North Macedonia
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North Macedonia is landlocked, so spearfishing can only concern freshwater (lakes, rivers, reservoirs). It is prohibited. Article 93 of the Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (consolidated, Official Gazette of RM No. 7/08 with amendments up to 83/18) expressly bans catching fish with spears (ости) and underwater guns (подводни пушки) in recreational fishing, and lists no exception that would allow speargun/harpoon use for sport or commercial fishing in fishing waters. Permitted fishing is limited to defined recreational, sport and commercial fishing carried out with authorised tackle (риболовен прибор/рибарски алат); underwater guns are not among the authorised tackle. There is no marine/saltwater regime because the country has no sea coastline.
Ultimo aggiornamento Giugno 15, 2026
Quadro normativo di riferimento
- §Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (Закон за рибарство и аквакултура), original text Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 7/2008
- §Amendments published in Official Gazette of RM Nos. 67/10, 47/11, 53/11, 95/12, 164/13, 116/14, 154/15, 193/15, 39/16, 83/18 (consolidated editorial text)
- Licenza obbligatoria
- Obbligatoria
- Fucile subacqueo
- Vietato
- Stranieri
- Non consentito
- Max aste/arpioni
- 0
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.
Prohibition of spearfishing and underwater guns in fishing waters
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (consolidated text), Official Gazette of RM No. 7/08 et seq.
Член 93 (Забрани) Во риболовните води е забрането: ... - ловење риби со разни видови мрежи без дозвола за стопански риболов, или со други риболовни средства забранети за вршење риболов, како и со огнено оружје, експлозиви или хемиски и други средства со кои се повредуваат, убиваат, трујат или зашеметуваат рибите, - електрориболов, - ловење на риби со насилно закачување на рибата со риболовен прибор, - ловење риби со ости, подводни пушки, непосредно со раце, трокуки, како и со мрежичка на трска, а за рекреативен риболов, ...
Prohibition of spearfishing and underwater guns (English translation)
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (consolidated text), Official Gazette of RM No. 7/08 et seq.
Article 93 (Prohibitions). In fishing waters it is prohibited: ... - catching fish with various kinds of nets without a commercial fishing permit, or with other fishing means forbidden for fishing, as well as with firearms, explosives, or chemical and other means by which fish are injured, killed, poisoned or stunned; - electrofishing; - catching fish by violently hooking the fish with fishing tackle; - catching fish with spears, underwater guns, directly by hand, with three-pronged hooks (trokuki), as well as with a net on a reed, and for recreational fishing ... [Unofficial English translation of the verbatim Macedonian text.]
Definition of recreational fishing and authorised tackle
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (consolidated text), Official Gazette of RM No. 7/08 et seq.
38. Рекреативен риболов е лов на риба со дозволен риболовен прибор и опрема заради рекреација; 39. Рекреативен риболовец е лице кое лови риба со дозволен риболовен прибор и опрема и поседува легитимација и дозвола за рекреативен риболов;
Definition of closed season (ловостој)
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (consolidated text), Official Gazette of RM No. 7/08 et seq.
24. Ловостој е временски период во кој е забрането ловење и ставање во промет на одредени видови риби, освен рибите произведени од аквакултура;
Recreational fishing permit types and issuance to foreigners
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (consolidated text), Official Gazette of RM No. 7/08 et seq.
Член 50 (Дозвола за рекреативен риболов) Рекреативен риболов на риболовните ревири и рекреативните зони се врши врз основа на дозвола за рекреативен риболов. Дозволата за рекреативен риболов може да биде: - годишна за сите риболовни води во Република Македонија - државна дозвола, - годишна за одреден риболовен ревир и рекреативна зона, - петнаесетдневна, - седумдневна и - еднодневна. Дозвола за рекреативен риболов се издава на лице кое поседува легитимација за рекреативен риболов. По исклучок на ставот 3 од овој член дозвола за вршење рекреативен риболов без поседување на легитимација може да се издаде на рекреативни риболовци кои се странски државјани.
Minimum age for recreational fishing permit
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (consolidated text), Official Gazette of RM No. 7/08 et seq.
Член 55 (Лица кои вршат рекреативен риболов) Дозволата за рекреативен риболов се издава на лице кое наполнило 15 години. Лица помлади од 15 години можат да вршат рекреативен риболов доколку поседуваат легитимација за рекреативен риболов и само во присуство на полнолетно лице кое поседува дозвола за рекреативен риболов.
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.
- ChiusaClosed seasons (ловостој) are set per species and per fishing water through the fisheries management plan (риболовна основа), not as fixed national calendar dates in the Law itself. Spawning-period bans apply (Article 93 forbids catching fish during spawning or during a closed season set in the management plan).unknown – unknown
The Law defines ловостој (Art. 2 item 24) as a period in which catching and marketing of certain fish species is prohibited, and 'тотален ловостој' (Art. 2 item 62) as a period in which catching of all species in a given fishing water is prohibited. Concrete dates are fixed per water body by the management plan and ministerial orders, not by the Law. Spearfishing is prohibited year-round regardless of season.
