Belize
Americas · Central America
Recreational spearfishing is legal in Belize ONLY while free-diving (breath-hold). It is illegal to harvest any marine life while using SCUBA or any self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, and it is illegal to use spear guns or take any marine life inside marine reserves and other marine protected areas. A fishing licence is required for everyone, including tourists, and licences are administered together with the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI). Numerous species are fully protected (e.g. parrotfish and other grazers, bonefish, tarpon, permit, turtles, whale sharks, nurse sharks) and may never be speared, and closed seasons and size limits apply to commercially important species such as lobster, conch and Nassau grouper. The governing statute is the Fisheries Resources Act, No. 7 of 2020, which defines spear guns, Hawaiian slings, spears and spearfishing apparatus as regulated 'fishing gear'.
Huling na-update Hunyo 14, 2026
Namamahalang balangkas
- §Fisheries Resources Act, No. 7 of 2020
- §Fisheries Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 17 of 1982 (prohibition on harvesting marine life while SCUBA diving)
- §Hol Chan Marine Reserve Regulations 1988 and amendments, incl. Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Amendment) Regulations, S.I. No. 114 of 2008 (spear fishing prohibited within reserve zones)
- §Coastal Zone Management Act 1998 and Sport Fishing Regulations (CZMAI sport fishing licences)
- Kinakailangan ang lisensya
- Kinakailangan
- Speargun
- Pinahintulutan
- Scuba
- Ipinagbabawal
- Mga Dayuhan
- Maligayang pagdating
Ang batas, verbatim
Mga legal na teksto
Ang eksaktong mga estatutoryo at regulatoryong probisyon na namamahala sa spearfishing dito, na-quote ayon sa nailathala, na may link sa bawat opisyal na pinagmulan.
Definition of 'fishing gear' (includes spearfishing apparatus, spear guns, Hawaiian sling)
Fisheries Resources Act, No. 7 of 2020
"fishing gear" means any equipment, implement or other object that can be used for fishing, including any fishing net, rope, spearfishing apparatus (poles spears, hand spears, kill spike, spearfishing mask, Hawaiian sling, elastic, pneumatic powered, or mechanically power spear guns or sling) line, float, trap, hooks, winch, boat, beacon or locating device;
Power to regulate or prohibit use of self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA)
Fisheries Resources Act, No. 7 of 2020
87.-(1) The Minister may make such regulations as may be necessary to give effect to the provisions of this Act. (2) Without limiting the generality of sub-section (1), regulations made pursuant to this section may provide for all or any of the following- ... (l) regulating or prohibiting the use of self-contained underwater breathing apparatus;
Prohibition on harvesting marine life while SCUBA diving
Fisheries Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 17 of 1982
Belize Fisheries Regulations prohibit the harvest of any marine life while scuba diving (SI 17 of 1982).
Spear fishing prohibited within Hol Chan Marine Reserve zones (amendment to Regulations 7 and 8)
Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Amendment) Regulations, 2008, Statutory Instrument No. 114 of 2008
2. Regulation 7 of the principal Regulations is amended by inserting after paragraph (b), the following — “(c) the use of gillnets and other types of nets, except cast nets, is prohibited within this Zone; (d) spear fishing is prohibited within this Zone.” 3. Regulation 8 of the principal Regulations is amended by inserting after paragraph (b), the following — “(c) the use of gillnets and other types of nets, except cast nets, is prohibited within this Zone; (d) spear fishing is prohibited within this Zone.”
Kung kailan maaaring sumisid
Mga panahon at limitasyon sa oras
Mga sarado, bukas at limitadong panahon sa buong taon. Palaging kumpirmahin ang mga pagsasara na partikular sa isda nang lokal.
- SaradoSpiny lobster (Panulirus argus)Mar 1 – Hun 30
Closed season for lobster: 1 March to 30 June. Minimum carapace length 3 inches / minimum tail weight 4 ounces; soft-shell and berried (egg-bearing) females prohibited.
- SaradoQueen conch (Strombus gigas / Aliger gigas)Hul 1 – Set 30
Closed season for conch: 1 July to 30 September, or earlier when the national quota is met. Minimum shell length 7 inches.
- SaradoNassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus)Dis 1 – Mar 31
Closed season for Nassau grouper: 1 December to 31 March. Legal size 20–30 inches total length; must be landed whole.
- SaradoSharks (special licence species)Mayo 1 – Okt 31
Closed season for sharks: 1 May to 31 October. Special licence required; fins must remain attached.
