SpearfishingMapa

Sierra Leone

Africa · Western Africa

Sierra Leone has no spearfishing-specific statute. Recreational fishing is governed generically by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018) and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations, 2019. Recreational fishing is recognised and is reserved (together with artisanal fishing) for the Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) near the coast. Under section 14 a valid licence or authorisation from the Director of Fisheries is required when a fishing vessel (national or foreign) is used for fishing or related activities 'including diving for commercial fishing purposes, commercial sport fishing and recreational fishing'. The Act does not name spearguns or spears; the only explicitly banned methods are explosives, chemicals, poisons, noxious substances and electrical devices (section 40). Fishing is also prohibited or restricted inside the four designated Marine Protected Areas (Sierra Leone River Estuary, Sherbro River Estuary, Scarcies River Estuary and Yawri Bay) and during ministerial closed-season bans. No public guidance specifically addresses shore-based / breath-hold spearfishing without a vessel, so the precise legality for a foreign visitor spearfishing from shore is not clearly documented; treat as restricted and confirm with the Ministry.

Restricted
Kumpiyansa ng datosMababang kumpiyansa

Huling na-update Hunyo 15, 2026

Namamahalang balangkas

  • §Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018)
  • §Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations, 2019
  • §Annual closed-season Public Notices of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (issued under sections 9 and 10 of the 2018 Act)
Kinakailangan ang lisensya
Kinakailangan

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.

01Section 14(1)(a)Sierra Leone · national

Licence or authorisation required for sport and recreational fishing

Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018)

ENOrihinal

14. (1) No person shall engage in any of the following activities without a valid licence or authorisation issued by the Director of Fisheries under this Act – (a) using a fishing vessel (national or foreign) for fishing or related activities, including diving for commercial fishing purposes, commercial sport fishing and recreational fishing;

02Section 18(1)Sierra Leone · national

Inshore Exclusion Zone reserved for artisanal and recreational fisheries

Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018)

ENOrihinal

18. (1) The Inshore Exclusion Zone shall be reserved for artisanal and recreational fisheries.

03Section 2 (interpretation)Sierra Leone · national

Definition of Inshore Exclusion Zone

Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018)

ENOrihinal

“Inshore Exclusion Zone” consists of all waters seawards of the low-water line along the coast of Sierra Leone to the line connecting the following coordinates of latitude and longitude as may be defined in Regulations made under this Act;

04Section 40(1)Sierra Leone · national

Prohibited fishing methods – explosives, chemicals, poisons, electrical devices

Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018)

ENOrihinal

40. (1) No person shall, for the purpose of killing, taking, stunning, stupefying or disabling fish or in any way rendering fish more easily caught- (a) use, permit to be used or attempt to use; (b) support or facilitate any person to use or attempt to use; (c) carry, permit to be carried, possess or control; or (d) place in the water or assist in placing in the water, any chemical, poison or noxious substance, bomb, electrical device, or material (whether of manufactured or of natural origin), dynamite or explosive substance or device.

05Section 2 (interpretation)Sierra Leone · national

Definition of marine protected area

Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018)

ENOrihinal

“marine protected area” means a form of marine reserve and includes any area of intertidal or subtidal terrain, together with its overlying waters and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved pursuant to the Act to protect part or all of the enclosed environment;

06Section 2 (interpretation)Sierra Leone · national

Definition of fishing gear (includes hookah and scuba gear)

Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018)

ENOrihinal

“gear” in relation to fishing, includes any equipment, implement or other thing that can be used in the act of fishing or related activities, including any net, rope, line, float, trap, hook, hookah gear, scuba gear, winch, boat, craft or aircraft carried on board a vessel, fish finding equipment, fish aggregating devices, aircraft or vehicle used in association with the act of fishing;

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.

