Malta
Europe · Southern Europe
Recreational spearfishing is legal in Malta and does not require a dedicated licence, but it is tightly regulated by directly-applicable EU law. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 (and previously Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006) spear guns may only be used in recreational fishing WITHOUT an aqualung (underwater breathing apparatus / scuba) and only by day, from dawn until dusk; night spearfishing and spearfishing on scuba are prohibited. Spearfishing is also banned inside marine conservation areas, voluntary marine reserves around wrecks (e.g. Cirkewwa), designated swimmers'/bathing zones and protected archaeological zones at sea. EU minimum conservation reference sizes (Annex IX) apply to catch, recreational catch may not be sold, and bluefin tuna is effectively catch-and-release for recreational fishers. The national framework is the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, Cap. 425.
Síðast uppfært Júní 15, 2026
Stjórnandakerfi
- §Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, Chapter 425 of the Laws of Malta (Act II of 2001, as amended)
- §Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures
- §Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 of 21 December 2006 concerning management measures for the sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in the Mediterranean Sea
- §Fishing Vessels Regulations, Subsidiary Legislation 425.07
- §Notice to Mariners No. 5 of 2008 (Conservation Areas Around Wrecks)
- Leyfi nauðsynlegt
- Ekki nauðsynlegt
- Skotfæri
- Leyfilegt
- Köfunarbúnaður
- Bannað
- Erlendir gestir
- Velkomin
Lögin, orðrétt
Lagagreinar
Nákvæmar lög- og reglugerðargreinar sem stjórna langskotsfiski hér, tilvitnað eins og birt, með tengil á hverja opinbera heimild.
Prohibited fishing gears and methods - projectiles and spear guns
Regulation (EU) 2019/1241
any type of projectile, with the exception of those used to kill caged or trapped tuna and of hand-held spears and spear guns used in recreational fishing without an aqualung, from dawn until dusk.
Restriction on spear-guns with breathing apparatus and at night
Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006
Spear-guns shall be prohibited if used in conjunction with underwater breathing apparatus (aqualung) or at night from sunset to dawn.
Fisheries Conservation and Management Act - short title and scope
Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, Chapter 425 (Act II of 2001)
To make provision for the regulation, conservation and management of the fisheries of Malta and matters incidental thereto. ... 1. The short title of this Act is Fisheries Conservation and Management Act.
Definition of commercial fishing (excludes recreational fishing)
Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, Chapter 425 (Act II of 2001)
"commercial fishing" means all fishing operations with the exception of subsistence fishing and recreational fishing;
Hvenær þú getur kafað
Vertíðar og tímatakmörk
Lokaðar, opnar og takmarkaðar tímabilið yfir árið. Staðfestu alltaf lokun vegna ákveðinna tegunda staðbundið.
- TakmarkaðAll spearfishing (time-of-day restriction)sunset – dawn
Spearfishing with spear guns is prohibited at night, from sunset/dusk until dawn; spear guns may only be used in daylight (dawn until dusk). Basis: Reg. (EU) 2019/1241 Art. 7(1)(g); Council Reg. (EC) 1967/2006 Art. 8(4).
- TakmarkaðDesignated bathing / swimmers' zones (seasonal, typically summer)unknown – unknown
Fishing, including spearfishing, is not allowed in designated swimming zones; these are set seasonally (mainly summer) and change year to year, so local notices must be checked.
Leyfi til veiða
Leyfi
Hvað þú þarft til að fá leyfi í vatnið, hvað það kostar og hvernig á að fá það.
- Tegund
- No dedicated spearfishing licence; recreational shore/underwater fishing requires no permit
- Kostnaður
- None for recreational spearfishing
- Gildistími
- n/a
- Hvernig á að fá
- No licence is required to spearfish recreationally in Malta. A special recreational permit from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is only needed for specific activities such as private bluefin tuna fishing or for fishing implements not otherwise permitted.
