Austria
Europe · Western Europe
Austria is a landlocked country with no sea coast, so there is no marine spearfishing. All fishing takes place in inland freshwater (lakes and rivers). Fishing law is not federal but is regulated separately by each of the nine federal states (Bundesländer), each with its own Landesfischereigesetz. Across the state fishing laws reviewed, spearfishing is effectively prohibited: harpoons (Harpunen) and fish spears (Fischstecher) are listed as forbidden fishing devices, the methods of spearing/stabbing (Stechen) are forbidden fishing methods, and in some states (e.g. Vienna) fishing while swimming or diving (Tauchen) is itself explicitly prohibited. Recreational angling generally requires a fishing licence (Fischerkarte) plus the permission of the waters' fishing-rights holder, but spearfishing as a method is not a permitted technique. Conclusion: recreational underwater spearfishing is not legal in Austrian waters.
Última actualización Xuño 14, 2026
Marco normativo
- §Wiener Fischereigesetz (W-FischG), LGBl. Nr. 1/1948 (consolidated) — Vienna
- §NÖ Fischereigesetz 2001 (Niederösterreichisches Fischereigesetz) — Lower Austria
- §Salzburger Fischereigesetz 2002, LGBl. Nr. 81/2002 (consolidated) — Salzburg
- §Oö. Fischereigesetz (Oberösterreichisches Fischereigesetz) — Upper Austria
- Licenza obrigatoria
- Obrigatoria
- Arpón
- Prohibido
- Escafandra
- Prohibido
- Estranxeiros
- Non permitido
A lei, literalmente
Textos legais
As disposicións estatutarias e regulamentarias exactas que rexen a pesca submarina aquí, citadas tal como se publicaron, con ligazón a cada fonte oficial.
Weidgerechte Ausübung — verbotene Vorrichtungen und Fangmethoden (Vienna)
Wiener Fischereigesetz (W-FischG), LGBl. Nr. 1/1948
(1) Der Fischfang ist weidgerecht auszuüben. Es ist verboten, zum Fischfang Vorrichtungen, Fangmittel und Methoden zu gebrauchen, die den Grundsätzen der Weidgerechtigkeit widersprechen. (2) Verbotene Vorrichtungen und Fangmittel im Sinne des Abs. 1 sind insbesondere Sprengstoffe, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Schlingen, Legschnüre (Nachtschnüre), Betäubungsmittel und Gifte sowie elektrischer Strom. (3) Verbotene Fangmethoden im Sinne des Abs. 1 sind insbesondere das Fischen beim Schwimmen oder Tauchen, das Verwenden von lebenden Wirbeltieren als Köder, das Fischen unter Zuhilfenahme künstlicher Lichtquellen, das Fischen aus Flugzeugen oder fahrenden Kraftfahrzeugen sowie das Stechen, das Anreißen, das Prellen und das Keulen.
Verbotene Vorrichtungen, Fangmittel und Fangmethoden (Lower Austria)
NÖ Fischereigesetz 2001 (Niederösterreichisches Fischereigesetz)
Insbesondere folgende Vorrichtungen und Fangmittel sind verboten: Explosivstoffe, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Betäubungsmittel, Gifte und Schlingen, elektrischer Strom, künstliche Lichtquellen und Echolot. [...] Insbesondere folgende Fangmethoden sind verboten: das Stechen, das Anreißen, das Prellen und das Keulen, das Verwenden lebender Köder, ausgenommen gesetzlich nicht geschützte wirbellose Tiere, das Verwenden von Krustentieren als Köder, Vorkehrungen zu treffen, die den Wechsel der Fische verhindern können.
Verbotene Fangmittel und Fangmethoden (Salzburg)
Salzburger Fischereigesetz 2002
[verbotene Fangmittel:] Sprengstoffen, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Betäubungsmitteln, Giften, Fischstechern und Schlingen [...] [verbotene Fangmethoden:] bei Anwendung der Fangmethoden des Stechens, Anreißens, Prellens oder Keulens.
Cando podes mergullarte
Tempadas e restricións horarias
Períodos pechados, abertos e restrinxidos ao longo do ano. Confirma sempre localmente os peches específicos por especie.
Non se rexistraron peches estacionais — verifica localmente antes de mergullarte.
Permiso para pescar
Licenza
O que necesitas para poder estar na auga, o seu custo e como obtela.
Obtain the state Fischerkarte (often after passing a fishing exam, Fischerprüfung) and a separate permit from the owner/lessee of the fishing rights for the chosen water. Spearfishing cannot be licensed as a method.
Obtén a túa licenzaAbre o portal oficial · oesterreich.gv.at
- Tipo
- Fischerkarte (state fishing licence) plus a fishing permit (Lizenz/Erlaubnisschein) from the holder of the fishing rights for the specific water; issued per federal state. Note: this licence is for line angling only — spearfishing is not a permitted method.
- Custo
- unknown
- Validez
- Varies by state; typically annual or multi-year.
- Como obter
- Obtain the state Fischerkarte (often after passing a fishing exam, Fischerprüfung) and a separate permit from the owner/lessee of the fishing rights for the chosen water. Spearfishing cannot be licensed as a method.
- Autoridade
- Respective state government (Landesregierung) / state fishing association (Landesfischereiverband)
Equipamento e técnica
Normas de equipamento
Que equipamento está permitido, como se pode usar e as condicións aplicables.
