Bangladesh
Asia · Southern Asia
Bangladesh has no dedicated recreational spearfishing regime, and the practice is effectively prohibited by general fisheries law. The Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950 (as amended) empowers the Government to prohibit the destruction of fish by 'explosives, electrofishing device, gun, bow and arrow' in inland water, coastal territorial waters and Bangladesh marine fisheries waters — wording that covers spearguns, harpoons and similar projectile gear. The Marine Fisheries Act, 2020 (which repealed the Marine Fisheries Ordinance, 1983) regulates commercial and artisanal fishing through licences and permits and contains no provision authorising recreational or sport spearfishing; legal scholars note recreational fishing is simply not covered by the marine law. Large Marine Protected Areas (St Martin's Island, Swatch of No Ground) and Ecologically Critical Areas further restrict or ban fishing activity. There is no licence pathway under which a recreational diver could lawfully spearfish, so the activity is treated as not allowed.
Nuashonraithe go deireanach Meitheamh 14, 2026
Creat rialaitheach
- §Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950 (East Bengal Act No. XVIII of 1950), as amended (esp. amendment empowering prohibition of destruction of fish by gun, bow and arrow in marine fisheries waters)
- §Marine Fisheries Act, 2020 (Act No. XIX of 2020)
- §Marine Fisheries Ordinance, 1983 (repealed by the Marine Fisheries Act, 2020) — historical sport-fishing rule-making power
- §Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012 (basis for Marine Protected Area declarations)
- Gunna spéire
- Toirmiscthe
- Coigríche
- Ní ceadaítear
An dlí, focal ar fhocal
Téacsanna dlíthiúla
Na forálacha reachtúla agus rialála beachta a rialaíonn spearfishing anseo, luaite mar a foilsíodh, le nasc le gach foinse oifigiúil.
Power to prohibit destruction of fish by gun, bow and arrow, explosives and electrofishing
Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950 (East Bengal Act No. XVIII of 1950), as amended
[(b) prohibit the destruction of, or any attempt to destroy, fishes by explosives, electrofishing device, gun, bow and arrow in inland water or within coastal territorial waters or Bangladesh marine fisheries waters; Explanation.- For the purposes of this clause, “Bangladesh marine fisheries waters” means “Bangladesh marine fisheries waters” defined by clause (10) of section 2 of the Marine Fisheries Act, 2020 (Act No XIX of 2020).]
Penalties for breach of fisheries prohibitions
Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950 (East Bengal Act No. XVIII of 1950), as amended
[5. (1) The breach of any rule made under section 3 or of any prohibition notified under section 4 shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which [may extend to 2 (two) years, or with fine which may extend to 5 (five) lakh] Taka, or with both.]
Prohibited fishing methods — use of explosives, poison and prohibited gear (repealed 1983 Ordinance, indicative of marine regime)
Marine Fisheries Ordinance, 1983 (repealed by Marine Fisheries Act, 2020)
Use of explosives, etc. 26. (1) Any person, other than a person authorised in writing by the Director, who in the Bangladesh fisheries waters,- (a) uses, or attempts to use, any explosive, poison or other noxious substances for the purpose of killing, stunning, disabling or catching fish, or in any other way rendering such fish more easily caught; or (b) carries, or has in his possession or control, any explosive, poison or other noxious substances with the intention of using such explosive, poison or other noxious substance for any of the purposes referred to in clause (a); or (c) uses, or attempts to use, any prohibited methods of fishing as may be prescribed, or carries, or has in his possession or control, on board any vessel, any fishing gear prohibited under any rule made under this Ordinance; ... shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Taka one lakh or fifteen times the value of the fish, whichever is greater.
Rule-making power to organise and regulate sport fishing (never implemented; not carried into the 2020 Act)
Marine Fisheries Ordinance, 1983 (repealed by Marine Fisheries Act, 2020)
(k) organising and regulating sport fishing in the Bangladesh fisheries waters;
Cathain is féidir leat tumadh
Séasúir & srianta ama
Tréimhsí dúnta, oscailte agus srianta ar fud na bliana. Deimhnigh i gcónaí dúnta speicis-shonraithe go háitiúil.
- DúntaAll marine fishing in the Bay of Bengal (commercial and artisanal); enforced annually by the Department of FisheriesBeal 20 – Iúil 23
Annual 65-day marine fishing ban in the Bay of Bengal to protect spawning fish stocks. Dates are set by Government notification and vary slightly year to year; the 2024 ban ran 20 May to 23 July. While framed for commercial/artisanal fishing, it reflects a general prohibition on extracting marine fish during this period.
Cead iascaireachta
Ceadúnas
Cad atá de dhíth ort le bheith ceadaithe san uisce, cad a chosnaíonn sé, agus conas é a fháil.
