Austria
Europe · Western Europe
Austria is a landlocked country with no sea coast, so there is no marine spearfishing. All fishing takes place in inland freshwater (lakes and rivers). Fishing law is not federal but is regulated separately by each of the nine federal states (Bundesländer), each with its own Landesfischereigesetz. Across the state fishing laws reviewed, spearfishing is effectively prohibited: harpoons (Harpunen) and fish spears (Fischstecher) are listed as forbidden fishing devices, the methods of spearing/stabbing (Stechen) are forbidden fishing methods, and in some states (e.g. Vienna) fishing while swimming or diving (Tauchen) is itself explicitly prohibited. Recreational angling generally requires a fishing licence (Fischerkarte) plus the permission of the waters' fishing-rights holder, but spearfishing as a method is not a permitted technique. Conclusion: recreational underwater spearfishing is not legal in Austrian waters.
Seinast dagfest Juni 14, 2026
Stjórnandaslag
- §Wiener Fischereigesetz (W-FischG), LGBl. Nr. 1/1948 (consolidated) — Vienna
- §NÖ Fischereigesetz 2001 (Niederösterreichisches Fischereigesetz) — Lower Austria
- §Salzburger Fischereigesetz 2002, LGBl. Nr. 81/2002 (consolidated) — Salzburg
- §Oö. Fischereigesetz (Oberösterreichisches Fischereigesetz) — Upper Austria
- Leyfi kravt
- Kravt
- Sperrpistol
- Forboðið
- Skúbba
- Forboðið
- Útlendingar
- Ikki loyft
Lógin, orðrætt
Løgligar tekstar
Nøgustu løgligar og reglugerðarligar fyrimæli sum stjórna skotfiskiskap her, tikin sum útgávnar, við tilvísning til hvørja heimlígu keldu.
Weidgerechte Ausübung — verbotene Vorrichtungen und Fangmethoden (Vienna)
Wiener Fischereigesetz (W-FischG), LGBl. Nr. 1/1948
(1) Der Fischfang ist weidgerecht auszuüben. Es ist verboten, zum Fischfang Vorrichtungen, Fangmittel und Methoden zu gebrauchen, die den Grundsätzen der Weidgerechtigkeit widersprechen. (2) Verbotene Vorrichtungen und Fangmittel im Sinne des Abs. 1 sind insbesondere Sprengstoffe, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Schlingen, Legschnüre (Nachtschnüre), Betäubungsmittel und Gifte sowie elektrischer Strom. (3) Verbotene Fangmethoden im Sinne des Abs. 1 sind insbesondere das Fischen beim Schwimmen oder Tauchen, das Verwenden von lebenden Wirbeltieren als Köder, das Fischen unter Zuhilfenahme künstlicher Lichtquellen, das Fischen aus Flugzeugen oder fahrenden Kraftfahrzeugen sowie das Stechen, das Anreißen, das Prellen und das Keulen.
Verbotene Vorrichtungen, Fangmittel und Fangmethoden (Lower Austria)
NÖ Fischereigesetz 2001 (Niederösterreichisches Fischereigesetz)
Insbesondere folgende Vorrichtungen und Fangmittel sind verboten: Explosivstoffe, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Betäubungsmittel, Gifte und Schlingen, elektrischer Strom, künstliche Lichtquellen und Echolot. [...] Insbesondere folgende Fangmethoden sind verboten: das Stechen, das Anreißen, das Prellen und das Keulen, das Verwenden lebender Köder, ausgenommen gesetzlich nicht geschützte wirbellose Tiere, das Verwenden von Krustentieren als Köder, Vorkehrungen zu treffen, die den Wechsel der Fische verhindern können.
Verbotene Fangmittel und Fangmethoden (Salzburg)
Salzburger Fischereigesetz 2002
[verbotene Fangmittel:] Sprengstoffen, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Betäubungsmitteln, Giften, Fischstechern und Schlingen [...] [verbotene Fangmethoden:] bei Anwendung der Fangmethoden des Stechens, Anreißens, Prellens oder Keulens.
Nær tú kanst kafa
Tíðir & tíðarútilokanir
Lokuðar, opnar og avmarkaðar tíðir um árið. Staðfest alltíð artsligar lokunanir staðbundið.
Ongir tíðarlegar lokunanir skrásettar — staðfest staðbundið áðrenn tú kafar.
Loyvi til at fiska
Leyfi
Hvat tú tørvar til at vera loyft í vatninum, hvat tað kostar, og hvussu tú fært tað.
Obtain the state Fischerkarte (often after passing a fishing exam, Fischerprüfung) and a separate permit from the owner/lessee of the fishing rights for the chosen water. Spearfishing cannot be licensed as a method.
Fá títt leyfiOpnar heimlígu gáttina · oesterreich.gv.at
- Slag
- Fischerkarte (state fishing licence) plus a fishing permit (Lizenz/Erlaubnisschein) from the holder of the fishing rights for the specific water; issued per federal state. Note: this licence is for line angling only — spearfishing is not a permitted method.
- Kostnaður
- unknown
- Gildistíð
- Varies by state; typically annual or multi-year.
- Hvussu tú fært tað
- Obtain the state Fischerkarte (often after passing a fishing exam, Fischerprüfung) and a separate permit from the owner/lessee of the fishing rights for the chosen water. Spearfishing cannot be licensed as a method.
- Myndugleiki
- Respective state government (Landesregierung) / state fishing association (Landesfischereiverband)
Tøki & teknikk
Tøknireglur
Hvat tøki er loyft, hvussu tað má brúkast, og undir hvønum skilyrðum.
