Panama
Americas · Central America
Recreational spearfishing (pesca submarina) is legal in Panama as a form of sport fishing (pesca deportiva). Law 204 of 2021 explicitly defines sport fishing as an activity that may be carried out by breath-hold diving ('inmersion por apnea') and expressly recognizes underwater (spearfishing) tournaments ('torneo de pesca... submarina'). A sport-fishing licence/authorization issued by the Autoridad de los Recursos Acuaticos de Panama (ARAP) is required, catches may not be sold, and activity is restricted in marine protected areas such as Coiba National Park (no-take zones). Since Executive Decree No. 10 of 10 June 2026, billfish (marlins and spearfish/sailfish group) may only be taken under sport/tourist sport fishing or authorized scientific research, on a catch-and-release basis, and not commercialized. Spearfishing is breath-hold only under the sport-fishing definition; scuba-assisted underwater fishing is not contemplated as recreational sport fishing under the law.
Huling na-update Hunyo 15, 2026
Namamahalang balangkas
- §Ley 204 de 18 de marzo de 2021 (Que regula la pesca y la acuicultura en la Republica de Panama y dicta otras disposiciones)
- §Decreto Ejecutivo No. 13 de 2023 (Reglamenta la Ley 204 de 2021)
- §Decreto Ejecutivo No. 10 de 10 de junio de 2026 (Proteccion de peces pico/picudos - marlin y pez vela, captura limitada a pesca deportiva)
- 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 sport fishing (includes breath-hold diving)
Ley 204 de 18 de marzo de 2021
28. Pesca deportiva. Actividad de pesca autorizada por la Autoridad en aguas continentales o aguas bajo soberania o jurisdiccion de la Republica de Panama, que realizan personas naturales o juridicas, nacionales o extranjeras, con proposito de deporte, esparcimiento, recreo, turismo o pasatiempo, pero no para la venta del pescado. La misma se realiza con un aparejo de pesca personal, con o sin buque, o a traves de inmersion por apnea.
Definition of sport fishing tournament (includes underwater/spearfishing)
Ley 204 de 18 de marzo de 2021
48. Torneo de pesca deportivo. Actividad de competencia deportiva sea de pesca de cana o submarina. Es organizado por personas naturales o juridicas. Los torneos tienen protocolos y reglamentos que se rigen por normas nacionales o internacionales.
Sport fishing - general definition and prohibition on commercialization
Ley 204 de 18 de marzo de 2021
Articulo 65. Para efectos de la presente Ley, se considera pesca deportiva la realizada por personas naturales, nacionales o extranjeras, con proposito de deporte, esparcimiento, recreo, turismo o pasatiempo. Esta se realizara con un aparejo de pesca personal, con o sin buque, o a traves de inmersion por apnea. Las capturas no podran ser comercializadas.
Licence requirement and regulatory powers for sport fishing
Ley 204 de 18 de marzo de 2021
Articulo 66. Solo se podran realizar actividades de pesca deportiva en aguas continentales o aguas bajo soberania o jurisdiccion de la Republica de Panama y se debera portar una licencia otorgada por la Autoridad. La Autoridad, sin perjuicio de las competencias que puedan ejercer otras instituciones nacionales, reglamentara la pesca deportiva, incluyendo la licencia que la autorice, la determinacion de las caracteristicas del buque, las especies, artes o aparejos de pesca, temporada de pesca, zona donde se realizara la actividad, limites de captura y otros aspectos que disponga la Autoridad, asi como los canones correspondientes.
Billfish (peces pico/picudos) to be regulated by the Authority
Ley 204 de 18 de marzo de 2021
Articulo 69. La pesca de los denominados peces pico o picudos en aguas bajo jurisdiccion de la Republica de Panama sera reglamentada por la Autoridad.
Operators and persons engaged in sport fishing must hold a licence
Ley 204 de 18 de marzo de 2021
Articulo 70. Los buques, personas naturales y juridicas, asi como operadores turisticos que se dediquen a la pesca deportiva, deberan contar con una licencia emitida por la Autoridad.
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.
- LimitadoBillfish / peces pico (Makaira nigricans, Kajikia albida, Istiompax indica, Kajikia audax, Tetrapturus angustirostris) and sailfishHun 10
Since Executive Decree No. 10 of 10 June 2026, capture of billfish/marlins is limited to sport fishing, tourist sport fishing and authorized scientific research, on a catch-and-release basis; commercialization, retention, possession, transport and commercial/artisanal use for sale are prohibited. Applies year-round (no fixed end date).
Pahintulot na mangisda
Lisensya
Ano ang kailangan mo para maaari sa tubig, magkano ang halaga nito, at kung paano makuha ito.
Apply to the Autoridad de los Recursos Acuaticos de Panama (ARAP); operators, vessels and captains must additionally register and be authorized. Guided/charter operators typically arrange the required authorizations.