Ene
Peb
Mar
Abr
Mayo
Hun
Hul
Ago
Set
Okt
Nob
Dis
SaradoLimitadoBukas
  • SaradoAll fishing (industrial, semi-industrial and artisanal) in Sierra Leone fisheries waters during ministerial closed-season bansAbr 1 – Abr 30

    The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has imposed one-month annual closed-season fishing bans (e.g. 1–30 April 2022 by Public Notice dated 28 March 2022, declared under sections 9 and 10 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018) to reduce fishing pressure and rebuild stocks. Bans apply to industrial, semi-industrial and artisanal fishers; artisanal fishers were also required to avoid Marine Protected Areas. Dates are set each year by Public Notice and are not a fixed permanent statutory season; verify the current year's notice.

    thecalabashnewspaper.com

Pahintulot na mangisda

Lisensya

Ano ang kailangan mo para maaari sa tubig, magkano ang halaga nito, at kung paano makuha ito.

Kinakailangan ang lisensyasa pamamagitan ng Director of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources

Apply to the Director of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. Details and fees are set under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations 2019.

Kunin ang iyong lisensya

Nagbubukas ng opisyal na portal · sliepa.gov.sl

Kinakailangan ang lisensya
Uri
Recreational / sport fishing licence or authorisation issued by the Director of Fisheries (required by s.14(1)(a) where a national or foreign fishing vessel is used for recreational or commercial sport fishing). Shore-based breath-hold spearfishing without a vessel is not expressly addressed.
Halaga
unknown
Bisa
unknown
Paano makuha
Apply to the Director of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. Details and fees are set under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations 2019.
Awtoridad
Director of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Opisyal na portal sa pagpapalisensya · sliepa.gov.sl

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

  • Use of explosives, dynamite, bombs, chemicals, poisons, noxious substances and electrical devices to take or stun fish is prohibited (Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2018, s.40).
  • Spearguns, spears and pole-spears are not specifically named or banned in the Act; their status is therefore not expressly regulated.

The Act's definition of fishing 'gear' references scuba gear and hookah gear, but the Act neither expressly permits nor prohibits spearguns. Whether SCUBA-assisted spearfishing is allowed is not addressed in the publicly available text; confirm with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

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

Mesh-size, minimum-size and species-specific limits are set in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations 2019 schedules and in the Act; no recreational/spearfishing-specific daily bag or size limits were located in the sources reviewed.

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

Kinakailangan ang espesyal na lisensya

Mga Kinakailangan

  • Where a foreign fishing vessel is used for recreational or sport fishing, a licence or authorisation from the Director of Fisheries is required (s.14(1)(a)).
  • Foreign fishing vessels are excluded from the Inshore Exclusion Zone except as permitted for artisanal/recreational fisheries; industrial foreign vessels may not fish within the IEZ.

Mga Paghihigpit

  • Must respect Marine Protected Areas and any active closed-season ban.
  • Banned methods under s.40 (explosives, chemicals, electrical devices) apply equally to foreigners.

No spearfishing-specific rules for tourists were found. Visitors should contact the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources before spearfishing, as the legality of foreign shore-based spearfishing is not clearly documented.

Mga residente

Artisanal / recreational fishing within the Inshore Exclusion Zone (s.18 reserves the IEZ for artisanal and recreational fisheries).

Mga Kinakailangan

  • Licence or authorisation from the Director of Fisheries where a fishing vessel is used for recreational/sport fishing (s.14).
  • Compliance with MPA boundaries and closed-season bans.

Mga Benepisyo

  • The IEZ (approx. 12 nautical miles) is legally reserved for artisanal and recreational fishers, excluding industrial vessels.

Subsistence/artisanal fishers are the primary users of the IEZ; recreational fishing is recognised but not separately codified beyond the licensing requirement.

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

  • Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ)

    Coastal belt of waters seawards of the low-water line, reserved by section 18(1) of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2018 for artisanal and recreational fisheries (industrial vessels excluded). Commonly described as extending to about 12 nautical miles; the precise outer boundary coordinates are set by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations 2019. Recreational fishing (the category most relevant to spearfishing) is permitted here, subject to licensing under section 14 and to MPA and closed-season restrictions.