- SaradoStone crabHul 1 – Set 30
Closed season for stone crab: 1 July to 30 September. Special licence required; claw propodus minimum 3 inches.
- SaradoWhelksEne 1 – Set 30
Closed season for whelks: 1 January to 30 September. Special licence required; minimum diameter 2.4 inches.
Pahintulot na mangisda
Lisensya
Ano ang kailangan mo para maaari sa tubig, magkano ang halaga nito, at kung paano makuha ito.
Daily/weekly licences purchased online at apps.coastalzonebelize.org; annual licences applied for in person at CZMAI office or an approved distributor with valid photo ID.
Kunin ang iyong lisensyaNagbubukas ng opisyal na portal · apps.coastalzonebelize.org
- Uri
- Sport fishing licence (daily, weekly or annual); commercial fishing requires a Fisherfolk and Fishing Vessel licence
- Halaga
- Non-resident sport fishing: 1 day BZ$20 (US$10); 1 week (7 days) BZ$50 (US$25); annual licence applied for in person. Fishing without a licence is punishable by a BZ$500 fine or up to 6 months imprisonment.
- Bisa
- Per the licence purchased (1 day / 7 days / 1 year).
- Paano makuha
- Daily/weekly licences purchased online at apps.coastalzonebelize.org; annual licences applied for in person at CZMAI office or an approved distributor with valid photo ID.
- Awtoridad
- Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI), in conjunction with the Belize Fisheries Department
Gear at teknik
Mga patakaran sa kagamitan
Anong kagamitan ang pinahintulutan, kung paano ito maaaring gamitin, at ang mga kondisyon na nakakabit dito.
Mga Paghihigpit
- Spearfishing is permitted only while free-diving (breath-hold); harvesting any marine life while using SCUBA or any self-contained underwater breathing apparatus is prohibited (SI 17 of 1982; Fisheries Resources Act 2020 s.87(2)(l)).
- Spear guns and spearfishing apparatus are prohibited inside marine reserves and marine protected areas.
- Gill nets and other nets (except cast nets) are prohibited within marine reserve zones.
The Fisheries Resources Act 2020 classifies poles spears, hand spears, kill spike, spearfishing mask, Hawaiian sling and elastic/pneumatic/mechanically powered spear guns or slings as 'fishing gear', so all spearfishing is subject to fisheries licensing and gear rules.
Ano ang maaaring kunin
Mga limitasyon sa huli at mga protektadong isda
Mga araw-araw na quota, pinakamaliit na sukat, at mga isdang hindi dapat kunin.
Araw-araw na limitasyon
unknown
Pinakamaliit na sukat
- Spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) - carapacemin 7.62 cm
- Queen conch (Strombus gigas) - shell lengthmin 17.78 cm
- Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) - total length (min)min 50.8 cm
Mga protektadong isda — huwag kunin
- ProtektadoParrotfish (all species) and other grazers - doctor fish / surgeonfish / tangs (no take, sale or possession)
- ProtektadoBonefish (catch-and-release sport fishing only; possession prohibited)
- ProtektadoTarpon (catch-and-release sport fishing only; possession prohibited)
- ProtektadoPermit (catch-and-release sport fishing only; possession prohibited)
- ProtektadoMarine turtles (all species)
- ProtektadoWhale sharks
- ProtektadoNurse sharks
- ProtektadoCorals (possession illegal except licensed black coral)
Lobster: min carapace 3 in (7.62 cm) / min tail weight 4 oz, no soft-shell or berried females. Conch: min shell 7 in (17.78 cm). Nassau grouper: legal 20-30 in total length, landed whole. Sizes converted from inches as published by the Belize Fisheries Department.
Sino ang maaaring mangisda
Mga bisita at residente
Kung paano naiiba ang mga patakaran para sa mga dayuhang bisita at lokal na residente.
Mga dayuhang bisita
PinahintulutanMga Kinakailangan
- Must hold a valid Belize sport fishing licence (daily/weekly/annual) regardless of nationality.
- Must comply with free-diving-only rule, marine-reserve prohibitions, closed seasons, size limits and protected-species list.
Mga Paghihigpit
- No SCUBA harvesting of marine life.
- No spearfishing or spear-gun use inside marine reserves / protected areas.
- Foreigners aged 65+ are NOT exempt from the licence requirement (only citizens and permanent residents aged 65+ are exempt).
