Oman
Asia · Western Asia
Spearfishing in Oman is heavily restricted and is not part of the standard recreational fishing permit. Under the new Executive Regulation of the Living Aquatic Resources Law (Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026, in force 13 April 2026), recreational fishing is allowed only with a licence and restricted to manual line and hook; night fishing (sunset to sunrise) is banned and the catch is capped at 20 kg. Spear/harpoon use falls outside this recreational permit and is treated as a separately regulated activity: reports indicate harpoon fishing requires holding a fishing licence for several years, coastal residency and a dedicated harpoon permit, and some areas of Musandam Governorate may permit it only with a permit from local authorities. Spearfishing while on SCUBA is not permitted. Foreign-flagged commercial vessels are barred unless partnered with an Omani company. Marine protected areas (e.g. the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve) prohibit fishing and have seasonal closures. Underlying law: Aquatic/Living Aquatic Resources Law, Royal Decree No. 20/2019 (which repealed Royal Decree No. 53/81).
Nuashonraithe go deireanach Meitheamh 16, 2026
Creat rialaitheach
- §Royal Decree No. 20/2019 - Aquatic Living Resources Law (issued 13 February 2019; repealed Royal Decree No. 53/81)
- §Royal Decree No. 53/81 - Law of Maritime Fishing and the Protection of Aquatic Living Resources (1981; repealed)
- §Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026 - Executive Regulation of the Living Aquatic Resources Law (in force 13 April 2026; replaces 14 prior ministerial decisions including Ministerial Resolution No. 4/94)
- §Ministerial Decision No. 39/2024 - amendment introducing seasonal shark fishing ban
- §Royal Decree (3 April 1996) - establishment of the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve
- Ceadúnas riachtanach
- Riachtanach
- Gunna spéire
- Toirmiscthe
- Scúba
- Toirmiscthe
- Coigríche
- Fáilte
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.
Royal Decree 20/2019 issuing the Aquatic Living Resources Law - promulgation articles (verbatim English translation)
Royal Decree No. 20/2019 issuing the Aquatic Living Resources Law
We, Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman, after perusal of [the Basic Statute of the State promulgated by Royal Decree 101/96] ... and after presentation to Majlis Oman, and in pursuance of public interest, have decreed as follows. Article I: The attached Aquatic Living Resources Law shall apply. Article II: The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries shall issue the executive regulation for the provisions of this law within a period not exceeding one year from the date of its issuance, and shall issue the decisions necessary to implement the provisions of this law, and until they are issued, the regulation and decisions in force shall continue to operate to the degree that they do not contradict with the provisions of this law. Article III: The Law on Fishing and Protection of Marine Living Resources promulgated by Royal Decree 53/81 is hereby repealed, as well as every provision contrary to this law or in conflict with its provisions. Article IV: This decree shall be published in the Official Gazette, and comes into force after 90 (ninety) days from the date of its publication.
Reported summary of recreational fishing rules under Ministerial Decision 70/2026 (NOT statutory verbatim - press digest)
Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026 - Executive Regulation of the Aquatic Living Resources Law (in force 13 April 2026)
JOURNALIST SUMMARY, NOT A STATUTORY QUOTE - the full text of Ministerial Decision 70/2026 is behind a paid subscription on the official decree.om portal and could not be retrieved verbatim. As reported by Muscat Daily and the Oman Observer, the executive regulation provides that recreational fishing is permitted under licence only; must be carried out manually using line and hook; the maximum catch per trip is 20 kg; and recreational fishing between sunset and sunrise is prohibited. It is also reported to ban bottom trawling, prohibit devices that aggregate fish (FADs), bar claiming of fishing locations by custom/tradition, and provide administrative penalties of up to RO 10,000, activity suspension of up to 180 days, or licence revocation.
Reported summary of repealed Royal Decree 53/81 powers (NOT statutory verbatim - legal-database abstract)
Royal Decree No. 53/81 - Law of Maritime Fishing and the Protection of Aquatic Living Resources (repealed by RD 20/2019)
DATABASE ABSTRACT, NOT A STATUTORY QUOTE - retained for historical context only. Per the ECOLEX/FAO legal-database summary, the 1981 law empowered authorities to specify equipment permitted or prohibited in navigation and fishing, to ban substances harmful to the growth, reproduction and migration of living aquatic resources, to designate locations where fishing is prohibited seasonally, and to establish the minimum size of fish and other living aquatic resources. This law was repealed by Royal Decree No. 20/2019.