- Yfirvald
- Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA), Malta
Búnaður og tækni
Búnaðarreglur
Hvaða búnaður er leyfður, hvernig hann má nota og skilyrðin sem fylgja.
Takmarkanir
- Spear guns may NOT be used in conjunction with underwater breathing apparatus (aqualung/scuba); free-diving / breath-hold only
- Spear guns may only be used by day, from dawn until dusk; night spearfishing is prohibited
- Spear gun defined in EU law as a pneumatic or mechanically powered hand-held gun that shoots a spear for the purpose of underwater fishing
Restrictions derive from directly-applicable EU law (Reg. (EU) 2019/1241 Art. 7(1)(g), formerly Council Reg. (EC) 1967/2006 Art. 8(4)). No specific national cap on number of spears was identified.
Hvað þú mátt taka
Aflamarkar og friðlýstar tegundir
Dagleg kvótar, lágmarksstærðir og tegundir sem aldrei má taka.
Daglegur hámarksafli
No specific recreational daily bag limit identified for general species; recreational catch may NOT be sold. Bluefin tuna effectively catch-and-release (retain only if over 115 cm / 30 kg and may not be marketed).
Lágmarksstærðir
- European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)lágm. 25 cm
- Groupers (Epinephelus spp.)lágm. 45 cm
- White sea-bream (Diplodus sargus)lágm. 23 cm
- Gilt-head sea-bream (Sparus aurata)lágm. 20 cm
- Common sea bream / red porgy (Pagrus pagrus)lágm. 18 cm
- Red mullets (Mullus spp.)lágm. 11 cm
- Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)lágm. 115 cm
Friðlýstar tegundir — má ekki taka
- FriðlýstAtlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) - recreational catch effectively catch-and-release, may not be marketed
- FriðlýstDusky grouper / groupers (Epinephelus spp.) - minimum size and conservation concern
- FriðlýstDentex and amberjack - minimum legal sizes apply
Minimum sizes are the EU Mediterranean minimum conservation reference sizes set in Annex IX of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241. Bluefin tuna minimum landing reference is 115 cm or 30 kg. Recreational anglers may not sell any part of their catch.
Hverjir mega veiða
Gestir og íbúar
Hvernig reglurnar eru mismunandi fyrir erlenda gesti og staðbundna íbúa.
Erlendir gestir
LeyfilegtTakmarkanir
- Same rules as residents: no scuba, daylight only, respect protected/swimmer/conservation zones, EU minimum sizes, no sale of catch
No spearfishing licence is required in Malta for residents or tourists, so foreigners may spearfish recreationally under the same EU and national rules. No nationality-specific restriction was identified.
Íbúar
No recreational spearfishing licence required
Recreational spearfishing requires no permit for residents. Owning/operating a fishing vessel is separately regulated under the Fishing Vessels Regulations (S.L. 425.07).
Hvar á ströndinni
Leyfðar og bannaðar svæðar
Nafngreindar svæðar sem eru opnar eða lokaðar fyrir langskotsfiski. Sjá heildarmyndina á gagnvirka kortinu.
Leyfðar svæðar
Recreational shore and boat spearfishing is generally permitted in Maltese coastal waters by daylight without scuba, subject to EU minimum sizes and no-sale rules, provided the area is not a marine conservation area, voluntary marine reserve, archaeological zone or designated bathing zone.
No scuba/aqualung; daylight only; EU Annex IX minimum sizes; catch may not be sold; bluefin tuna catch-and-release for recreational fishers.
Bannaðar svæðar
- Cirkewwa Voluntary Marine Reserve (P29 and Rozi wrecks area)voluntary marine reserve / conservation area around wrecks
Conservation area around wreck/dive sites near Cirkewwa where spearfishing and bottom-touching fishing gear are prohibited; covers roughly a 200 m coastal stretch around the wreck sites. Established via Notice to Mariners No. 5 of 2008 (Conservation Areas Around Wrecks).
