Iraq
Asia · Western Asia
Iraq has no spearfishing-specific legislation. Spearfishing (underwater hunting with a speargun/harpoon) is treated as ordinary 'fishing' under the national fisheries statute, Law No. 48 of 1976 'for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection', which defines fishing as 'catching of aquatic life from the public waters by any means and for any purpose' (Article 9). Under that law a personal fishing licence is required for anyone practising fishing (Article 12), and mass-destruction methods (poisons, explosives, chemicals, electricity) are categorically banned (Article 1) - none of which targets spearguns. Recreational/amateur fishing and fishing clubs are permitted but governed by separate ministerial instructions that are not publicly published (Article 12(3)). Iraq's marine waters are confined to a very small Persian Gulf coast and EEZ near the Al-Faw Peninsula / Khawr Abd Allah heavily influenced by the Shatt al-Arab outflow; most fishing is freshwater (Tigris, Euphrates, Shatt al-Arab, Mesopotamian marshes). The General Authority for Fish Resources Development (Ministry of Agriculture) administers the law. No dedicated speargun ban, scuba restriction, closed season or zone targeting spearfishing was found in retrievable sources, so the activity is best classified as legally permissible but only loosely regulated under the general fishing-licence regime.
Dernière mise à jour juin 14, 2026
Cadre réglementaire
- §Law No. 48 of 1976 for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection (national fisheries law; administered by the General Authority for Fish Resources Development, Ministry of Agriculture)
- §Law No. 32 of 1965 for Fishing of Aquatic Life (repealed by Law No. 48 of 1976, Article 35)
- §Republican decree of 2005 delegating fisheries policy and regulatory powers to the General Authority for Fish Resources Development
- Licence requise
- Requise
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.
Categorically prohibited fishing methods (no spearfishing-specific ban; bans destructive methods)
Law No. 48 of 1976 for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection
Article 1. - The following shall be interdicted categorically: (1) The use of mass destruction methods for fishing aquatic life, such as poisons, explosive and chemical materials as well as electrical energy. Aquatic life shall mean the animals and plants living in public waters and of nutritive or commercial or scientific value or can be utilized by aquatics of economic value. (2) The use of fishing means and gear which may harm the eggs and frys which shall be specified by a proclamation issued by the State Fisheries Company and published in the Official Gazette. (3) To throw factory and laboratory wastes, sewerage, chemicals and petroleum in public waters if such are deterious to aquatic life. (4) To alter the course of flowing waters for the purpose of fishing. (5) To use certain gear which may close up water flow entirely.
Authority to set closed seasons, prohibited areas, gear types and minimum sizes
Law No. 48 of 1976 for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection
Article 2. - (1) The State Fisheries Company shall undertake the following by means of a proclamation to be published in the Official Gazette and local administrations: (a) Determine closed seasons. (b) Determine prohibited areas. (c) Determine the type of fishing gears and its measurements. (d) Determine the minimum size of fish to be caught. (e) Determine the location where fish screen or fish ladders should be installed. (f) To force owners of pumps installed on public waters to take necessary measures to prevent fish frys from going through.
Definition of fishing as catching aquatic life by any means; Arab (Persian) Gulf fishing to be governed by special regulation
Law No. 48 of 1976 for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection
Article 9. - Fishing in the territorial waters of the Arab Gulf shall be governed by a special regulation to be promulgated within one year from the date of promulgation of this Law. Fishing shall mean catching of aquatic life from the public waters by any means and for any purpose.
Personal fishing licence requirement; amateur (recreational) fishing and fishing clubs by ministerial instruction
Law No. 48 of 1976 for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection
Article 12. - (1) Every professional fisherman shall be subject to obtain a personal fishing licence, a professional fisherman shall mean any person of full legal age practising fishing. (2) The Company may limit the number of the licences in any public waters area. (3) Fishing of amatures and establishment of fishing clubs shall be according to certain instructions to be issued by the Minister.