Reported summary of seasonal shark fishing ban under Ministerial Decision 39/2024 (NOT statutory verbatim - press digest)
Ministerial Decision No. 39/2024 (amending regulations under Royal Decree No. 20/2019)
JOURNALIST SUMMARY, NOT A STATUTORY QUOTE - as reported by The Arabian Stories, fishing for sharks will be prohibited from the first day of December until the last day of September of the following year under Ministerial Decision 39/2024. The official Arabic text of the decision was not retrieved verbatim.
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.
- DúntaSharksNol 1 – MFóm 30
Shark fishing prohibited from 1 December to the last day of September of the following year (Ministerial Decision No. 39/2024).
- DúntaKingfish (kanad)Lún 15 – Deit 15
Closed season for kingfish under the 2026 executive regulation.
- DúntaShrimpNol 1 – Lún 31
Closed season for shrimp under the 2026 executive regulation.
- DúntaDaymaniyat Islands Nature ReserveBeal 1 – Deit 31
The Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve is fully closed to visitors from 1 May to 31 October to protect endangered sea turtle nesting (no landings, no snorkeling, no boats within sensitive zones).
Cead iascaireachta
Ceadúnas
Cad atá de dhíth ort le bheith ceadaithe san uisce, cad a chosnaíonn sé, agus conas é a fháil.
Apply online via gov.om (sign in, fill form, pay fee, await approval, ~30 min). Documents: Omani/GCC national ID card or expatriate resident card; vessel photo optional.
Faigh do cheadúnasOsclaíonn an tairseach oifigiúil · gov.om
- Cineál
- Recreational/amateur fishing licence (daily or annual)
- Costas
- Daily: 2 Omani Rials (OMR); Annual: 30 OMR (Oman Observer reports daily 24-hour permit RO 2, annual permit RO 30, 30-day renewal RO 30)
- Bailíocht
- Daily (24 hours) or annual
- Conas a fháil
- Apply online via gov.om (sign in, fill form, pay fee, await approval, ~30 min). Documents: Omani/GCC national ID card or expatriate resident card; vessel photo optional.
- Údarás
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth & Water Resources
Trealamh & teicníc
Rialacha trealamh
Cén trealamh atá ceadaithe, conas is féidir é a úsáid, agus na coinníollacha ceangailte.
Srianta
- Recreational fishing restricted to manual line and hook only (Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026); spearguns/harpoons are not part of the recreational permit.
- Spearfishing while on SCUBA is not permitted (secondary source).
- Harpoon use reported to require a multi-year fishing licence, coastal residency and a dedicated harpoon permit, and in Musandam a permit from local authorities.
- Bottom trawling prohibited.
- Devices designed to attract/aggregate fish (FADs) prohibited.
- Nets, explosives and chemicals banned for recreational use.
Standard recreational licences only authorise rod/line and hook from shore, boat or tourist vessel. Spear/harpoon fishing sits outside this and is separately and tightly regulated; treat as restricted/effectively unavailable to most recreational and foreign fishers.
Cad is féidir leat a ghlacadh
Teorainneacha gabháil & speicis chosanta
Cuótaí laethúla, méideanna íosta, agus speicis nach féidir a thógáil go deo.
Teorainn laethúil
20 kg per recreational fishing trip
Speicis chosanta — ná tóg
- CosantaSharks (seasonally closed 1 Dec - 30 Sep)
- CosantaSea turtles (hawksbill and green - protected; harming/touching illegal in reserves)
- CosantaLobster
- CosantaShrimp (seasonal closure 1 Dec - 31 Aug)
- CosantaAbalone
- CosantaSea cucumbers
- CosantaCrabs
- CosantaOysters and shells (no harvest/trade without permit)
Recreational anglers may not target or keep lobster, shrimp, abalone or certain molluscs. Sea cucumbers, crabs, oysters and shells require permits for harvest/trade. Selling recreational catch is prohibited. Size limits exist under the law but specific per-species minimum sizes were not retrieved verbatim.
