Sudan
Africa · Northern Africa
Sudan has a Red Sea coastline regulated primarily by the Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1937 and its 1975 amendment (Marine Fisheries Regulation). The 1975 by-law specifically prohibits the use of 'water guns' (spearguns) in fishing without an issued permit, and FAO's regional review describes the framework as banning dynamite, poisons and spearguns in fishing. As a result, spearfishing is not freely allowed: it requires an official permit and is effectively prohibited for unlicensed and recreational use. All fishing, including spearfishing, is entirely banned inside the no-take Sanganeb Marine National Park, and is restricted in the Dungonab Bay / Mukkawar Island Marine National Park. There is no evidence of a recreational spearfishing licensing scheme aimed at tourists; the licensing regime is built around fishing craft and artisanal/commercial fishers. Enforcement at sea is reported to be weak. No verbatim primary legal text could be retrieved (the official ordinance PDF is a scanned image), so confidence is low; the legal status is sourced from FAO and UNEP/ECOLEX secondary summaries.
Dernière mise à jour juin 16, 2026
Cadre réglementaire
- §Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1937 (15 June 1937)
- §Marine Fisheries Regulation 1975 (by-law of 15 April 1975 amending the 1937 Ordinance; bans use of water guns/spearguns and collection of corals, molluscs and ornamental fish without a permit)
- §Federal Wildlife and Hunting (Conservation) Law 1986 (legal basis for marine national parks)
- Licence requise
- Requise
- Fusil harpon
- Interdit
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.
1975 by-law prohibition on water guns (spearguns) - excerpt as quoted in the FAO regional fisheries review (secondary source; not the gazette)
Marine Fisheries Regulation 1975 (by-law amending the Marine Fisheries Ordinance 1937)
The law prohibits the use of dynamite, poisons, and spear guns in fishing.
Penalty for fishing offences - excerpt as quoted in the FAO regional fisheries review (secondary source; not the gazette)
Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1937 (Sudan), as amended 1975
liable to a fine not exceeding 50 pond or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three month or to both
Licensing discretion and close areas - editorial abstract from the UNEP LEAP / ECOLEX FAOLEX record (secondary source; not the gazette)
Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1937 (Sudan)
The Ordinance regulates fishing in the Territorial Waters of Sudan. Fishing licences shall be issued by the Local Authority (defined in section 2). These authorities may at discretion refuse licences to non-residents and refuse licences to residents for a 'good cause' (sect. 5). The Minister may declare close areas (sect. 6). A Local Authority may amend or revoke the Schedules and may make regulations not inconsistent with the present Ordinance (sect. 9).
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.
Aucune fermeture saisonnière enregistrée — vérifiez localement avant de plonger.
Autorisation de pêcher
Licence
Ce dont vous avez besoin pour être autorisé dans l'eau, ce que cela coûte et comment l'obtenir.
Fishing licences are issued by the Local Authority under the Marine Fisheries Ordinance; speargun use requires a permit from the Fisheries Administration. Marine national park access is controlled by the Wildlife Conservation General Administration. Exact procedure for spearfishing permits is not documented online.
Obtenez votre licenceOuvre le portail officiel · fao.org
- Type
- Fishing permit / fishing craft licence (no dedicated recreational spearfishing licence identified). A separate permit is required to use a 'water gun' (speargun) under the 1975 regulation.
- Coût
- unknown
- Validité
- unknown
- Comment l'obtenir
- Fishing licences are issued by the Local Authority under the Marine Fisheries Ordinance; speargun use requires a permit from the Fisheries Administration. Marine national park access is controlled by the Wildlife Conservation General Administration. Exact procedure for spearfishing permits is not documented online.
- Autorité
- Fisheries Administration of Sudan / Local Authority (fishing); Wildlife Conservation General Administration (protected areas)
Matériel et technique
Règles d'équipement
Quel matériel est autorisé, comment il peut être utilisé et les conditions associées.
Restrictions
- Use of 'water guns' (spearguns) in fishing is prohibited without an issued permit (1975 by-law amending the Marine Fisheries Ordinance 1937).
- FAO regional review states the framework bans dynamite, poisons and spearguns in fishing.
- Collecting corals, molluscs or ornamental fish without a permit is prohibited (1975 by-law).
speargun_allowed set to false because spearguns ('water guns') may not be used without a specific permit and are listed among prohibited fishing methods; recreational/unlicensed speargun use is effectively banned. SCUBA-assisted fishing rules were not located.
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
Espèces protégées — ne pas prélever
- ProtégéeCorals (collection prohibited without permit)
- ProtégéeMolluscs (collection prohibited without permit)
- ProtégéeOrnamental fish (collection prohibited without permit)
- ProtégéeSharks, marine turtles, marine mammals and manta rays (protected within Red Sea marine national parks)
No published numerical recreational catch or size limits were found. The 1975 by-law restricts collection of corals, molluscs and ornamental fish; commercial marine fishing was reportedly banned in 1978. Sharks, turtles, marine mammals and manta rays are protected within the marine national parks.
Qui peut pêcher
Visiteurs et résidents
Comment les règles diffèrent pour les visiteurs étrangers et les résidents locaux.
Visiteurs étrangers
Licence spéciale requise
Exigences
- Local Authorities may at their discretion refuse fishing licences to non-residents (Marine Fisheries Ordinance 1937).
- Foreign fishing vessels operate under permits specifying zones, seasons and target resources.