Annual licence dues, including amateur fishermen licence and fishing-club licence
Law No. 48 of 1976 for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection
Article 21. - The Company or whom it may authorise shall grant the following annual licences and its renewal against payment the dues mentioned thereagainst: ... 4) Professional fishermen licence ID. 2/- Two Dinars; 5) Amatures fishermen licence -/ 250 Fils; ... 8) Establishment of fishing club licence for amatures ID. 50/- Fifty Dinars for the first time and shall be renewed against payment a due of ID. 20/- Twenty Dinars.
Penalties for contravening the fisheries law
Law No. 48 of 1976 for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection
Article 28. (1) Whoever contravenes the provisions of this Law shall be punished with a fine not exceeding ID. 200/- or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 9 months or with both and with confiscation of the catch. (2) Nothing in this Law which may prevent pursuit in accordance with other Law if the crime requisites severer punishment. (3) Fishing gear or its boat or aquatic life prepared for exportation or importation may be confiscated in case of recontravention the provisions of this Law, these materials may be disposed with it or with its prices according to the Law.
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.
- FerméeAll fishing of aquatic life (no spearfishing-specific season published)unknown – unknown
Law No. 48 of 1976, Article 2(1)(a) empowers the fisheries authority (now the General Authority for Fish Resources Development) to declare closed seasons by proclamation in the Official Gazette. No specific spearfishing closed-season dates were retrievable from authoritative sources; any closed seasons are species- or area-specific and set by administrative proclamation rather than fixed in the statute.
Autorisation de pêcher
Licence
Ce dont vous avez besoin pour être autorisé dans l'eau, ce que cela coûte et comment l'obtenir.
From the General Authority for Fish Resources Development (Ministry of Agriculture) / formerly the State Fisheries Company; amateur fishing and fishing clubs are governed by separate instructions issued by the Minister (Article 12(3)). Detailed application procedure was not retrievable from authoritative sources.
Obtenez votre licenceOuvre le portail officiel · faolex.fao.org
- Type
- Personal fishing licence (no dedicated spearfishing licence). Recreational/amateur fishermen licence and fishing-club licence exist under the general fisheries law.
- Coût
- Per Law No. 48 of 1976, Article 21 (historic 1976 dues, likely superseded): professional fisherman licence ID 2; amateur fishermen licence 250 fils; fishing-club establishment licence ID 50 first time / ID 20 renewal. Current fees set by the General Authority for Fish Resources Development were not retrievable.
- Validité
- Annual; renewals due on 1 January each year (Article 22).
- Comment l'obtenir
- From the General Authority for Fish Resources Development (Ministry of Agriculture) / formerly the State Fisheries Company; amateur fishing and fishing clubs are governed by separate instructions issued by the Minister (Article 12(3)). Detailed application procedure was not retrievable from authoritative sources.
- Autorité
- General Authority for Fish Resources Development, Ministry of Agriculture
Matériel et technique
Règles d'équipement
Quel matériel est autorisé, comment il peut être utilisé et les conditions associées.
Restrictions
- Mass-destruction methods are categorically banned: poisons, explosives, chemical materials and electrical energy (Law No. 48/1976, Article 1(1)).
- Gear that harms fish eggs or fry, or that entirely closes water flow, is prohibited (Article 1(2),(5)).
- Fishing gear must conform to specifications issued by the fisheries authority; non-conforming gear is confiscated (Articles 14-15).
Law No. 48 of 1976 contains no provision that specifically addresses spearguns, harpoons, pole spears or breath-hold/scuba spearfishing. Such gear is neither expressly permitted nor expressly banned; it falls under the general requirement that gear meet the authority's specifications. No authoritative source specifying whether scuba-assisted spearfishing is allowed was found.
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
unknown
Law No. 48 of 1976 (Article 2(1)(d)) empowers the fisheries authority to set minimum catch sizes by proclamation, but no specific spearfishing daily/size limits or a published protected-species list for spearfishing were retrievable. The marshes and northern Gulf are recognised fish nursery grounds; the Mesopotamian marshes' fish assemblages are conservation priorities.