Cé is féidir iascaireacht
Cuairteoirí & cónaitheoirí
Conas a dhéanann na rialacha difear do chuairteoirí coigríche agus do chónaitheoirí áitiúla.
Cuairteoirí coigríche
CeadaitheCeadúnas speisialta de dhíth
Riachtanais
- Valid Omani residency permit (expatriate resident card) to apply for a recreational fishing licence.
- Minimum age 18, medically fit with good swimming skills.
- Hold a recreational fishing licence (daily 2 OMR / annual 30 OMR).
Srianta
- Recreational fishing limited to manual line and hook; spearfishing/harpoon not covered by the recreational permit.
- No commercial sale of catch; 20 kg trip limit; no night fishing.
- Foreign-flagged commercial vessels prohibited unless partnered with an Omani company and granted prior approval.
- Tourists without residency generally fish only via licensed tour/charter operators.
Expatriate residents can obtain the same recreational licence as Omanis, but spear/harpoon fishing's residency- and permit-heavy conditions make it effectively inaccessible to most foreigners; spearfishing on SCUBA is not allowed.
Cónaitheoirí
Recreational/amateur fishing licence (daily or annual)
Riachtanais
- Omani national ID card (or GCC ID).
- Minimum age 18, medically fit, good swimming skills.
- For harpoon fishing (reported): hold a fishing licence for several years and be a resident of a coastal wilayat/state, then apply for a separate harpoon permit.
Sochair
- Eligible for recreational licence on the same terms as expatriate residents.
- Coastal residents may be eligible for harpoon permits where allowed (e.g. parts of Musandam).
Traditional/customary claims to fishing locations are prohibited under the 2026 regulation.
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 cheadaithe
Reports indicate that certain areas of Musandam Governorate may allow spear/harpoon fishing under conditions, subject to obtaining a permit from local authorities. Note: the Royal Oman Police have at times issued precautionary advisories suspending fishing and tourist-boat activity in Musandam waters due to regional risks.
Permit from local authorities required; spearfishing not permitted on SCUBA; subject to national recreational rules and any precautionary suspensions.
Ceantair thoirmiscthe
- Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reservemarine nature reserve
Oman's only dedicated marine nature reserve, established by Royal Decree on 3 April 1996, located ~18 km off Barka in the Gulf of Oman (Al Batinah South Governorate). Managed by the Oman Environment Authority with rangers and a permit system. Fishing is prohibited; touching coral or turtles is illegal; access requires a permit. Fully closed 1 May - 31 October for turtle nesting.
- Al Hallaniyat Islands Nature Reserve (Khuriya Muriya Islands)marine nature reserve
Archipelago of five islands in the Arabian Sea ~40 km off the Dhofar coast (Shalim and the Hallaniyat Islands province). The Environment Authority issued regulations declaring it a nature reserve with strict marine restrictions: fishing by non-residents is banned, residents need permits, and carrying or using weapons (relevant to spearguns/harpoons) is prohibited; diving and photography require prior authorization. Center point at the main island Al-Hallaniyah.
- Ras al Hadd Turtle Reserve (Ras al Jinz)marine and coastal nature reserve
Coastal nature reserve in Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate at the easternmost point of the Arabian Peninsula, designated a nature reserve by Royal Decree No. 25/96 on 23 April 1996. ~42 km of coastline / ~120 km2, one of the Indian Ocean's most important green-turtle nesting areas, with tidal mudflats, mangroves and coral reefs; managed by the Environment Authority with a permit/ranger system. Harming or disturbing turtles is illegal and access is regulated. Center near Ras al Jinz.
Coinníollacha ar an uisce
Coinníollacha beo
Grianghraf muirí agus aimsire beo in aice le pointe tagartha cósta in Oman, ó Open-Meteo. Athraíonn coinníollacha feadh an chósta — caith leis mar tháscaire.
Muirí beo & aimsir in aice le Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve.
Cé le fiafraí
Údaráis
Na comhlachtaí oifigiúla atá freagrach as iascach agus ceadúnú.