    Recreational/sport fishing via a vessel requires a licence or authorisation from the Director of Fisheries (s.14); explosives, poisons, chemicals and electrical devices are prohibited (s.40); MPAs within the zone are off-limits during bans.

    faolex.fao.org

Mga ipinagbabawal na lugar

Tingnan sa mapa

Mga kondisyon sa tubig

Mga live na kondisyon

Live na marine at weather snapshot malapit sa coastal na reference point sa Sierra Leone, mula sa Open-Meteo. Nag-iiba ang mga kondisyon sa buong baybayin — ituring bilang indikatibo.

Live na marine at weather malapit sa Sierra Leone River Estuary Marine Protected Area.

Mga Kondisyon

Sino ang dapat tanungin

Mga Awtoridad

Ang mga opisyal na katawan na responsable para sa mga isda at pagpapalisensya.

  • Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources

    fisheries authority

    sliepa.gov.slDirector of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Freetown, Sierra Leone

  • Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA)

    investment / sector promotion agency

    sliepa.gov.slunknown

Saan nagmumula ang impormasyon

Mga Pinagmulan

Bawat pahayag sa pahinang ito ay nagmumula sa isa sa mga sangguniang ito.

  1. [01]

    Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No. 10 of 2018) – full text PDF (FAOLEX)

    Opisyal
    faolex.fao.orgNa-access Hun 15
  2. [02]

    Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No.10 of 2018) – UNEP Law and Environment Assistance Platform (LEAP)

    Opisyal
    leap.unep.orgNa-access Hun 15
  3. [03]

    Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 (No.10 of 2018) – ECOLEX record

    Pangalawa
    ecolex.orgNa-access Hun 15
  4. [04]

    Marine Fisheries Policy and Regulations in Sierra Leone – SLIEPA

    Opisyal
    sliepa.gov.slNa-access Hun 15
  5. [05]

    Ministry of Fisheries Bans Fishing Activities from 1st-30th April – The Calabash Newspaper

    Pangalawa
    thecalabashnewspaper.comNa-access Hun 15
  6. [06]

    Sierra Leone River Estuary – Ramsar Sites Information Service (RIS 1014)

    Opisyal
    rsis.ramsar.orgNa-access Hun 15
  7. [07]

    MPAtlas – Sierra Leone marine protected areas

    Pangalawa
    old.mpatlas.orgNa-access Hun 15
  8. [08]

    Yawri Bay – Wikipedia (coordinates and conservation status)

    community
    en.wikipedia.orgNa-access Hun 15

Mga tala ng mananaliksik

Sierra Leone has no statute or regulation that mentions spearfishing, spearguns or underwater hunting by name. Classification as 'restricted' reflects that: (1) recreational fishing is lawful and is reserved (with artisanal fishing) for the Inshore Exclusion Zone under s.18; (2) a licence/authorisation from the Director of Fisheries is required where a vessel is used for recreational or sport fishing (s.14); (3) the only expressly banned capture methods are explosives, chemicals, poisons and electrical devices (s.40), which do not cover spears; and (4) fishing is restricted in the four designated MPAs and during ministerial closed-season bans. The legality of unlicensed shore-based breath-hold spearfishing (no vessel) and the status of SCUBA-assisted spearfishing are NOT clearly documented in the public sources reviewed. The verbatim section texts were extracted from the official FAOLEX PDF of the Act (sie192561.pdf) via local pdftotext extraction. The IEZ outer boundary coordinates and any recreational catch/size limits are set in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations 2019, whose full schedules were not retrieved in machine-readable form here. data_confidence is 'low' because no spearfishing-specific provision exists and several visitor-relevant points (licence cost, shore spearfishing legality, SCUBA) remain unconfirmed. Anyone intending to spearfish should confirm directly with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources before doing so.

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