SpearfishingMap

Brazil

Americas · South America

Recreational spearfishing (pesca subaquatica) is legal in Brazil but tightly regulated. It is classified as a form of amateur fishing (pesca amadora), so the sale of the catch is forbidden. It may only be practised in free-diving / breath-hold mode (apneia): the use of any artificial breathing apparatus (scuba tanks, compressors, hookah) while spearfishing is prohibited by federal rule (Portaria IBAMA 4/2009, Art. 3o, Categoria C). Allowed equipment includes the speargun/arbalete (espingarda de mergulho/arbalete), trident and similar gear. An amateur fishing licence (Licenca de Pesca Amadora) issued by the federal fisheries authority is mandatory. Capture of nationally threatened aquatic species is banned; the goliath grouper / mero (Epinephelus itajara) is listed as Criticamente em Perigo (CR) in the official threatened-species list (Portaria MMA 445/2014, updated by Portaria MMA 148/2022), and the dedicated mero moratorium (Portaria Interministerial MPA/MMA 13/2015) ran for eight years (2015-2023). Additional state and zone restrictions apply (e.g. Santa Catarina apnea-only rules with coastal exclusion areas, native-species bans in the Parana basin, prohibitions inside conservation units / marine protected areas).

Restricted
Affidabilità dei datiAffidabilità media

Ultimo aggiornamento Giugno 16, 2026

Quadro normativo di riferimento

  • §Decreto-Lei no 221, de 28 de fevereiro de 1967 (Codigo de Pesca - legal basis for amateur fishing rules)
  • §Lei no 11.959, de 29 de junho de 2009 (Politica Nacional de Desenvolvimento Sustentavel da Aquicultura e da Pesca)
  • §Portaria IBAMA no 4, de 19 de marco de 2009 (defines pesca amadora categories incl. Pesca Subaquatica / Categoria C and prohibits artificial breathing apparatus)
  • §Instrucao Normativa IBAMA no 21, de 4 de julho de 2005 (underwater fishing in Santa Catarina - apnea only, signalling buoy, coastal exclusion zones)
  • §Instrucao Normativa IBAMA no 26, de 2 de setembro de 2009 (Parana basin - native species capture prohibited in underwater modality)
  • §Portaria MMA no 445, de 17 de dezembro de 2014, atualizada pela Portaria MMA no 148, de 7 de junho de 2022 (Lista Nacional Oficial de Especies da Fauna Brasileira Ameacadas de Extincao - Peixes e Invertebrados Aquaticos)
  • §Portaria Interministerial MPA/MMA no 13, de 2 de outubro de 2015 (eight-year moratorium on capture of mero, 2015-2023)
  • §Lei no 9.605, de 12 de fevereiro de 1998 (Lei de Crimes Ambientais - environmental penalties)
Licenza obbligatoria
Obbligatoria
Fucile subacqueo
Consentito
Autorespiratore
Vietato
Stranieri
Ammessi

La legge, integrale

Testi legali

Le esatte disposizioni di legge e regolamentari che disciplinano la pesca subacquea qui, citate come pubblicate, con un link a ogni fonte ufficiale.

01Art. 3oBrazil (national) · federal

Definition of underwater fishing (Pesca Subaquatica - Categoria C) and prohibition of artificial breathing apparatus

Portaria IBAMA no 4, de 19 de marco de 2009

PTOriginale

Pesca Subaquatica (Categoria C): realizada com ou sem o auxilio de embarcacoes e utilizando espingarda de mergulho ou arbalete, tridente ou petrechos similares sendo vedado o emprego de aparelhos de respiracao artificial.

02Art. 3oBrazil (national) · federal

Amateur fishing categories (A, B, C) - Categoria C is underwater fishing

Portaria IBAMA no 4, de 19 de marco de 2009

PTOriginale

Categoria A (Pesca Desembarcada): realizada sem o auxilio de embarcacao e com a utilizacao de linha de mao, canico simples; Categoria B (Pesca Embarcada): realizada com auxilio de embarcacoes, classificadas na categoria de esporte ou recreio; Categoria C (Pesca Subaquatica): realizada com ou sem o auxilio de embarcacoes e utilizando espingarda de mergulho ou arbalete, tridente ou petrechos similares sendo vedado o emprego de aparelhos de respiracao artificial.