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources
fisheries authority
Oman Environment Authority
environment authority (manages marine nature reserves)
Royal Oman Police (Coast Guard)
enforcement / maritime authority
Cá as a dtagann sé seo
Foinsí
Rianaíonn gach éileamh ar an leathanach seo ar ais go ceann de na tagairtí seo.
- [01]
New regulations to govern fishing, protect Oman's marine resources (Muscat Daily, on Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026)
Tánaisteachmuscatdaily.comRochtain Mei 15 - [02]
Oman issues new executive regulation to strengthen fisheries governance (The Arabian Stories, Ministerial Decision 70/2026)
Tánaisteachthearabianstories.comRochtain Mei 15 - [03]
Want to fish for fun, take a permit (Oman Observer)
Tánaisteachomanobserver.omRochtain Mei 15 - [04]
Get a Recreational Fishing Licence (Annual/Daily) - Official Oman e-Government portal
Oifigiúilgov.omRochtain Mei 15 - [05]
Royal Decree No. 53/81 Law of Maritime Fishing (ECOLEX/FAO legal database)
Oifigiúilecolex.orgRochtain Mei 15 - [06]
Royal Decree 20/2019 Issuing the Aquatic Living Resources Law (Decree.om)
Oifigiúildecree.omRochtain Mei 15 - [07]
Oman's ministry amends regulations of Law on Fishing (Ministerial Decision 39/2024 - shark season; The Arabian Stories)
Tánaisteachthearabianstories.comRochtain Mei 15 - [08]
Al-Daymaniyat Islands Marine Nature Reserve (Daymaniyat.com)
Tánaisteachdaymaniyat.comRochtain Mei 15 - [09]
New Regulations on Fishing and Tourist Boats in Musandam (Omanet / ROP)
Oifigiúilomanet.omRochtain Mei 15 - [10]
Is Spearfishing Legal in Oman? (Trickyfish - dive aggregator)
communitytrickyfish.coRochtain Mei 15
Nótaí taighdeora
VERBATIM/SOURCE STATUS: The only genuinely verbatim legal text retrieved is the English translation of the promulgation articles (preamble + Articles I-IV) of Royal Decree 20/2019, available on the official decree.om portal (law_texts[0]). The substantive articles of the Aquatic Living Resources Law (RD 20/2019) and the full text of the Executive Regulation (Ministerial Decision 70/2026) are behind a paid subscription on decree.om and could NOT be retrieved verbatim. Accordingly, the recreational-fishing rules (licence only, manual line and hook only, 20 kg per trip, no fishing sunset-to-sunrise, bottom-trawling and FAD bans, RO 10,000 penalty ceiling), the RD 53/81 powers, and the shark closed season are documented from journalist/legal-database summaries (Muscat Daily, Oman Observer, The Arabian Stories, ECOLEX) and are explicitly labelled in law_texts as reported summaries, NOT statutory quotes. Specific article numbers for these provisions and for any spear/harpoon rule could not be cited and are not invented. Spearfishing/harpoon fishing is not addressed by name in any retrieved official text; the 'restricted' conclusion is derived from (a) the national recreational framework permitting only manual line and hook, and (b) secondary dive/aggregator reporting (trickyfish.co) that harpoon use requires a multi-year licence, coastal residency and a dedicated permit, with some Musandam areas allowing it under permit and spearfishing prohibited on SCUBA. The daily sunset-to-sunrise night-fishing ban is a time-of-day rule (captured in legal_status, equipment_rules and foreigners_rules) and was removed from the seasons array, which holds only machine-parseable calendar periods. Daymaniyat reserve coordinates are an approximate centroid (~23.86N, 58.10E). data_confidence lowered to 'low' to reflect the heavy reliance on paywalled primary law and secondary/aggregator sourcing. Recommend verifying all spear/harpoon and recreational-permit specifics directly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources before relying on this for legal purposes.
Cuir in iúl dom nuair a athraíonn rialacha Oman
Seolfaimid ríomhphost chugat nuair a nuashonraítear séasúir nó rialacháin Oman inár dtacar sonraí.