There is no licensing pathway for recreational spearfishing. Marine fishing licences and permits under the Marine Fisheries Act, 2020 are for commercial industrial vessels and artisanal fishing vessels, not for recreational divers. Killing fish with a gun, bow and arrow (covering spearguns/harpoons) may be prohibited under section 3(b) of the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950.
Faigh do cheadúnasOsclaíonn an tairseach oifigiúil · fisheries.portal.gov.bd
- Cineál
- No recreational spearfishing licence exists
- Costas
- unknown
- Bailíocht
- unknown
- Conas a fháil
- There is no licensing pathway for recreational spearfishing. Marine fishing licences and permits under the Marine Fisheries Act, 2020 are for commercial industrial vessels and artisanal fishing vessels, not for recreational divers. Killing fish with a gun, bow and arrow (covering spearguns/harpoons) may be prohibited under section 3(b) of the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950.
- Údarás
- Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
Trealamh & teicníc
Rialacha trealamh
Cén trealamh atá ceadaithe, conas is féidir é a úsáid, agus na coinníollacha ceangailte.
Srianta
- Destruction of fish by 'gun, bow and arrow' (covering spearguns and harpoons) may be prohibited in inland, coastal and marine waters under section 3(b) of the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950 (as amended)
- Destruction of fish by explosives, electrofishing devices and poison is prohibited under fisheries law (Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950 s.3; Marine Fisheries regime)
No statute or rule positively authorises spearguns for recreational use. The 'gun, bow and arrow' prohibition is read to encompass projectile underwater hunting gear, so speargun use is treated as not allowed.
Cad is féidir leat a ghlacadh
Teorainneacha gabháil & speicis chosanta
Cuótaí laethúla, méideanna íosta, agus speicis nach féidir a thógáil go deo.
Teorainn laethúil
unknown
Speicis chosanta — ná tóg
- CosantaSharks (protected in Marine Protected Areas; whale sharks)
- CosantaMarine mammals — Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, porpoises, whales (Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012; MPA protections)
- CosantaMarine turtles — olive ridley, green, loggerhead
- CosantaCorals (St Martin's Island)
- CosantaRays — white-spotted whipray, long-tailed butterfly ray
No recreational spearfishing catch limits exist because the activity is not provided for. Many high-value reef and pelagic species in the accessible St Martin's / coral-reef area are protected under MPA and wildlife law.
Cé is féidir iascaireacht
Cuairteoirí & cónaitheoirí
Conas a dhéanann na rialacha difear do chuairteoirí coigríche agus do chónaitheoirí áitiúla.
Cuairteoirí coigríche
Ní ceadaítearSrianta
- No recreational spearfishing licence is available to anyone, resident or foreign
- Marine Protected Areas (St Martin's Island, Swatch of No Ground) restrict fishing activity
- St Martin's Island access for tourists is itself increasingly restricted by the Government for conservation reasons
Foreign visitors have no lawful route to recreational spearfishing; the general prohibitions and lack of any permit regime apply equally to them.
Cónaitheoirí
No recreational spearfishing licence type exists
Residents likewise have no recreational spearfishing licence pathway. Commercial/artisanal marine fishing requires a licence or permit under the Marine Fisheries Act, 2020, which is unrelated to recreational underwater hunting.
Cá háit ar an gcósta
Criosanna ceadaithe & toirmiscthe
Ceantair ainmnithe atá oscailte nó dúnta do spearfishing. Féach an pictiúr iomlán ar an mapa idirghníomhach.
Ceantair thoirmiscthe
- St Martin's Island Marine Protected Areamarine protected area
Approximately 1,743 km2 of the Bay of Bengal around St Martin's Island, declared a Marine Protected Area in 2022 under sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012. Bangladesh's only coral reef and ~230 finfish species. Coral destruction and uncontrolled/overfishing are restricted; the area is the prime location any diver might attempt spearfishing, and it is protected. A 590-hectare part of the island was also declared an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999.
- Swatch of No Ground Marine Protected Areamarine protected area
Bangladesh's first Marine Protected Area (declared 2014), a submarine canyon in the Bay of Bengal south of Dublar Char, roughly 1,738 km2, declared under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012. A hotspot for cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises, whales) and sharks; fishing and unauthorised activities are restricted.
- Nijhum Dwip Marine Reservemarine reserve
Marine protected area of roughly 3,188 km2 of estuarine waters at the mouth of the Meghna river system, around Nijhum Dwip (Noakhali District), declared in 2019 by Bangladesh. Adjacent to Nijhum Dwip National Park (a Forest Department protected area). Part of Bangladesh's expansion of marine protected areas (~8.8% of EEZ); fishing and extractive activity are restricted in these reserve waters, so spearfishing would not be lawful here.