Permesso di pescare
Licenza
Cosa ti serve per poter entrare in acqua, quanto costa e come ottenerla.
Issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (state permit) or by the concessionaire at designated marked sale points for a given fishing ревир/recreational zone (Art. 52). Foreign nationals can be issued a recreational permit without holding a legitimacija (Art. 50).
Ottieni la tua licenzaApre il portale ufficiale · mzsv.gov.mk
- Tipo
- Recreational fishing permit (дозвола за рекреативен риболов) - state (all waters), regional (specific ревир/zone), 15-day, 7-day or 1-day. A membership card (легитимација за рекреативен риболов) is normally also required; foreigners may be issued a permit without the legitimacija. Note: a permit authorises only rod/line and other authorised tackle, NOT spearfishing - spearguns/spears are prohibited (Art. 93).
- Costo
- Set annually. The state (all-waters) permit fee is set by ministerial decision at up to twice the highest annual single-water permit fee, capped at 7,000 MKD; fees for the regional/15-day/7-day/1-day permits are set by concessionaires with the minister's approval (Art. 51). Practical tourist day/week permits on Lake Ohrid are sold via the marina and fishing clubs.
- Validità
- Annual (state or single water), 15-day, 7-day, or 1-day (Art. 50).
- Come ottenerla
- Issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (state permit) or by the concessionaire at designated marked sale points for a given fishing ревир/recreational zone (Art. 52). Foreign nationals can be issued a recreational permit without holding a legitimacija (Art. 50).
- Autorità
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (Министерство за земјоделство, шумарство и водостопанство); concessionaires for specific waters
Attrezzatura e tecnica
Regole sull'attrezzatura
Quale attrezzatura è consentita, come può essere usata e le condizioni associate.
Restrizioni
- Underwater guns (подводни пушки) are prohibited fishing means - Article 93.
- Spears (ости) are prohibited - Article 93.
- Catching fish directly by hand is prohibited - Article 93.
- Three-pronged hooks (трокуки) are prohibited - Article 93.
- Catching fish with a net on a reed (мрежичка на трска) is prohibited for recreational fishing - Article 93.
- Firearms, explosives, chemical or other means that injure/kill/poison/stun fish are prohibited - Article 93.
- Electrofishing is prohibited - Article 93.
- Only authorised tackle (риболовен прибор/рибарски алат) defined by the management plan and ministerial rules may be used.
Recreational and sport fishing are limited to authorised rod-and-line type tackle. There is no legal pathway for recreational speargun/harpoon use anywhere in the country's freshwater fishing waters.
Cosa puoi prelevare
Limiti di cattura e specie protette
Quote giornaliere, taglie minime e specie che non devono mai essere prelevate.
Limite giornaliero
Daily catch (дневен улов, Art. 2 item 9) and quantities are set by the fisheries management plan (риболовна основа) for each fishing water, not by fixed national figures in the Law. Reported practice on Lake Ohrid: up to ~5 kg per person per day, or up to two fish if catching Ohrid trout (secondary source).
Specie protette — non prelevare
- ProtettaEndangered and rare/depleted fish species are protected: Article 93 prohibits catching rare and depleted (ретки и проредни) fish species in parts or all of fishing waters.
- ProtettaEndemic Ohrid trout (Salmo letnica) and other endemic salmonids of Lake Ohrid are subject to strict management and closed seasons set in the management plan.
Minimum landing sizes and quantities are prescribed per species/per water by the Minister and the management plan (Art. 92), not as a fixed national list in the Law. Spearfishing being prohibited, catch-limit detail is secondary for spearfishing purposes.
Chi può pescare
Visitatori e residenti
Come le regole differiscono per i visitatori stranieri e i residenti locali.
Visitatori stranieri
Non consentitoLicenza speciale obbligatoria
Requisiti
- Foreign nationals may be issued a recreational fishing permit (дозвола за рекреативен риболов) without holding the membership card / legitimacija (Article 50, exception to paragraph 3).
- Must carry the permit while fishing and keep a catch record.
Restrizioni
- Spearfishing is prohibited for everyone, including foreigners, under Article 93 - a recreational permit does NOT authorise spearguns or spears.
- Permit authorises only rod/line and other authorised tackle.
Foreigners can legally do permit-based rod-and-line recreational fishing (e.g., on Lake Ohrid via the marina/fishing clubs), but spearfishing is not permitted for anyone.
Residenti
Recreational fishing permit (дозвола за рекреативен риболов) plus membership card (легитимација за рекреативен риболов), normally obtained through a fishing association (Art. 50, 53).