- Marine conservation areas (general)marine conservation area
Within conservation areas, spear fishing and the use of fishing gear such as set bottom lines, trammel nets, gill nets and entangling nets are prohibited.
- Designated swimmers' / bathing zonesswimming / bathing zone
Any type of fishing gear/implements, including spearfishing equipment, is banned within designated bathing areas (seasonal swimmer zones).
- Protected archaeological zones at seaarchaeological protection zone
Spear fishing and the use of fishing gear such as set bottom lines, trammel nets, gill nets are prohibited in archaeological zones at sea; only surface fishing and trolling are allowed.
- Commercial dive sites and marine parksmarine park / commercial dive site
Spearfishing is prohibited in Malta's marine parks and at commercial dive sites.
- Conservation Area around the Um El Faroud wreck (Wied iż-Żurrieq)marine conservation area around wreck / dive site
Conservation area declared by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaternaculture around the Um El Faroud wreck off Wied iż-Żurrieq on Malta's south coast. This is one of the highest-protection (Category A) zones where spearfishing, trolling, set bottom lines, trammel/gill/entangling nets, demersal pots and traps are prohibited and no navigation or fishing of any type is allowed. Listed in the Conservation Areas Around Wrecks Notice to Mariners.
- Conservation Area around the Xatt l-Aħmar wrecks (Gozo)marine conservation area around wrecks / dive site
Conservation area off Xatt l-Aħmar (Red Bay) on the south-eastern coast of Gozo, covering the scuttled wrecks MV Karwela, MV Cominoland and MV Xlendi. A Category A no-fishing/no-navigation conservation zone where spearfishing and the listed fishing gears are prohibited per the Conservation Areas Around Wrecks Notice to Mariners.
- Conservation Area at Marsascala / Żonqor Pointmarine conservation area around wrecks / dive site
Conservation area off Marsascala (Żonqor Point) on Malta's south-east coast, covering scuttled tugboat wrecks (St Michael / Tug 10). One of the Category A zones where spearfishing, trolling and other fishing gears are prohibited and no fishing of any type is allowed; the dive-flag exception does not apply here.
- Conservation Area at Il-Ponta ta' San Ġiljan (St Julian's)marine conservation area around wreck / dive site
Conservation area off Il-Ponta ta' San Ġiljan (St Julian's Point) on Malta's east coast where spearfishing is prohibited under the Conservation Areas Around Wrecks Notice to Mariners. Classified as a benthic-protection (Category B) zone with a limited trolling exception when no diving vessel displays the Alpha flag, but spearfishing remains banned.
- Conservation Area around the P31 wreck (Comino)marine conservation area around wreck / dive site
Conservation area around the scuttled patrol-boat wreck P31 off the west coast of Comino (between Lantern Point and Cominotto). A conservation area around a wreck where spearfishing and benthic fishing gears are prohibited per the Conservation Areas Around Wrecks Notice to Mariners (200 m buffer).
- Rdum Majjiesa to Ras ir-Raħeb marine protected areamarine SAC / marine protected area (Natura 2000)
Malta's first marine protected area (designated 2005), a Natura 2000 marine Special Area of Conservation on the north-west coast of Malta between Rdum Majjiesa (Mellieħa) and Ras ir-Raħeb, protecting Posidonia oceanica meadows and reef habitat. As a marine conservation area, spearfishing and benthic fishing gears are subject to conservation measures.
- Żona fil-Baħar bejn Il-Ponta ta' San Dimitri (Għawdex) u Il-Qaliet — north-west Gozo marine SACmarine SAC / marine protected area (Natura 2000)
Marine Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation (site code MT0000105, ~159 km², 100% marine) along the north-western and northern coast of Gozo from Il-Ponta ta' San Dimitri eastward. Protects Posidonia oceanica beds, reefs and the loggerhead turtle. As a marine conservation area, spearfishing and benthic fishing gears are subject to conservation measures.