Restricións
- Harpoons (Harpunen) are listed as prohibited fishing devices in state fishing laws (e.g. Vienna § 49 Abs. 2; Lower Austria § 12 Abs. 5; Salzburg § 23 Abs. 3).
- Fish spears (Fischstecher) are explicitly prohibited as a fishing means in Salzburg (§ 23 Abs. 3 Z 1 lit. a).
- Spearing/stabbing (Stechen) is a prohibited fishing method in all reviewed state laws.
- In Vienna, fishing while swimming or diving (das Fischen beim Schwimmen oder Tauchen) is an explicitly prohibited fishing method (§ 49 Abs. 3).
Spearguns/harpoons cannot be used for fishing in Austrian inland waters. Possession of a speargun is governed by general law, but it cannot be lawfully used to take fish.
O que podes capturar
Límites de captura e especies protexidas
Cotas diarias, tamaños mínimos e especies que nunca se poden capturar.
Límite diario
unknown
Minimum sizes (Brittelmaße), closed seasons (Schonzeiten) and bag limits exist for angling and are set per federal state, but they are not relevant to spearfishing because spearfishing is a prohibited method. Not enumerated here.
Quen pode pescar
Visitantes e residentes
Como difiren as normas para os visitantes estranxeiros e os residentes locais.
Visitantes estranxeiros
Non permitidoRestricións
- Spearfishing is prohibited for everyone regardless of nationality; foreigners cannot spearfish either.
- Foreign visitors may angle (rod-and-line) where they hold a valid state Fischerkarte plus a water permit, but not by spearfishing.
The prohibition on harpoons/spearfishing applies to residents and non-residents alike.
Residentes
State Fischerkarte for angling only (no spearfishing category exists).
Requisitos
- Pass the state fishing exam (Fischerprüfung) where required, obtain the Fischerkarte, and secure a permit from the fishing-rights holder.
Residents are equally barred from spearfishing; the licence covers line angling only.
A quen preguntar
Autoridades
Os organismos oficiais responsables da pesca e das licenzas.
Republik Österreich / oesterreich.gv.at (official government portal — Fischen in Österreich)
government information portal
Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (RIS) — official consolidated legislation portal
legislation portal
NÖ Landesfischereiverband (Lower Austria State Fishing Association)
fisheries authority / association
Land Oberösterreich — Fischereirecht (Upper Austria fisheries authority)
fisheries authority
De onde vén esta información
Fontes
Cada afirmación desta páxina remite a unha destas referencias.
- [01]
RIS — Wiener Fischereigesetz § 49 (Landesrecht konsolidiert Wien)
Oficialris.bka.gv.atConsultado o Xuñ 14 - [02]
JUSLINE — § 49 W-FischG (Wiener Fischereigesetz), full text
Secundariajusline.atConsultado o Xuñ 14 - [03]
NÖ Landesfischereiverband — Das NÖ Fischereigesetz (§ 12 verbotene Fangmittel/Fangmethoden)
Oficialnoe-lfv.atConsultado o Xuñ 14 - [04]
RIS — Salzburger Fischereigesetz (Geltende Fassung), § 23
Oficialris.bka.gv.atConsultado o Xuñ 14 - [05]
Land Oberösterreich — Verbotene Fangmittel und Fangmethoden
Oficialland-oberoesterreich.gv.atConsultado o Xuñ 14 - [06]
oesterreich.gv.at — Fischen in Österreich (official government portal)
Oficialoesterreich.gv.atConsultado o Xuñ 14
Notas do investigador
Austria is landlocked (no sea coastline), so there is no marine spearfishing — only inland freshwater fishing exists. Fishing legislation is a competence of the nine federal states (Bundesländer); there is no single national fishing act. Three state laws were verified with verbatim primary-source text (Vienna W-FischG § 49, Lower Austria NÖ FischG § 12, Salzburg Sbg. FischG § 23) and all list harpoons (Harpunen) — and in Salzburg also fish spears (Fischstecher) — as prohibited fishing devices, plus spearing/stabbing (Stechen) as a prohibited method; Vienna additionally bans fishing while swimming or diving (Tauchen). Upper Austria's official portal likewise lists Stechen among prohibited methods. The remaining states (Burgenland, Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg) were not individually fetched, but the pattern of harpoon/diving prohibition is consistent across Austrian fishing law and reflects the shared 'Weidgerechtigkeit' (fair-chase) principle; spearfishing should be treated as prohibited nationwide. Seasons, zones and catch limits are left empty because they pertain to permitted angling and are not relevant to the prohibited spearfishing method. Cost/validity left as unknown rather than guessed, as they vary per state and were not retrieved verbatim. Inland/freshwater spearfishing: Prohibited in all inland waters nationwide — Austria's per-state (Bundesland) fishing laws list harpoons (Harpunen) as prohibited fishing devices and spearing/stabbing (Stechen) as a prohibited fishing method, with Vienna also explicitly banning fishing while swimming or diving (Tauchen). Verified in Vienna (§ 49 W-FischG: Harpunen prohibited as device; das Fischen beim Schwimmen oder Tauchen and das Stechen prohibited as methods), Lower Austria (§ 12 NÖ FischG 2001: Harpunen/Fischstecher prohibited devices, das Stechen prohibited method), and Upper Austria (Stechen listed among prohibited methods). Source: https://www.jusline.at/gesetz/w-fischg/paragraf/49
Notifícame cando cambien as normas de Austria
Enviarémosche un correo cando as tempadas ou regulacións de Austria se actualicen no noso conxunto de datos.