Requisiti
- Hold a legitimacija for recreational fishing.
- Be at least 15 years old to be issued a permit; under-15s may fish only with a legitimacija and in the presence of an adult permit-holder (Art. 55).
- Carry permit and legitimacija while fishing and keep a catch record (Art. 50).
Vantaggi
- 30% of the state permit fee is allocated to the fishing association of which the permit holder is a member (Art. 53).
Residents and non-residents alike are barred from spearfishing under Article 93.
Dove sulla costa
Zone consentite e vietate
Aree denominate aperte o chiuse alla pesca subacquea. Vedi il quadro completo sulla mappa interattiva.
Aree vietate
- All fishing waters of North Macedonia (lakes, rivers, reservoirs)national prohibition (all fishing waters)
Spearfishing (catching fish with spears 'ости' and underwater guns 'подводни пушки') is prohibited in all fishing waters nationwide under Article 93 of the Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture. There is no zone where recreational spearfishing is permitted.
- Lake Ohridnatural lake / biosphere reserve
Natural lake and UNESCO World Heritage / Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. Fishing is by concession and recreational permit only with authorised tackle; underwater guns/spears are prohibited under Article 93 nationwide. Endemic Ohrid trout (Salmo letnica) is strictly managed.
- Lake Prespanatural lake / biosphere reserve
Natural lake within the Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reserve and Galichica National Park surroundings. Spearfishing prohibited nationwide under Article 93.
- Lake Dojrannatural lake
Natural transboundary lake (shared with Greece). Fishing by concession/permit only; spearfishing prohibited nationwide under Article 93.
Condizioni in acqua
Condizioni in tempo reale
Istantanea marina e meteo in tempo reale vicino a un punto di riferimento costiero in North Macedonia, da Open-Meteo. Le condizioni variano lungo la costa — considerale indicative.
Condizioni marine e meteo in tempo reale vicino a Lake Ohrid.
A chi rivolgersi
Autorità
Gli enti ufficiali responsabili della pesca e delle licenze.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (Министерство за земјоделство, шумарство и водостопанство)
fisheries authority / agriculture ministry
mzsv.gov.mkDepartment for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Одделение за рибарство и аквакултура)State Agricultural Inspectorate (Државен инспекторат за земјоделство)
enforcement / inspection authority
diz.gov.mkInspection of fishing and aquaculture under the Law on Fisheries and AquacultureMacedonian Angling/Fishing Federation (Македонска риболовна федерација)
national sport fishing federation
mzsv.gov.mkIssues sport fishing licences (спортска легитимација) and organises competitions (Art. 54, 80).
Da dove provengono
Fonti
Ogni affermazione su questa pagina risale a uno di questi riferimenti.
- [01]
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (Закон за рибарство и аквакултура) - consolidated editorial text, Official Gazette of RM No. 7/08 with amendments to 83/18 (full PDF, State Agricultural Inspectorate)
Ufficialediz.gov.mkConsultato il Giu 15 - [02]
Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture | FAOLEX record LEX-FAOC151686 (North Macedonia)
Ufficialefao.orgConsultato il Giu 15 - [03]
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management - Department for Fisheries and Aquaculture
Ufficialemzsv.gov.mkConsultato il Giu 15 - [04]
FAO Fishery Country Profile - North Macedonia (regulatory background: lakes Ohrid, Prespa, Dojran; Fishery Law; MAFWM as licensing authority)
Ufficialefao.orgConsultato il Giu 15 - [05]
Ohrid Lake recreational fishing - practical permit info (weekly/15-day permits via marina and fishing clubs; ~5 kg/day or 2 Ohrid trout)
communitytravelling-macedonia.blogspot.comConsultato il Giu 15
Note dei ricercatori
North Macedonia is landlocked (no sea coastline); only freshwater spearfishing could apply. The governing instrument is the Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (consolidated text; original Official Gazette of RM No. 7/2008, amended through No. 83/2018). Article 93 expressly prohibits catching fish with spears (ости) and underwater guns (подводни пушки) in fishing waters, alongside firearms, explosives, electrofishing and hand-catching; consequently recreational spearfishing is illegal everywhere in the country. Permitted recreational and sport fishing use only authorised rod/line-type tackle and require a permit (+ membership card; foreigners may be issued a permit without the card). The verbatim Macedonian law text was extracted from the full official PDF hosted by the State Agricultural Inspectorate (diz.gov.mk); the matching FAOLEX record is LEX-FAOC151686. Closed seasons (ловостој) and minimum sizes are set per species/per water in the fisheries management plan (риболовна основа) and ministerial rules rather than as fixed national dates in the Law, so specific calendar dates are marked unknown. Confidence is high for the spearfishing prohibition because it rests on verbatim primary legislation; some operational details (exact current fees, per-water closed-season dates) are governed by subordinate acts not fully captured here.
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