Kunin ang iyong lisensyaNagbubukas ng opisyal na portal · arap.gob.pa
- Uri
- Sport-fishing licence / authorization (licencia de pesca deportiva); spearfishing falls under pesca deportiva. A 'carne' (ID card) is required for persons who practice sport fishing (age 12+) per ARAP rules.
- Halaga
- unknown
- Bisa
- unknown
- Paano makuha
- Apply to the Autoridad de los Recursos Acuaticos de Panama (ARAP); operators, vessels and captains must additionally register and be authorized. Guided/charter operators typically arrange the required authorizations.
- Awtoridad
- Autoridad de los Recursos Acuaticos de Panama (ARAP)
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
- Sport fishing (including spearfishing) is defined as carried out by breath-hold diving ('inmersion por apnea'); scuba-assisted spearfishing is not contemplated as recreational sport fishing under Ley 204.
- Catch from sport fishing/spearfishing may not be commercialized (Ley 204, Art. 65).
- Fishing gear/'artes o aparejos', species, seasons, zones and catch limits are to be regulated by ARAP (Ley 204, Art. 66).
Ley 204 explicitly recognizes underwater (spearfishing) tournaments and breath-hold diving as part of sport fishing, which establishes spear/speargun fishing as a lawful method when authorized. Specific gear limits are set by ARAP regulation.
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
Set by ARAP regulation per Ley 204 Art. 66 (specific recreational daily limits not retrieved).
Mga protektadong isda — huwag kunin
- ProtektadoBlue marlin (Makaira nigricans) - catch-and-release sport fishing only (Decreto Ejecutivo 10/2026)
- ProtektadoWhite marlin (Kajikia albida) - catch-and-release sport fishing only
- ProtektadoBlack marlin (Istiompax indica) - catch-and-release sport fishing only
- ProtektadoStriped marlin (Kajikia audax) - catch-and-release sport fishing only
- ProtektadoShortbill spearfish (Tetrapturus angustirostris) - catch-and-release sport fishing only
- ProtektadoSailfish / pez vela (billfish group) - protected, sport fishing catch-and-release
Billfish/marlins and sailfish (peces pico/picudos) may only be taken under sport/tourist sport fishing or authorized scientific research, with catch-and-release, since Executive Decree No. 10 of 10 June 2026. Commercialization, retention, possession and transport for sale are prohibited. Other species-specific size/bag limits are determined by ARAP regulation and were not retrieved verbatim.
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
PinahintulutanKinakailangan ang espesyal na lisensya
Mga Kinakailangan
- Foreign nationals may engage in sport fishing/spearfishing (Ley 204, Art. 65 expressly includes 'nacionales o extranjeras').
- A licence/authorization from ARAP is required; persons over 12 must hold the ARAP-issued ID (carne).
- Tourists commonly fish under licensed charter/guide operators who hold the required authorizations.
Mga Paghihigpit
- Catch may not be sold/commercialized.
- Must respect marine protected areas (e.g. Coiba no-take zones) and the billfish catch-and-release rules.
Some tourism/charter sources state 'no licence required for tourists', but this conflicts with the primary law (Ley 204, Arts. 66 and 70), which requires a licence for all sport-fishing activity and for operators. In practice the authorization is usually held by the charter/guide operator.
Mga residente
Licencia/carne de pesca deportiva issued by ARAP
Mga Kinakailangan
- ARAP-issued sport-fishing ID (carne) for persons aged 12 and over who practice sport fishing.
- Comply with reporting obligations (participants, captures, releases) where applicable to organized/charter activity.
Same sport-fishing framework applies to nationals and foreigners under Ley 204; spearfishing is treated as sport fishing by breath-hold diving.
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
Pacific Chiriqui province waters used for guided spearfishing/freediving trips; activity must respect Coiba marine protected area boundaries and requires a sport-fishing authorization.
Sport-fishing licence/authorization from ARAP; no commercialization of catch; must stay outside Coiba no-take zones.
Offshore Pacific island in Chiriqui used as a base for guided spearfishing/camping trips; lies within the broader marine area but is referenced as a destination for legal guided spearfishing.
Guided trips recommended; subject to Coiba Special Zone of Marine Protection rules and ARAP authorization.
Veraguas/Chiriqui Pacific coast surf and reef area referenced as an accessible guided spearfishing location.
Guided trips recommended; ARAP sport-fishing authorization.
Mga ipinagbabawal na lugar
- Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection (Parque Nacional Coiba)national park / marine protected area (UNESCO World Heritage no-take zones)
UNESCO World Heritage marine protected area in the Pacific. Establishes no-take zones within 1.8 nautical miles of island coastlines and restricts/prohibits fishing, shell and coral collection across much of the park. Recreational spearfishing is restricted or prohibited inside no-take zones; fishing is regulated by the park management plan.
- Panama Canal watersrestricted navigational/administrative zone
The waters comprising the Panama Canal are expressly excluded from the scope of the fisheries law (Ley 204, Articulo 1) and are not open to fishing/spearfishing under this regime.
- Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park (Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos)national marine park / marine protected area
Panama's first marine national park (created 1988), 13,226 ha (11,598 ha marine) in the Bocas del Toro archipelago on the Caribbean coast, protecting Caribbean mangroves, seagrass and coral reefs. Managed by the national environment authority (MiAmbiente, formerly ANAM); MiAmbiente confirms hunting, fishing and collecting are prohibited inside the park without authorization.
- Cayos Zapatillas (Bastimentos National Marine Park)marine protected area / no-take sub-zone (coral cays)
Two uninhabited coral cays east of Isla Bastimentos within Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park (Zapatillas Cays sector), surrounded by protected coral reefs where extractive fishing/spearfishing is not permitted as part of the park.
- Portobelo National Park (Parque Nacional Portobelo)national park / marine protected area (coral reefs, mangroves)
Coastal national park (established 1976, ~35,929 ha) on the Caribbean coast of Colon Province, encompassing rainforest, mangroves, beaches, seagrass and coral reefs. Managed by the national environment authority; as a protected area its marine waters are regulated and extractive fishing/spearfishing is restricted/requires authorization.
Mga kondisyon sa tubig
Mga live na kondisyon
Live na marine at weather snapshot malapit sa coastal na reference point sa Panama, mula sa Open-Meteo. Nag-iiba ang mga kondisyon sa buong baybayin — ituring bilang indikatibo.
Live na marine at weather malapit sa Gulf of Chiriqui (Golfo de Chiriqui) - outside protected no-take zones.
Sino ang dapat tanungin
Mga Awtoridad
Ang mga opisyal na katawan na responsable para sa mga isda at pagpapalisensya.
Autoridad de los Recursos Acuaticos de Panama (ARAP)
fisheries authority
arap.gob.paEdificio La Riviera, Avenida Justo Arosemena y Calle 45, Bella Vista, Panama CityMinisterio de Ambiente (MiAmbiente)
environment ministry
miambiente.gob.paManages protected areas including Coiba National Park
Saan nagmumula ang impormasyon
Mga Pinagmulan
Bawat pahayag sa pahinang ito ay nagmumula sa isa sa mga sangguniang ito.
- [01]
Ley 204 de 18 de marzo de 2021 - Que regula la pesca y la acuicultura en la Republica de Panama (full text, FAOLEX)
Opisyalfaolex.fao.orgNa-access Hun 15 - [02]
Ley No. 204 - ECOLEX record
Opisyalecolex.orgNa-access Hun 15 - [03]
Panama protege al marlin y al pez vela al limitar su captura a la pesca deportiva (Decreto Ejecutivo No. 10 de 2026) - Infobae
Pangalawainfobae.comNa-access Hun 15 - [04]
Decreto Ejecutivo N 13 que reglamenta la Ley 204 de 2021 - vLex Panama
Opisyalvlex.com.paNa-access Hun 15 - [05]
ARAP - Autoridad de los Recursos Acuaticos de Panama (official site, Direccion de Ordenacion)
Opisyalarap.gob.paNa-access Hun 15 - [06]
La pesca submarina en Panama con guia - Spearfishing Panama
communityspearfishingpanama.comNa-access Hun 15 - [07]
Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Opisyalwhc.unesco.orgNa-access Hun 15 - [08]
Coiba National Park & its Special Zone of Marine Protection - World Heritage Datasheet (UNEP-WCMC)
Pangalawaworld-heritage-datasheets.unep-wcmc.orgNa-access Hun 15 - [09]
Pesca Deportiva en Panama: Epocas, Lugares y Especies - PescaYa (seasons and zones)
communitypescaya.comNa-access Hun 15
Mga tala ng mananaliksik
Spearfishing in Panama is lawful as a form of recreational sport fishing (pesca deportiva). The primary instrument, Ley 204 de 2021, defines sport fishing to include breath-hold diving ('inmersion por apnea') and expressly recognizes underwater/spearfishing tournaments, while requiring an ARAP licence/authorization and prohibiting commercialization of catch (Arts. 4(28), 4(48), 65, 66, 70). Verbatim Spanish provisions were extracted from the official FAOLEX PDF (text layer of the Gaceta Oficial No. 29244-A). The detailed implementing regulation (Decreto Ejecutivo No. 13 de 2023) sets specific gear, season, zone and catch-limit rules; its full carne fee/validity details could not be retrieved verbatim from accessible sources, so license cost/validity are marked unknown. Executive Decree No. 10 of 10 June 2026 added strong protection for billfish/marlins and sailfish (catch-and-release sport fishing only), confirmed via a secondary news source (Infobae); the verbatim Gaceta text of Decree 10 could not be fetched (gazette PDF host returned a TLS/cert error). Coiba National Park imposes no-take zones (within 1.8 nm of island coasts) restricting or prohibiting fishing/spearfishing; coordinates are approximate park centroid values. Note a conflict in secondary tourism sources claiming 'no licence required for tourists', which contradicts Ley 204; the primary law was treated as authoritative. Confidence is medium: primary law text is verified verbatim, but the implementing-decree fee/limit specifics and the verbatim text of the 2026 decree were not directly retrieved.
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