03Art. 1oSanta Catarina · federal

Santa Catarina - underwater fishing permitted only in apnea (breath-hold)

Instrucao Normativa IBAMA no 21, de 4 de julho de 2005

PTOriginale

Permitir a pesca subaquatica no Estado de Santa Catarina exclusivamente em apneia.

04Art. 4oSanta Catarina · federal

Santa Catarina - 50-metre exclusion near beaches and rocky shores

Instrucao Normativa IBAMA no 21, de 4 de julho de 2005

PTOriginale

Proibir a pratica da pesca subaquatica nas areas de praias, em uma faixa de cinquenta metros, iniciando-se na linha de baixa-mar, incluindo as praias das ilhas, e nos primeiros cinquenta metros dos costoes rochosos contiguos as praias.

05Art. 5oSanta Catarina · federal

Santa Catarina - mandatory signalling buoy for underwater fishers

Instrucao Normativa IBAMA no 21, de 4 de julho de 2005

PTOriginale

E obrigatoria a utilizacao de boia sinalizadora para os praticantes da pesca subaquatica.

06Art. 3o e Anexo 3 (Lista Oficial de Especies da Fauna Brasileira Ameacadas de Extincao - Peixes e Invertebrados Aquaticos)Brazil (national) · national

Mero (Epinephelus itajara) listed as Critically Endangered in the official threatened aquatic-species list

Portaria MMA no 148, de 7 de junho de 2022 (updating the list of Portaria MMA no 445, de 17 de dezembro de 2014)

PTOriginale

Art. 3o Os Anexos I e II da Portaria no 445, de 17 de dezembro de 2014, que reconhecem respectivamente a Lista Oficial de Especies da Fauna Brasileira Ameacadas de Extincao - Peixes e Invertebrados Aquaticos e a Lista Oficial de Especies Extintas da Fauna Brasileira - Peixes e Invertebrados Aquaticos, passam a vigorar com a redacao dos Anexos I e II constantes no Anexo 3 desta Portaria. [Lista anexa] 341 Perciformes / Epinephelidae / Epinephelus itajara / CR.

Quando puoi immergerti

Stagioni e restrizioni temporali

Periodi di chiusura, apertura e restrizione nel corso dell'anno. Conferma sempre localmente le chiusure specifiche per specie.

Gen
Feb
Mar
Apr
Mag
Giu
Lug
Ago
Set
Ott
Nov
Dic
ChiusaLimitataAperta
  • ChiusaMero / goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara)Gen 1 – Dic 31

    Year-round prohibition on capture of the mero in Brazilian waters. The species is listed as Criticamente em Perigo (CR) in the in-force threatened-species list (Portaria MMA 445/2014, updated by Portaria MMA 148/2022), which prohibits fishing and commercialisation of listed species. A dedicated eight-year moratorium (Portaria Interministerial MPA/MMA 13/2015, in force 2015-2023, continuing protection that began with Portaria IBAMA 121/2002) has reached its stated end date; no renewal of that specific moratorium was confirmed during this research, but the CR listing keeps directed capture prohibited.

    unbciencia.unb.br
  • ChiusaVarious species - regional spawning closed seasons (defeso)

    Brazil applies species- and basin-specific closed seasons (periodos de defeso) set by federal and state normative instructions; during a defeso, fishing of the affected species (including by underwater fishing) is prohibited. Exact dates vary by species, river basin and coastal region and must be checked per state/species before each outing.

    legisweb.com.br

Permesso di pescare

Licenza

Cosa ti serve per poter entrare in acqua, quanto costa e come ottenerla.

Licenza obbligatoriatramite Secretaria/Ministerio da Pesca e Aquicultura / IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis)

Apply online via the federal gov.br portal (Solicitar Licenca de Pescador Amador) or at an IBAMA office; the licence is issued by the federal fisheries/environment authority.

Ottieni la tua licenza

Apre il portale ufficiale · gov.br

Licenza obbligatoria
Tipo
Licenca de Pesca Amadora (amateur fishing licence) - underwater fishing falls under the amateur fishing regime (historically Categoria C - Pesca Subaquatica)
Costo
Approx. R$ 60,00 for the underwater/embarked category (shore-based category approx. R$ 20,00); payable by PIX, credit card or boleto. Exempt: retirees, men over 65 and women over 60. Figures are commonly cited and should be confirmed on the official gov.br service page (which returned HTTP 403 during this research).
Validità
1 year, valid throughout the national territory
Come ottenerla
Apply online via the federal gov.br portal (Solicitar Licenca de Pescador Amador) or at an IBAMA office; the licence is issued by the federal fisheries/environment authority.
Autorità
Secretaria/Ministerio da Pesca e Aquicultura / IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis)
Portale ufficiale per le licenze · gov.br

Attrezzatura e tecnica

Regole sull'attrezzatura

Quale attrezzatura è consentita, come può essere usata e le condizioni associate.