- Sonadia Island Ecologically Critical Areaecologically critical area
Barrier island off the Cox's Bazar coast (Kutubjom Union, Maheshkhali Upazila), ~15 km north-west of Cox's Bazar town, declared a national Ecologically Critical Area in 1999 under the Environment Conservation Act, 1995. Supports the last remnant mangrove in SE Bangladesh and is a nesting site for olive ridley and green sea turtles, plus cetaceans and shorebirds. As an ECA the surrounding marine area is protected and extractive activity (including underwater hunting of protected species) is restricted.
Coinníollacha ar an uisce
Coinníollacha beo
Grianghraf muirí agus aimsire beo in aice le pointe tagartha cósta in Bangladesh, ó Open-Meteo. Athraíonn coinníollacha feadh an chósta — caith leis mar tháscaire.
Muirí beo & aimsir in aice le St Martin's Island Marine Protected Area.
Cé le fiafraí
Údaráis
Na comhlachtaí oifigiúla atá freagrach as iascach agus ceadúnú.
Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
fisheries authority
fisheries.portal.gov.bdMatshya Bhaban, Ramna, Dhaka, BangladeshMarine Fisheries Office / Marine Fisheries Department, Chattogram
marine fisheries authority
marine.fisheries.gov.bdChattogram (Chittagong), BangladeshDepartment of Environment (Ecologically Critical Areas) / Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Marine Protected Areas under Wildlife Act 2012)
environment ministry
doe.gov.bdDhaka, Bangladesh
Cá as a dtagann sé seo
Foinsí
Rianaíonn gach éileamh ar an leathanach seo ar ais go ceann de na tagairtí seo.
- [01]
Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950 (Act No. XVIII of 1950) — full text, Laws of Bangladesh
Oifigiúilbdlaws.minlaw.gov.bdRochtain Mei 14 - [02]
Marine Fisheries Ordinance, 1983 (repealed) — full text including Part VII prohibited methods and sport-fishing rule-making power, Laws of Bangladesh
Oifigiúilbdlaws.minlaw.gov.bdRochtain Mei 14 - [03]
The Marine Fisheries Act 2020: An Appraisal (notes that marine fisheries law does not cover recreational fishing)
Tánaisteachbsmrmu.edu.bdRochtain Mei 14 - [04]
Marine Fisheries Act 2020 of Bangladesh: A Missed Opportunity — The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law (Brill)
Tánaisteachbrill.comRochtain Mei 14 - [05]
Conservation and Protection of Fisheries Resources of Bangladesh — BdFISH Feature
Tánaisteachen.bdfish.orgRochtain Mei 14 - [06]
St Martin's Island declared marine protected area — The Daily Star
Tánaisteachthedailystar.netRochtain Mei 14 - [07]
Swatch of No Ground Marine Protected Area — Wikipedia
Tánaisteachen.wikipedia.orgRochtain Mei 14 - [08]
Overfishing leads to decline in Bangladesh marine fish stocks & diversity (65-day marine fishing ban) — Mongabay
Tánaisteachnews.mongabay.comRochtain Mei 14
Nótaí taighdeora
Bangladesh has no specific spearfishing or recreational-fishing legislation. The operative restriction is section 3(b) of the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950 (as amended), which empowers prohibition of destroying fish by 'gun, bow and arrow' (covering spearguns/harpoons), plus explosives and electrofishing, in inland, coastal and marine fisheries waters, with penalties up to 2 years imprisonment and/or a 5 lakh Taka fine under section 5(1). The Marine Fisheries Act, 2020 (Act No. XIX of 2020) repealed the Marine Fisheries Ordinance, 1983 and governs commercial/artisanal fishing via licences and permits; legal scholarship confirms it does not cover recreational fishing. The earlier 1983 Ordinance contained an unused rule-making power to 'organise and regulate sport fishing', but no sport-fishing rules were ever made and the power was not retained in the 2020 Act. Verbatim provisions for the Marine Fisheries Act 2020 itself could not be retrieved in clean text (the bdlaws act-print-646 page serves the predecessor 1983 Ordinance, and the official 2020 Act PDF was not machine-readable), so the 1983 Ordinance text is included as indicative of the marine prohibited-methods regime rather than as currently-in-force marine law. Confidence is medium: the inland/coastal prohibition (PCFA 1950 s.3(b)) is verbatim from the official portal and clearly covers spear-type gear, but the absence of an explicit, named 'spearfishing' ban means the 'no' status is an interpretation of general gear prohibitions plus the absence of any authorising licence regime. Coordinates for the two MPAs are approximate (St Martin's from island location ~20.63N 92.32E; Swatch of No Ground from Wikipedia ~21.25N 89.47E).
Cuir in iúl dom nuair a athraíonn rialacha Bangladesh
Seolfaimid ríomhphost chugat nuair a nuashonraítear séasúir nó rialacháin Bangladesh inár dtacar sonraí.