Bulgaria
Europe · Eastern Europe
Recreational spearfishing with a harpoon (speargun) is legal in Bulgaria only in the waters of the Black Sea. The general ban on harpoons in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act (Чл. 35, ал. 1, т. 5) expressly does not apply to recreational fishing in Black Sea waters (Чл. 35, ал. 2); the detailed conditions are set by a ministerial ordinance under Чл. 15, ал. 1. Spearfishing is freediving-only (no SCUBA/oxygen apparatus) and is permitted only during daylight hours. Harpoon use in fresh water (Danube, inland water bodies) remains prohibited. A general spawning-season fishing ban applies annually (issued by order of the Minister of Agriculture and Food / Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture - IARA), and the Black Sea turbot is under a strict closed season (15 April - 15 June). No recreational licence is required for sea fishing for either residents or foreigners; daily retention is limited (up to 3 kg of marine organisms, or one specimen over 3 kg).
Dernière mise à jour juin 14, 2026
Cadre réglementaire
- §Закон за рибарството и аквакултурите (Fisheries and Aquaculture Act), in force 2001 with later amendments (incl. ДВ бр. 94/2005)
- §Ordinance on recreational fishing issued under Чл. 15, ал. 1 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act
- §Annual order of the Minister of Agriculture and Food / Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (IARA) on spawning-season fishing bans
- §Council Regulation (EU) on Black Sea fishing opportunities (turbot TAC, 45 cm minimum landing size, 15 April - 15 June closure)
- Licence requise
- Non requise
- Fusil harpon
- Autorisé
- Plongée bouteille
- Interdit
- Étrangers
- Bienvenus
La loi, verbatim
Textes juridiques
Les dispositions législatives et réglementaires exactes qui régissent la chasse sous-marine ici, citées telles que publiées, avec un lien vers chaque source officielle.
Prohibited fishing gear - general ban on harpoon
Закон за рибарството и аквакултурите (Fisheries and Aquaculture Act)
Забранява се стопанският и любителският риболов в обектите по чл. 3, ал. 1 със следните уреди, средства, принадлежности и приспособления: 1. взривни материали, отровни и упойващи вещества; 2. електрически ток и технически устройства и съоръжения за електроулов; 3. дънни тралиращи и драгиращи средства; 4. огнестрелно оръжие; 5. харпун; 6. (нова - ДВ, бр. 94 от 2005 г., в сила от 01.01.2007 г.) кърмаци.
Harpoon exception for recreational fishing in the Black Sea
Закон за рибарството и аквакултурите (Fisheries and Aquaculture Act)
Забраната по ал. 1, т. 5 не се отнася за любителски риболов във водите на Черно море. Условията и редът за извършване на любителски риболов с харпун се уреждат с наредбата по чл. 15, ал. 1.
Recreational fishing - daylight-only restriction
Закон за рибарството и аквакултурите (Fisheries and Aquaculture Act)
Любителският риболов, в това число и на пъстървови риби, се разрешава само през светлата част на денонощието през всички дни на седмицата, извън периода на забраната по чл. 32, ал. 1.
Recreational fishing - daily retention (catch) limit
Закон за рибарството и аквакултурите (Fisheries and Aquaculture Act)
След еднодневен риболовен излет риболовците могат да запазват за себе си до 2 кг пъстървови риби, но не повече от 8 бройки, или до 3 кг от всички останали видове риби.
Quand vous pouvez plonger
Saisons et restrictions temporelles
Périodes de fermeture, d'ouverture et de restriction tout au long de l'année. Confirmez toujours localement les fermetures propres à chaque espèce.
- FerméeBlack Sea turbot (Psetta maxima / Scophthalmus maximus)avr. 15 – juin 15
Strict closed season for Black Sea turbot - capture, retention on board, landing and sale all prohibited. Implemented under EU Black Sea fishing-opportunity regulations and the annual Bulgarian spawning-ban order. Minimum landing size 45 cm total length.
- FerméeGeneral spawning-season fishing ban (Black Sea, Danube and inland water bodies)avr. 15 – juin 15
Annual spawning-season ban issued by order of the Minister of Agriculture and Food / Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (IARA). Dates and covered waters vary by species and elevation each year (e.g. inland waters below 500 m: 15 April - 31 May; above 500 m: 1 May - 15 June). Certain designated water bodies are exempted for recreational fishing under conditions.
Autorisation de pêcher
Licence
Ce dont vous avez besoin pour être autorisé dans l'eau, ce que cela coûte et comment l'obtenir.
- Type
- No recreational licence required for sea (Black Sea) fishing; a recreational fishing ticket (билет за любителски риболов) applies to inland/fresh waters under Чл. 22
- Coût
- unknown
- Validité
- unknown
- Comment l'obtenir
- For inland recreational fishing, a ticket is issued under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act; no ticket/licence is needed for Black Sea spearfishing.
- Autorité
- Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (IARA)
Matériel et technique
Règles d'équipement
Quel matériel est autorisé, comment il peut être utilisé et les conditions associées.
Restrictions
- Freediving only - use of SCUBA, oxygen tanks or other breathing/gas apparatus while spearfishing is prohibited
- Daylight hours only - night spearfishing is prohibited (Чл. 24, ал. 4)
- A signal/marker buoy attached to the diver's body by a leash is required
- Harpoon permitted only in Black Sea waters (Чл. 35, ал. 2); prohibited in fresh water
- Nets, explosives, poisons, electrical devices/electrofishing and firearms are prohibited (Чл. 35, ал. 1)
The harpoon exception and detailed conditions for recreational spearfishing are governed by the ordinance under Чл. 15, ал. 1 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act. The freediving-only and buoy requirements are reported by secondary spearfishing sources (harpune.info, thefishcode.com); the daylight-only and harpoon/Black Sea rules are confirmed in the verbatim statute text.