Avmarkanir
- Harpoons (Harpunen) are listed as prohibited fishing devices in state fishing laws (e.g. Vienna § 49 Abs. 2; Lower Austria § 12 Abs. 5; Salzburg § 23 Abs. 3).
- Fish spears (Fischstecher) are explicitly prohibited as a fishing means in Salzburg (§ 23 Abs. 3 Z 1 lit. a).
- Spearing/stabbing (Stechen) is a prohibited fishing method in all reviewed state laws.
- In Vienna, fishing while swimming or diving (das Fischen beim Schwimmen oder Tauchen) is an explicitly prohibited fishing method (§ 49 Abs. 3).
Spearguns/harpoons cannot be used for fishing in Austrian inland waters. Possession of a speargun is governed by general law, but it cannot be lawfully used to take fish.
Hvat tú má taka
Fongstmarkir & friðlýstar artar
Dagligar kvotur, lágmarksstørðir, og artar sum aldri má takast.
Daglig mark
unknown
Minimum sizes (Brittelmaße), closed seasons (Schonzeiten) and bag limits exist for angling and are set per federal state, but they are not relevant to spearfishing because spearfishing is a prohibited method. Not enumerated here.
Hvør má fiska
Gæstur & búsetufólk
Hvussu reglurnar eru munandi fyri útlendigar gæstur og heimlígt búsetufólk.
Útlendigar gæstur
Ikki loyftAvmarkanir
- Spearfishing is prohibited for everyone regardless of nationality; foreigners cannot spearfish either.
- Foreign visitors may angle (rod-and-line) where they hold a valid state Fischerkarte plus a water permit, but not by spearfishing.
The prohibition on harpoons/spearfishing applies to residents and non-residents alike.
Búsetufólk
State Fischerkarte for angling only (no spearfishing category exists).
Krav
- Pass the state fishing exam (Fischerprüfung) where required, obtain the Fischerkarte, and secure a permit from the fishing-rights holder.
Residents are equally barred from spearfishing; the licence covers line angling only.
Hvørjum at spyrja
Myndugleikar
Heimlígu stovnarnar ábyrgar fyri fiskiskap og leyfi.
Republik Österreich / oesterreich.gv.at (official government portal — Fischen in Österreich)
government information portal
Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (RIS) — official consolidated legislation portal
legislation portal
NÖ Landesfischereiverband (Lower Austria State Fishing Association)
fisheries authority / association
Land Oberösterreich — Fischereirecht (Upper Austria fisheries authority)
fisheries authority
Hvaðan hetta kemur
Keldar
Hvørt krav á hesum síðu kemur frá einari av hesum tilvísningunum.
- [01]
RIS — Wiener Fischereigesetz § 49 (Landesrecht konsolidiert Wien)
Heimlígris.bka.gv.atFunnið Jun 14 - [02]
JUSLINE — § 49 W-FischG (Wiener Fischereigesetz), full text
Undirkeldajusline.atFunnið Jun 14 - [03]
NÖ Landesfischereiverband — Das NÖ Fischereigesetz (§ 12 verbotene Fangmittel/Fangmethoden)
Heimlígnoe-lfv.atFunnið Jun 14 - [04]
RIS — Salzburger Fischereigesetz (Geltende Fassung), § 23
Heimlígris.bka.gv.atFunnið Jun 14 - [05]
Land Oberösterreich — Verbotene Fangmittel und Fangmethoden
Heimlígland-oberoesterreich.gv.atFunnið Jun 14 - [06]
oesterreich.gv.at — Fischen in Österreich (official government portal)
Heimlígoesterreich.gv.atFunnið Jun 14
Kannaragreinagerð
Austria is landlocked (no sea coastline), so there is no marine spearfishing — only inland freshwater fishing exists. Fishing legislation is a competence of the nine federal states (Bundesländer); there is no single national fishing act. Three state laws were verified with verbatim primary-source text (Vienna W-FischG § 49, Lower Austria NÖ FischG § 12, Salzburg Sbg. FischG § 23) and all list harpoons (Harpunen) — and in Salzburg also fish spears (Fischstecher) — as prohibited fishing devices, plus spearing/stabbing (Stechen) as a prohibited method; Vienna additionally bans fishing while swimming or diving (Tauchen). Upper Austria's official portal likewise lists Stechen among prohibited methods. The remaining states (Burgenland, Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg) were not individually fetched, but the pattern of harpoon/diving prohibition is consistent across Austrian fishing law and reflects the shared 'Weidgerechtigkeit' (fair-chase) principle; spearfishing should be treated as prohibited nationwide. Seasons, zones and catch limits are left empty because they pertain to permitted angling and are not relevant to the prohibited spearfishing method. Cost/validity left as unknown rather than guessed, as they vary per state and were not retrieved verbatim. Inland/freshwater spearfishing: Prohibited in all inland waters nationwide — Austria's per-state (Bundesland) fishing laws list harpoons (Harpunen) as prohibited fishing devices and spearing/stabbing (Stechen) as a prohibited fishing method, with Vienna also explicitly banning fishing while swimming or diving (Tauchen). Verified in Vienna (§ 49 W-FischG: Harpunen prohibited as device; das Fischen beim Schwimmen oder Tauchen and das Stechen prohibited as methods), Lower Austria (§ 12 NÖ FischG 2001: Harpunen/Fischstecher prohibited devices, das Stechen prohibited method), and Upper Austria (Stechen listed among prohibited methods). Source: https://www.jusline.at/gesetz/w-fischg/paragraf/49
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Vit senda tær teldubræv nær Austrias tíðir ella reglugerðir eru dagfestur í okkara gagnasetti.