Tourists routinely free-dive spearfish outside protected areas; the same fishing licence and conservation rules apply to visitors as to residents.
Mga residente
Sport fishing licence; commercial fishers require a Fisherfolk and Fishing Vessel licence
Mga Kinakailangan
- Valid fishing licence (sport or commercial as applicable).
- Compliance with free-diving-only rule, closed seasons, size limits and protected-species list.
Mga Benepisyo
- Citizens and permanent residents aged 65 and over are exempt from the licensing requirement.
- In Bacalar Chico, only local residents may fish for subsistence purposes.
Commercial harvesting is generally channelled through fishing cooperatives and managed-access areas; recreational free-dive spearfishing by residents follows the same national rules.
Saan sa baybayin
Mga pinahintulutan at ipinagbabawal na zone
Mga pinangalanang lugar na bukas o sarado para sa spearfishing. Tingnan ang buong larawan sa interactive na mapa.
Mga pinahintulutang lugar
Spearfishing by free-diving (breath-hold) is permitted in general fishing waters that are not inside a marine reserve, national park or other no-take protected area, subject to a fishing licence, closed seasons, size limits and the protected-species list. Use of SCUBA to take marine life is prohibited everywhere.
Free-diving only (no SCUBA); valid fishing licence required; no protected species; closed seasons and size limits apply.
Mga ipinagbabawal na lugar
- Hol Chan Marine Reservemarine reserve
Oldest marine reserve in Belize, south of Ambergris Caye. Spear fishing is expressly prohibited within the reserve zones; Zone A is a full no-take area where no fishing gears are allowed except fins and mask; in Zones B and C destructive methods such as spear fishing and netting are prohibited.
- Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reservenational park and marine reserve
On northern Ambergris Caye, established 1996 (15,530 acres). Use of spear guns is prohibited; only Bacalar Chico residents may fish for subsistence purposes.
- All Belize marine reserves and marine protected areas (general)marine reserve / no-take zone
Within marine reserves, the use of gill nets, spear guns and SCUBA diving for fishing is prohibited. Several reserves contain conservation / no-take zones closed to all fishing. Examples of no-take reserves declared closed to all fishing include South Water Caye, Sapodilla Cayes and Pelican Cayes.
- Caye Caulker Marine Reservemarine reserve
Marine and forest reserve established April 1998 off Caye Caulker, comprising ~12,160 acres of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Spear fishing is explicitly prohibited in the General Use Zone, and no fishing or collection is permitted in the Conservation and Preservation Zones. Like all Belize marine reserves, spear guns and SCUBA harvesting are banned.
- South Water Caye Marine Reservemarine reserve
Second-largest marine reserve in Belize (~117,875 acres), established 1996, off the Stann Creek coast. Within Belize marine reserves the use of spear guns and SCUBA for fishing is prohibited; the reserve contains no-take conservation zones. Listed by the Belize Fisheries Department among reserves with areas closed to all fishing.
- Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reservemarine reserve
Marine reserve ~36 km off Placencia (~25,980 acres), part of the Southern Belize Reef Complex, with a no-take zone around the Silk Cayes (since 2003) and a whale-shark/reef-fish spawning aggregation conservation zone. Spear guns and SCUBA harvesting are prohibited within Belize marine reserves.
- Glover's Reef Marine Reservemarine reserve
Atoll marine reserve (~86,653 acres) established as a national protected area in 1993, with a Wilderness Zone closed to visitors and a spawning aggregation site permanently closed to all fishing. Spear guns and SCUBA harvesting are prohibited inside Belize marine reserves.
- Turneffe Atoll Marine Reservemarine reserve
Largest atoll in the Mesoamerican Reef and largest marine reserve in Belize, officially declared a marine reserve on 22 November 2012 and managed by TASA. Contains conservation/no-take zones with no extractive fishing and no spearfishing; spear guns and SCUBA harvesting are prohibited within the reserve.
- Port Honduras Marine Reservemarine reserve
Marine reserve in the Toledo District (southern Belize), managed by TIDE, with conservation/no-take zones. Spear guns and SCUBA harvesting are prohibited within Belize marine reserves.
- Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reservemarine reserve
Southernmost marine reserve in Belize (Toledo District), part of the Southern Belize Reef Complex. Listed by the Belize Fisheries Department among no-take reserves closed to all fishing; spear guns and SCUBA harvesting are prohibited within Belize marine reserves.