Restrictions
- No-take marine national parks (Sanganeb, no-take zones of Dungonab Bay/Mukkawar Island) are closed to all fishing including spearfishing.
- Speargun use requires a permit and is otherwise prohibited.
There is no documented recreational spearfishing scheme for foreigners. Sudan also has significant practical access constraints (security situation, permits, restricted Red Sea State access). Status for foreign recreational spearfishers is effectively restricted/unclear.
Résidents
Fishing craft licence / fishing permit issued by the Local Authority; speargun use requires a separate permit.
Exigences
- Hold a valid fishing craft licence and/or personal fishing permit to fish in territorial waters.
- Obtain a permit to use a 'water gun' (speargun).
Avantages
- Local Authorities may give preference to residents over non-residents when issuing fishing licences.
The licensing regime is oriented toward artisanal and commercial fishers (open-access regime within territorial waters for licensed local fishermen), not recreational 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 interdites
- Sanganeb Marine National Park (SMNP)marine national park (no-take zone)
Atoll/coral reef structure in the central Red Sea about 25-30 km north-east of Port Sudan. Gazetted in 1990 under the Federal Wildlife and Hunting Law of 1986 (order signed 1 April 1990); a UNESCO World Heritage site (2016). Described as a no-take zone where all types of fishing are prohibited; spearfishing is therefore banned here.
- Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island Marine National Park (DMNP)marine national park (with no-take zones)
Coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, beaches and islets situated about 125 km north of Port Sudan. Designated as a Federal Reserve in 2004 under the Federal Wildlife and Hunting Law of 1986; a UNESCO World Heritage site (2016). Managed by the Wildlife Conservation General Administration; small-scale subsistence/commercial fishing is generally permitted only outside designated no-take zones, and the area is protected by Wildlife Administration and Fisheries regulations. Spearfishing is restricted/effectively prohibited within the protected area.
Conditions sur l'eau
Conditions en direct
Aperçu marin et météo en direct près d'un point de référence côtier en Sudan, fourni par Open-Meteo. Les conditions varient le long de la côte — à considérer comme indicatives.
Conditions marines et météo en direct près de Sanganeb Marine National Park (SMNP).
À qui s'adresser
Autorités
Les organismes officiels responsables de la pêche et des licences.
Fisheries Administration of Sudan (Marine Fisheries Administration, Red Sea State)
fisheries authority
fao.orgunknownWildlife Conservation General Administration (WCGA), Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife
wildlife / protected areas authority
Red Sea State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources
state natural resources authority
D'où cela provient
Sources
Chaque affirmation sur cette page renvoie à l'une de ces références.
- [01]
FAO - Review of the state of world marine capture fisheries management: Indian Ocean (Sudan section)
Officiellefao.orgConsulté le juin 16 - [02]
ECOLEX - Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1937 (Sudan)
Officielleecolex.orgConsulté le juin 16 - [03]
UNEP Law and Environment Assistance Platform (LEAP) - Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1937 (Sudan)
Officielleleap.unep.orgConsulté le juin 16 - [04]
FAOLEX - full-text record of the Marine Fisheries Ordinance 1937 (scanned PDF, not machine-readable)
Officiellefaolex.fao.orgConsulté le juin 16 - [05]
UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay - Mukkawar Island Marine National Park
Officiellewhc.unesco.orgConsulté le juin 15 - [06]
IUCN World Heritage Outlook - Sanganeb / Dungonab Bay - Mukkawar Island Marine National Park
Officielleworldheritageoutlook.iucn.orgConsulté le juin 15 - [07]
WorldAtlas - Sanganeb Marine National Park, Sudan
Secondaireworldatlas.comConsulté le juin 15 - [08]
MedCrave - Current status and sustainability issues of marine resources and biodiversity in Sudanese national Red Sea water
Secondairemedcraveonline.comConsulté le juin 15
Notes du chercheur
Sudan's marine fisheries are governed by the Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1937 and its 1975 amendment (Marine Fisheries Regulation). The 1975 by-law explicitly bans the use of 'water guns' (spearguns) in fishing without an issued permit, and FAO's regional review lists spearguns alongside dynamite and poisons as prohibited fishing methods - hence spearfishing is classified as 'restricted' (permit-gated, effectively prohibited for unlicensed/recreational use). No primary verbatim statutory text could be retrieved: the official ordinance is published only as a scanned, non-machine-readable PDF on FAOLEX (https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/sud2152.pdf) and the 1975 amending by-law is not available in primary digital form, so the law_texts entries are NOT gazette quotations - they reproduce only what the cited secondary records actually state (two short fragments quoted inside the FAO regional fisheries review, and the editorial abstract published by UNEP LEAP / ECOLEX, which gives the parenthetical section references 2/5/6/9). The underlying clause numbers could not be verified against the primary text - this is why data_confidence is 'low'. The two marine national parks (Sanganeb, declared 1990; Dungonab Bay/Mukkawar Island, 2004), both UNESCO World Heritage and managed by the Wildlife Conservation General Administration, prohibit fishing in their no-take zones. Coordinates given are approximate (Sanganeb derived from N19 42' E37 26'; Dungonab Bay approximate). No closed/open seasons specific to spearfishing, no numeric recreational catch/size limits, and no recreational spearfishing licence scheme were found. Enforcement at sea is reported by FAO/UNESCO sources to be weak. Anyone planning to dive should also factor in Sudan's security situation and Red Sea State access permits. Verify directly with the Fisheries Administration and the Wildlife Conservation General Administration before diving.
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