Aðstæður á hafinu
Lifandi aðstæður
Lifandi sjávar- og veðurskyndimynd nálægt strandviðmiðunarpunkti í Malta, frá Open-Meteo. Aðstæður eru mismunandi meðfram ströndinni — meðhöndlaðu sem vísbendingu.
Lifandi sjávarloft og veður nálægt Cirkewwa Voluntary Marine Reserve (P29 and Rozi wrecks area).
Við hvern á að spyrja
Yfirvöld
Opinberu stofnanirnar sem bera ábyrgð á fiskveiðum og leyfisgjöf.
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA)
fisheries authority
dfa.gov.mtGhammieri Government Farm, Triq l-Ingiered, Marsa MRS 3303, Malta; email infofisheries.mafa@gov.mt; tel +356 2292 6990Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights
environment / agriculture ministry
agric.gov.mtMaltaTransport Malta (Ports and Yachting / Notices to Mariners)
maritime authority
transport.gov.mtRescue Coordination Centre tel 21809279 / 22494202
Hvaðan þetta kemur
Heimildir
Sérhvert fullyrðing á þessari síðu á sér rót í einni þessara tilvísana.
- [01]
Laws related to diving and the marine environment in Malta - divinginfo.mt
Aukaumhverfidivinginfo.mtOpnað Jún 15 - [02]
Spearfishing Malta - Regulations, Rules, Prohibited Zones
communityspearfishing.mtOpnað Jún 15 - [03]
Regulation (EU) 2019/1241, Article 7 (Prohibited fishing gears and methods)
Opinbertlegislation.gov.ukOpnað Jún 15 - [04]
Regulation (EU) 2019/1241, Annex IX (minimum conservation reference sizes, Mediterranean)
Opinbertlegislation.gov.ukOpnað Jún 15 - [05]
Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, Chapter 425 of the Laws of Malta (UN DOALOS copy)
Opinbertun.orgOpnað Jún 15 - [06]
Cirkewwa Voluntary Marine Reserve - spearfishing illegal; cites EC 1967/2006 Art 8(4)
communitycirkewwavoluntarymarinereserve.blogspot.comOpnað Jún 15 - [07]
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) - official website
Opinbertdfa.gov.mtOpnað Jún 15 - [08]
Malta Fishing Forum - Local Fishing Regulations (cites S.L. 10.12, EC 1967/2006, EC 302/2009)
communitymaltafishingforum.comOpnað Jún 15
Athugasemdir rannsakanda
Malta has no standalone spearfishing statute; recreational spearfishing legality is governed by (a) directly-applicable EU technical-measures law - Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 (replacing Council Reg. (EC) 1967/2006), which permits hand-held spears and spear guns in recreational fishing only WITHOUT an aqualung and only from dawn until dusk, and (b) the national Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, Cap. 425. Net effect: spearfishing is allowed but restricted (no scuba, daylight only, no protected/swimmer/conservation/archaeological zones, EU minimum sizes, no sale of catch). No recreational licence is required. The verbatim EC 1967/2006 Art. 8(4) text was retrieved from a community page that quotes it directly; the equivalent in-force provision (Reg. (EU) 2019/1241 Art. 7(1)(g)) was retrieved verbatim from the legislation.gov.uk retained-EU-law mirror. EUR-Lex pages would not render via the fetch tool. Cirkewwa coordinates are approximate (the wreck/reserve location, not an official boundary). Confidence set to medium: the in-force legal text and framework are well sourced, but the official EUR-Lex and Maltese government pages for precise national implementing notices and the full list of named conservation/swimmer zones could not all be directly retrieved.
Tilkynntu mér þegar reglur Malta breytast
Við munum senda þér tölvupóst þegar vertíðir eða reglur Malta eru uppfærðar í gagnasafni okkar.