Fucile subacqueoConsentito
AutorespiratoreVietato

Restrizioni

  • Artificial breathing apparatus (scuba tanks, compressors, hookah/narghile) is prohibited while spearfishing - apnea / free-diving only
  • Breathing apparatus may only be used for diving without fishing purpose (research, underwater photography or similar)
  • A vessel may not simultaneously carry underwater breathing equipment (tank/compressor) and spearfishing gear (speargun/spear/dredge)
  • Allowed gear: espingarda de mergulho / arbalete (speargun), tridente (trident) and similar implements
  • In Santa Catarina a signalling buoy (boia sinalizadora) is mandatory

The scuba prohibition is a federal rule (Portaria IBAMA 4/2009, Art. 3o, Categoria C) and is reinforced in state-specific instructions such as IN 21/2005 (Santa Catarina, apnea only, Art. 1o).

Cosa puoi prelevare

Limiti di cattura e specie protette

Quote giornaliere, taglie minime e specie che non devono mai essere prelevate.

Limite giornaliero

An amateur-fishing transport/possession quota applies (no verbatim figure was retrieved from a primary IBAMA source in this research; secondary sources commonly cite up to 10 kg plus one specimen for marine waters, varying by water body and species). Sale of the catch is always prohibited. Verify the current quota with IBAMA/state authority before fishing.

Specie protette — non prelevare

  • ProtettaMero / goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) - listed as Criticamente em Perigo (CR) in Portaria MMA 445/2014 as updated by Portaria MMA 148/2022; capture prohibited
  • ProtettaSpecies listed in the Lista Nacional Oficial de Especies da Fauna Brasileira Ameacadas de Extincao - Peixes e Invertebrados Aquaticos (Portaria MMA 445/2014, updated by Portaria MMA 148/2022) - capture and commercialisation prohibited; the list includes many sharks, groupers, snappers, cherne, etc.

As underwater fishing is amateur fishing, selling the catch is forbidden in all cases. Minimum sizes and species-specific bans are set per species/region by federal and state instructions and must be checked locally.

Chi può pescare

Visitatori e residenti

Come le regole differiscono per i visitatori stranieri e i residenti locali.

Visitatori stranieri

Consentito

Requisiti

  • Obtain the same amateur fishing licence (Licenca de Pesca Amadora) as residents
  • Carry identification; apply via the gov.br portal or IBAMA

Restrizioni

  • Same equipment, species, season and zone restrictions as residents (apnea only, no scuba, no sale of catch, protected species banned)

No evidence of a separate or more restrictive licence regime for foreign recreational spearfishers; they obtain the standard amateur fishing licence.

Residenti

Licenca de Pesca Amadora (national amateur fishing licence)

Requisiti

  • Hold a valid amateur fishing licence
  • Practise in apnea only; comply with species, season and zone rules

Vantaggi

  • Retirees and elderly (men over 65, women over 60) are exempt from the licence fee

Licence is national in scope and valid for one year.

Dove sulla costa

Zone consentite e vietate

Aree denominate aperte o chiuse alla pesca subacquea. Vedi il quadro completo sulla mappa interattiva.

Aree consentite

  • Brazilian marine and inland waters (general, outside protected areas)

    Recreational underwater fishing in apnea is generally permitted in Brazilian coastal and inland waters where not otherwise restricted, with a valid amateur fishing licence and subject to species, gear, season and zone rules.

    Apnea (free-diving) only; no artificial breathing apparatus; no sale of catch; threatened species (e.g. mero) prohibited; defeso seasons apply; conservation units and other protected zones excluded.

    legisweb.com.br

Aree vietate

Vedi sulla mappa

Condizioni in acqua

Condizioni in tempo reale

Istantanea marina e meteo in tempo reale vicino a un punto di riferimento costiero in Brazil, da Open-Meteo. Le condizioni variano lungo la costa — considerale indicative.

Condizioni marine e meteo in tempo reale vicino a Santa Catarina underwater-fishing exclusion - Area Norte (IN 21/2005).

