers)
Bigarren mailakoatransparence.alSarbidea Eka 14 - [03]
JOQ Albania - New fishing rules: e-Albania permit, max 2 rods and 5 kg fish (Udhëzim Nr. 6, datë 11.04.2022, original Albanian)
Bigarren mailakoajoq-albania.comSarbidea Eka 14 - [04]
FAO - Fisheries laws and regulations in the Mediterranean: a comparative study (Albania, Law No. 7908/1995 Art. 23 recreational boat licence)
Ofizialafao.orgSarbidea Eka 14 - [05]
FAOLEX - Law No. 7908, dated 05.04.1995 on Fishing and Aquaculture (Republic of Albania)
Ofizialafaolex.fao.orgSarbidea Eka 14 - [06]
Kotor Fisherman - Fishing License in Albania: Price, Rules & Fines (2026 guide)
communitykotorfisherman.comSarbidea Eka 14 - [07]
Wikipedia - Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park (coordinates, size, designation)
Bigarren mailakoaen.wikipedia.orgSarbidea Eka 14
Ikertzailearen oharrak
Spearfishing is legal but restricted. Strongest verbatim legal source for the core prohibitions is the FAO AdriaMed comparative legislation page summarizing Law No. 64/2012 (Articles 39, 40, 41, 45). Spearfishing-specific operational rules (oxygen/scuba ban, 500 m / 100 m beach buffers, loaded-speargun ban, coral/mollusc ban) come from the Albanian Ministry of Agriculture's amateur underwater fishing rules implemented via Directive No. 6 of 11.04.2022, reproduced on transparence.al; the original consolidated directive PDF on FAOLEX could not be parsed (binary/encoded). Several figures (license cost ~1000 ALL/day, 50 m distance from other fishers) come from a community guide (kotorfisherman.com) and should be verified against the official e-Albania service and the latest ministerial instruction before relying on them. Confidence is medium: the legal framework and key prohibitions are well attested, but exact article-level Albanian-language text and current minimum-size limits were not all retrieved verbatim. Inland/freshwater spearfishing: Albania's Law No. 64/2012 on Fisheries applies to both marine and inland waters (lakes, rivers, reservoirs), and no source found contains a categorical prohibition on spearfishing in freshwater specifically; however, no source confirms it is practiced or explicitly permitted in freshwater either, making the freshwater status effectively unknown — consult the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Fisheries Directorate for a definitive ruling.
Jakinarazi iezadazu Albaniako arauak aldatzen direnean
Mezu elektroniko bat bidaliko dizugu Albaniako denboraldiak edo arauak gure datu-multzoan eguneratzen direnean.