- Laughing Bird Caye National Parknational park (marine)
Marine national park off Placencia (Stann Creek District), part of the Southern Belize Reef Complex and a UNESCO World Heritage site. As a no-take marine national park, all fishing including spearfishing is prohibited.
Mga kondisyon sa tubig
Mga live na kondisyon
Live na marine at weather snapshot malapit sa coastal na reference point sa Belize, mula sa Open-Meteo. Nag-iiba ang mga kondisyon sa buong baybayin — ituring bilang indikatibo.
Live na marine at weather malapit sa Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
Sino ang dapat tanungin
Mga Awtoridad
Ang mga opisyal na katawan na responsable para sa mga isda at pagpapalisensya.
Belize Fisheries Department
fisheries authority
fisheries.gov.bzHotline to report illegal fishing: +501-224-4552 / +501-223-2187Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI)
coastal management authority (sport fishing licences)
coastalzonebelize.org+501-223-5739 / +501-223-0719Hol Chan Marine Reserve
marine protected area manager
Saan nagmumula ang impormasyon
Mga Pinagmulan
Bawat pahayag sa pahinang ito ay nagmumula sa isa sa mga sangguniang ito.
- [01]
Fisheries Resources Act, No. 7 of 2020 (full text, FAOLEX/FAO)
Opisyalfaolex.fao.orgNa-access Hun 14 - [02]
Fisheries Resources Act No. 7 of 2020 (National Assembly of Belize)
Opisyalnationalassembly.gov.bzNa-access Hun 14 - [03]
Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Amendment) Regulations, S.I. No. 114 of 2008 (FAOLEX)
Opisyalfaolex.fao.orgNa-access Hun 14 - [04]
Belize Fisheries Department - Regulations (closed seasons, size limits, protected species, gear restrictions)
Opisyalfisheries.gov.bzNa-access Hun 14 - [05]
Hol Chan Marine Reserve - Zones & Regulations
Opisyalholchanmarinereserve.orgNa-access Hun 14 - [06]
Belize Lionfish Project - Fishery Regulations (SCUBA harvesting prohibition, SI 17 of 1982)
Pangalawabelizelionfish.orgNa-access Hun 14 - [07]
WCS Newsroom - Belize Limits Reef Fishing (parrotfish/grazer protection; spearfishing banned within marine reserves)
Pangalawanewsroom.wcs.orgNa-access Hun 14 - [08]
Wikipedia - Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve (spear gun prohibition, coordinates)
Pangalawaen.wikipedia.orgNa-access Hun 14 - [09]
Ambergris Caye Help - What is the law on spearfishing? (free-diving allowed, SCUBA prohibited, marine reserve prohibition)
Pangalawaambergriscaye.comNa-access Hun 14 - [10]
Nauti by Nature Belize - Belize Sport Fishing Licence cost and CZMAI issuance
Pangalawanautibynaturebelize.comNa-access Hun 14
Mga tala ng mananaliksik
Spearfishing in Belize is RESTRICTED, not banned: it is legal only while free-diving (breath-hold) outside marine protected areas, with a fishing licence. The decisive legal rules are (1) the Fisheries Resources Act, No. 7 of 2020 which makes spear guns / Hawaiian sling / spears 'fishing gear' (s.2) and empowers regulation/prohibition of SCUBA (s.87(2)(l)); (2) the long-standing Fisheries Regulations SI 17 of 1982 prohibiting harvest of marine life while SCUBA diving; and (3) per-reserve regulations such as Hol Chan (S.I. 114/2008) and Bacalar Chico that ban spear fishing/spear guns inside the reserves. Verbatim text for the Act 2020 'fishing gear' definition and the SCUBA regulation power, and for the Hol Chan S.I. 114/2008 spear-fishing prohibition, was extracted from the cited FAOLEX PDFs. The official National Assembly PDF of the 2020 Act uses a shifted/embedded font that does not extract as clean text; the FAOLEX copy (blz197105.pdf) was used for verbatim quotation instead and is the same instrument. The SI 17 of 1982 quotation is taken from the Belize Lionfish Project (a Fisheries-Department-affiliated programme) as the primary text of that 1982 SI was not retrievable online; data_confidence is high overall because the core prohibitions are confirmed across multiple official sources. Size limits were converted from the inch values published by the Belize Fisheries Department (lobster carapace 3 in = 7.62 cm; conch shell 7 in = 17.78 cm; Nassau grouper 20 in = 50.8 cm minimum). Coordinates for Hol Chan and Bacalar Chico are approximate centroids.
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