Qui peut pêcher
Visiteurs et résidents
Comment les règles diffèrent pour les visiteurs étrangers et les résidents locaux.
Visiteurs étrangers
Restrictions
- No spearfishing-specific rules for foreigners were found.
- Recreational diving access to Iraq's tiny Gulf coast is practically constrained by port traffic, the Iraq-Kuwait Khawr Abd Allah boundary channel and general security conditions.
Law No. 48 of 1976 regulates fishing licences generally and contains provisions on foreign vessels under separate national/maritime rules, but no clear, retrievable rule on recreational spearfishing by foreigners exists. Treat as unknown; intending visitors should confirm directly with the General Authority for Fish Resources Development.
Résidents
Personal fishing licence (professional) or amateur fishermen licence under Law No. 48 of 1976.
Exigences
- Be of full legal age to hold a personal fishing licence (Article 12(1)).
- Hold a valid annual fishing licence; comply with gear specifications and method bans.
Avantages
- Cooperative societies of fishermen and collective farms (and their members) are exempted from licence dues (Article 25(2)).
Amateur/recreational fishing and fishing clubs for residents are permitted but governed by ministerial instructions that are not publicly available.
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
Iraq's narrow Persian Gulf coast and small EEZ off the Al-Faw Peninsula, including the Khawr Abd Allah estuary that forms the Iraq-Kuwait maritime boundary and main shipping channel to Umm Qasr/Khor Al-Zubair. Fishing here is permitted under Law No. 48 of 1976 (Article 9) subject to a fishing licence; it is heavily influenced by the Shatt al-Arab outflow and is also a busy navigational/port and partly militarised channel, so practical access for recreational diving is constrained.
Fishing licence required (Law No. 48/1976); destructive methods banned; navigation/port and security restrictions apply in the Khawr Abd Allah channel and near the Iraq-Kuwait boundary.
Iraq's freshwater 'public waters' as defined in Law No. 48 of 1976 Article 4 (rivers, lakes, hors/reservoirs, fish farms, permanent and temporary marshes, drains, irrigation canals, ponds and connected bays and streams). General-interest fishing, including spearfishing, is permitted under the same licence regime; the bulk of Iraqi fishing is freshwater.
Fishing licence required; mass-destruction methods (poison, explosives, chemicals, electricity) prohibited; gear must meet specifications set by the authority.
Zones interdites
- Hawizeh Marshes (Haur Al-Hawizeh) Ramsar Site / Ahwar of Southern Iraq World Heritage SiteRamsar wetland / UNESCO World Heritage Site (protected marshland)
Iraq's first Ramsar Wetland of International Importance (designated 17 October 2007, Ramsar site no. 1718) and part of the UNESCO 'Ahwar of Southern Iraq' mixed World Heritage Site inscribed in 2016. A critical fish nursery and waterfowl habitat in the Mesopotamian marshes. As a protected wetland, extractive activities including fishing are restricted/regulated; spearfishing of this protected nursery habitat should be regarded as off-limits.
Conditions sur l'eau
Conditions en direct
Aperçu marin et météo en direct près d'un point de référence côtier en Iraq, fourni par Open-Meteo. Les conditions varient le long de la côte — à considérer comme indicatives.
Conditions marines et météo en direct près de Iraqi Persian (Arab) Gulf coastal waters / Khawr Abd Allah and Al-Faw approaches.
À qui s'adresser
Autorités
Les organismes officiels responsables de la pêche et des licences.
General Authority for Fish Resources Development
fisheries authority (under the Ministry of Agriculture)
faolex.fao.orgMinistry of Agriculture, Iraq. Authority reactivated/empowered by republican decree in 2005; administers Law No. 48 of 1976.Ministry of Agriculture of Iraq
agriculture ministry (oversees fisheries and aquaculture)
ijaqua.uobasrah.edu.iqOversees the fisheries and aquaculture sector; policy/management delegated to the General Authority for Fish Resources Development.