Ce que vous pouvez prélever
Limites de capture et espèces protégées
Quotas journaliers, tailles minimales et espèces qui ne doivent jamais être prélevées.
Limite journalière
Up to 3 kg of marine organisms per day, or a single organism over 3 kg (Black Sea recreational); inland: up to 2 kg of trout species (max 8 specimens) or up to 3 kg of other fish (Чл. 24, ал. 2). Catch may not be sold.
Tailles minimales
- Black Sea turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)min 45 cm
Espèces protégées — ne pas prélever
- ProtégéeSturgeon (Acipenser spp.) - prohibited year-round
- ProtégéeBeluga (Huso huso) - prohibited year-round
- ProtégéeBlack Sea turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) - seasonally protected (closed 15 April - 15 June)
Sturgeon and beluga are fully protected. Turbot is seasonally protected with a 45 cm minimum landing size and a closed season; outside the closure typically a maximum of one turbot per day is reported by secondary sources. Catch from recreational fishing may not be sold.
Qui peut pêcher
Visiteurs et résidents
Comment les règles diffèrent pour les visiteurs étrangers et les résidents locaux.
Visiteurs étrangers
AutoriséeRestrictions
- Same rules as residents apply (freediving only, daylight only, daily limit, prohibited zones, protected species)
Foreigners may spearfish in the Black Sea under the same rules as residents; no special permit is required for saltwater spearfishing.
Résidents
No licence required for Black Sea spearfishing; recreational fishing ticket for inland waters
Residents and foreigners are treated identically for Black Sea spearfishing.
Où sur la côte
Zones autorisées et interdites
Zones nommées ouvertes ou fermées à la chasse sous-marine. Voir l'image complète sur la carte interactive.
Zones autorisées
Recreational spearfishing with a harpoon is permitted only in the waters of the Black Sea (Чл. 35, ал. 2 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act), freediving only. Excludes ports, freshwater river mouths and military zones.
Freediving only (no SCUBA / oxygen apparatus); daylight hours only; daily limit 3 kg or one organism over 3 kg; signal buoy attached to the diver; no sale of catch.
Zones interdites
- Freshwater river mouths / fresh water (Danube and inland waters)freshwater / river mouth
Harpoon/spearfishing is prohibited outside the Black Sea, i.e. in fresh water including river mouths, the Danube and inland water bodies (the harpoon exception in Чл. 35, ал. 2 applies only to Black Sea waters).
- Military objects / naval zonesmilitary zone
Spearfishing is prohibited in/around military objects and naval base areas; objects in the Black Sea are coordinated with the commanders of the naval bases of the Bulgarian Army (Чл. 21, Чл. 25).
Conditions sur l'eau
Conditions en direct
Aperçu marin et météo en direct près d'un point de référence côtier en Bulgaria, fourni par Open-Meteo. Les conditions varient le long de la côte — à considérer comme indicatives.
Conditions marines et météo en direct près de Bulgarian Black Sea coastal waters.
À qui s'adresser
Autorités
Les organismes officiels responsables de la pêche et des licences.
Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Изпълнителна агенция по рибарство и аквакултури, IARA)
fisheries authority
iara.government.bgoffice@iara.government.bg; tel. +359 2 805 1666 / +359 2 805 1663Ministry of Agriculture and Food (Министерство на земеделието и храните)
agriculture/fisheries ministry
mzh.government.bgunknown
D'où cela provient
Sources
Chaque affirmation sur cette page renvoie à l'une de ces références.
- [01]
Закон за рибарството и аквакултурите (Fisheries and Aquaculture Act) - full text, IASRJ
Officielleiasrj.euConsulté le juin 14 - [02]
Закон за рибарството и аквакултурите Част I - Spearfish.org (statute reproduction)
Secondairespearfish.orgConsulté le juin 14 - [03]
Fishing Ban During Spawning Season Now in Force across Bulgaria - BTA (Bulgarian News Agency)
Secondairebta.bgConsulté le juin 14 - [04]
Spearfishing in Europe - Law, Rules and Restrictions (Bulgaria section) - harpune.info
communityharpune.infoConsulté le juin 14 - [05]
Fishing Regulations in Bulgaria - The Fish Code
communitythefishcode.comConsulté le juin 14 - [06]
Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (IARA) - official website
Officielleiara.government.bgConsulté le juin 14
Notes du chercheur
Spearfishing is legal in Bulgaria ONLY in Black Sea waters, by way of an express exception to the general harpoon ban (Чл. 35, ал. 2 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act). The four law_texts entries are verbatim Cyrillic excerpts retrieved from the statute (iasrj.eu and spearfish.org reproduction). Freediving-only (no SCUBA) and the mandatory signal buoy attached to the diver are not present in the statute excerpts retrieved and are sourced from spearfishing community sites (harpune.info, thefishcode.com); the precise wording lives in the recreational-fishing ordinance issued under Чл. 15, ал. 1, which could not be retrieved verbatim - confidence on those two points is medium. The turbot closed season (15 April - 15 June) and 45 cm minimum size derive from EU Black Sea regulations and the annual Bulgarian spawning-ban order (BTA). Daily limit, no-sale rule, and prohibited zones (ports, freshwater mouths, military objects) are consistent across the statute and secondary sources. Overall data_confidence: medium - core legality and statute text are well-sourced; some operational details (buoy, scuba, exact ordinance text) rest on secondary sources.
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