Condizioni

A chi rivolgersi

Autorità

Gli enti ufficiali responsabili della pesca e delle licenze.

  • IBAMA - Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis

    environment agency / fisheries enforcement

    ibama.gov.br

  • Ministerio da Pesca e Aquicultura (MPA) / Secretaria de Aquicultura e Pesca

    fisheries authority (licence issuance)

    gov.br

  • Ministerio do Meio Ambiente e Mudanca do Clima (MMA)

    environment ministry (threatened species lists)

    gov.br

  • ICMBio - Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservacao da Biodiversidade

    protected areas authority (conservation units / MPAs)

    gov.br

Da dove provengono

Fonti

Ogni affermazione su questa pagina risale a uno di questi riferimenti.

  1. [01]

    Portaria IBAMA no 4 de 19/03/2009 (definicao de pesca subaquatica e categorias da pesca amadora - Art. 3o)

    Ufficiale
    legisweb.com.brConsultato il Giu 16
  2. [02]

    ACPS - Legislacao da pesca subaquatica (reproduces full official text of IN IBAMA 21/2005 - Santa Catarina, Art. 1o, 4o, 5o, 6o)

    community
    acpescasub.wordpress.comConsultato il Giu 16
  3. [03]

    Instrucao Normativa IBAMA no 26 de 02/09/2009 (bacia do Parana)

    Ufficiale
    legisweb.com.brConsultato il Giu 16
  4. [04]

    Portaria MMA no 148, de 7 de junho de 2022 (atualiza a Lista Nacional de Especies Aquaticas Ameacadas; Epinephelus itajara classificado CR) - texto DOU

    Ufficiale
    unbciencia.unb.brConsultato il Giu 16
  5. [05]

    CRBio-07 - Pesca do cherne e mero continua proibida (Portaria Interministerial MPA/MMA 13 e 14/2015, moratoria de 8 anos)

    Secondaria
    crbio07.gov.brConsultato il Giu 16
  6. [06]

    Solicitar Licenca de Pescador Amador - gov.br (federal service / licence)

    Ufficiale
    gov.brConsultato il Giu 16
  7. [07]

    Pescaria Sub: o que e e como pode ser praticada (overview of underwater fishing regulation in Brazil)

    Secondaria
    blog.iaqua.com.brConsultato il Giu 16
  8. [08]

    Portarias Fauna Ameacada - ICMBio (threatened-species portarias / protected areas)

    Ufficiale
    gov.brConsultato il Giu 16

Note dei ricercatori

Verbatim federal definition of pesca subaquatica (no scuba; speargun/arbalete/trident allowed) is in Portaria IBAMA 4/2009, Art. 3o, Categoria C (confirmed via the LegisWeb legislation portal); the earlier 'Art. 2o, III' reference was an error and has been corrected. The Santa Catarina rules (apnea only Art. 1o, 50 m beach/rocky-shore exclusion Art. 4o, mandatory signalling buoy Art. 5o, GPS-defined exclusion areas Art. 6o) are quoted verbatim from IN IBAMA 21/2005 as reproduced in full by the ACPS page; the source is community-hosted but reproduces the official article text. Underwater fishing is treated as amateur fishing, so selling the catch is forbidden. The mero (Epinephelus itajara) is listed as Criticamente em Perigo (CR) in the in-force threatened-species list (Portaria MMA 445/2014, updated by Portaria MMA 148/2022 - confirmed verbatim from the DOU PDF, Art. 3o and the annexed fish list, entry 341). The dedicated mero moratorium (Portaria Interministerial MPA/MMA 13/2015) was an eight-year measure (2015-2023) continuing protection in place since 2002 (Portaria IBAMA 121/2002); no renewal of that specific moratorium was confirmed during this research, so the operative ongoing prohibition is presented as resting on the CR threatened-species listing rather than on the lapsed moratorium. Daily/possession quotas and species minimum sizes vary by region and were not captured verbatim from a primary source - they should be verified with IBAMA/state authorities before fishing. The official IBAMA legislation page and the gov.br licence service page returned HTTP 403/timeout and could not be fetched directly. Overall confidence is medium: core legality and the scuba prohibition are well supported by primary text, but some load-bearing items (Santa Catarina rules via a community-hosted reproduction; current mero moratorium renewal status; quota/size figures) rely on secondary/community sources or are unresolved.

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