D'où cela provient
Sources
Chaque affirmation sur cette page renvoie à l'une de ces références.
- [01]
Law No. 48 of 1976 for regulating and exploitation of aquatic life and its protection (full English text, FAOLEX / FAO Legislative Study)
Officiellefaolex.fao.orgConsulté le juin 14 - [02]
FAOLEX record: Law regulating the exploitation and protection of aquatic living resources (LEX-FAOC001673), Iraq
Officiellefao.orgConsulté le juin 14 - [03]
FAOLEX General Profile - Iraq (fisheries and aquaculture legislation index)
Officiellefao.orgConsulté le juin 14 - [04]
Al-Hilali et al. (2025), Status, Challenges, and Prospects of Aquaculture Development in Iraq (Iraqi Journal of Aquaculture, University of Basrah) - describes Law No. 48/1976 and the General Authority for Fish Resources Development
Secondaireijaqua.uobasrah.edu.iqConsulté le juin 14 - [05]
Khalfallah & Pauly (2021), Chapter 62: The Marine and Diadromous Fisheries of Iraq (Sea Around Us) - coastline/EEZ geography and 1976 law reform
Secondaires3.us-west-2.amazonaws.comConsulté le juin 14 - [06]
Hawizeh Marshes - Ramsar Site (2007) and Ahwar of Southern Iraq UNESCO World Heritage Site (2016)
Secondaireen.wikipedia.orgConsulté le juin 14 - [07]
Khawr Abd Allah - Iraq-Kuwait Persian Gulf boundary channel and port access
Secondaireen.wikipedia.orgConsulté le juin 14
Notes du chercheur
Iraq has NO spearfishing-specific legislation. The activity is regulated only as a sub-case of general 'fishing' under national Law No. 48 of 1976, whose full English text was retrieved verbatim from FAOLEX (irq1673.pdf) and quoted in law_texts. Key points: (1) fishing = catching aquatic life by any means, so spearfishing is covered (Art. 9); (2) a personal fishing licence is required (Art. 12), with a cheaper amateur licence and fishing-club provisions; (3) destructive methods - poison, explosives, chemicals, electricity - are banned, but spearguns/harpoons are not mentioned; (4) the authority may set closed seasons, prohibited areas, gear specs and minimum sizes by proclamation (Art. 2), but no spearfishing-specific season, zone, size or bag limit was retrievable. The administering body is the General Authority for Fish Resources Development (Ministry of Agriculture), corroborated by a 2025 University of Basrah aquaculture review. Iraq's marine coast on the Persian Gulf is tiny (Al-Faw / Khawr Abd Allah area), heavily silted by the Shatt al-Arab and constrained by port traffic and the Iraq-Kuwait boundary, so most fishing is freshwater (Tigris, Euphrates, Shatt al-Arab, Mesopotamian marshes). Protected wetlands (Hawizeh Marshes Ramsar site / Ahwar of Southern Iraq World Heritage Site) are sensitive fish-nursery areas where extractive activity is restricted. CAVEATS lowering confidence to medium: the 1976 licence fees are historic and almost certainly superseded; implementing instructions for amateur fishing (Art. 12(3)) and any Gulf 'special regulation' (Art. 9) were not retrievable; no source addresses spearguns, scuba spearfishing, foreigner-specific spearfishing rules, or spearfishing closed seasons/zones, so those fields are marked null/unknown rather than guessed. classification 'restricted' reflects that spearfishing is legally permissible but only loosely covered by a general, licence-based fishing regime with method and gear-specification constraints. The FAOLEX PDF 'ira1661E.pdf' that appears under Iraq searches was inspected and found to be IRAN's regulations (references 'Iranian waters'/'Shilat Jonoub Iran') and was deliberately NOT used.
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