Rwanda
Africa · Eastern Africa
Rwanda is landlocked, so spearfishing concerns only inland freshwater bodies (mainly Lake Kivu, Lakes Burera/Ruhondo, the Eastern Lakes of Akagera/Bugesera/Muhazi and connected rivers). There is no spearfishing-specific authorisation in Rwandan law. Fishing is governed by Law n°58/2008 of 10/09/2008 and Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 (published 14/12/2020), which use a positive-list (only listed gears allowed) approach. The only authorised fishing gears are nets (lift nets, gill nets) and long-line hooks; recreational/sport fishing is legally defined as fishing with hooks (sport fishing uses not more than five hooks; an individual uses one hook). Spearguns, harpoons and underwater spearfishing are not among the recognised legal methods, and 'spearing/shooting' is described in field reports as a traditional artisanal method rather than a permitted one. Any fishing in public waters requires a licence. Because no legal pathway exists for recreational spearfishing and only listed net/hook gears are permitted, spearfishing is treated as restricted (effectively not permitted under the current gear regime).
Ultimo aggiornamento Giugno 15, 2026
Quadro normativo di riferimento
- §Law n°58/2008 of 10/09/2008 determining the Organisation and Management of Aquaculture and Fishing in Rwanda
- §Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries
- Licenza obbligatoria
- Obbligatoria
- Fucile subacqueo
- Vietato
- Stranieri
- Ammessi
- 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.
Definition of fishing
Law n°58/2008 of 10/09/2008 determining the Organisation and Management of Aquaculture and Fishing in Rwanda
"Fishing": any activities aiming at capturing any living organisms or plant species contained in free waters, whatever the means and instruments used.
Restrictions in fishing (prohibited methods)
Law n°58/2008 of 10/09/2008 determining the Organisation and Management of Aquaculture and Fishing in Rwanda
The following are prohibited in fishing: 1° using poisonous substances aimed at stunning, weakening or killing fish; 2° applying explosives; 3° using electromagnetic procedures or electrocution; 4° flashing water with an aim of capturing fish; 5° fishing where water organisms are reproduced.
Fishing licence obligation
Law n°58/2008 of 10/09/2008 determining the Organisation and Management of Aquaculture and Fishing in Rwanda
RARDA authorities, based on the report of the Mayor of the District in which fishing is conducted, shall issue fishing licences. No person shall carry out any fishing activities in public waters without a fishing licence or fishing concession licence authorisation. An Order of the Minister in charge of aquaculture and fishing shall determine requirements for issuance of aquatic and fishing licence.
Types of fishing
Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries
The types of fishing are as follows: 1° sport fishing; 2° professional fishing; 3° research or scientific fishing. A person who intends to practice the fishing referred to in this Article applies for a license from the authority in charge for aquaculture and fisheries development.
Sport fishing (recreational) defined as hook fishing
Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries
Sport fishing is the fishing which is practiced for recreation purpose in public water using not more than five (5) hooks. A person who needs to do sport fishing must have a license. That licence is issued to hotels, guest houses or individuals.
Category of sport fishing license and modalities of its use
Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries
The category of a sport fishing license is A. The category of sport fishing license comprises of the following types of licenses: 1° category A1: a license of a sport fishing done by a Rwandan; 2° category A2: a license of a sport fishing done by a foreign resident or non-resident in Rwanda; An individual who practices sport fishing uses one (1) hook. A person who practices sport fishing may be accompanied by his or her spouse and not more than two (2) of his or her children who attained the age of at least eleven (11) years. If the holder of license referred to in Paragraph One of this Article is a hotel or guest house, it must not exceed twenty (20) hooks and it complies with the provision of Paragraph 3 of this Article.
Legal (authorised) fishing gears
Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries
The following gears are authorised for fishing: 1° for limnothrissa miodon: lift nets of at least six millimetres (mm 6) mesh size fixed on trimaran boats and lamps. Monofilament nets are prohibited. 2° for rastrineobola argentea: lift nets of at least five millimetres (mm 5) mesh size fixed on trimaran boats and lamps. Monofilament nets are prohibited. 3° for haplochromis: gill nets of more than one point five inch (1.5) or three point eight one centimetres (cm 3.81). monofilament nets are prohibited. 4° for tilapia and carp: gill nets of at least four inch (4) or ten point sixteen centimetres (cm 10.16) and more. Monofilament nets are prohibited. 5° clarias and protopterus: gill nets of at least six centimetres (cm 6) or long line hooks. Monofilament nets are prohibited.
Prohibited acts in fishing
Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries
The following acts are prohibited in fishing: 1° using poisonous substances aimed at stunning, weakening or killing aquatic organisms; 2° applying explosives; 3° using electromagnetic procedures or electrocution; 4° beating water with an aim of capturing aquatic organisms; 5° fishing in the reproduction area; 6° fishing in aquaculture concession area, except for the research fishing licence holder.
Areas and hours for fishing
Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries
Areas for fishing are as follows: 1° Lake Kivu: a) limnothrissa miodon: their fishing area is at least in two hundred meters (m 200) from the shores for both trimarans and single boats using gill nets. It is prohibited to fish in bays. b) tilapia and clarias: their fishing area starts from at above fifty meters (m 50) from the shores. c) haplochromis: their fishing area starts from at above thirty meters (m 30) from the shores. 2° Lakes Burera and Ruhondo: a) rastrineobola and limnothrissa: they are fished at above fifty meters (m 50) from the shore; b) haplochromis, tilapia and clarias: their fishing area starts from at above thirty meters (m 30) from the shores. 3° Eastern Lakes: The fishing activities are carried out at above twenty-five meters (m 25) from the shores for all fished species. Official fishing hours are the following: 1° Lake Kivu and Lakes Burera and Ruhondo: between five in the evening (5 p.m.) up to seven in the morning (7 a.m.); 2° Eastern Lakes: between four in the evening (4:00 p.m.) up to eight in the morning (8:00 a.m.).
Biological break (annual closed period)
Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries
The biological break is the time dedicated to a suspension of fishing activities every year to allow the recovery of aquatic organisms' stock. The break referred to in Paragraph One of this Article starts from two (2) months that can be extended depending on the assessment carried out by the authority in charge of aquaculture and fishery development. The choice of the period of biological break depends on the particular biological characteristics of aquatic organisms of each lake.
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.
- ChiusaAll fishing on each lake (biological break / fishing break); exact dates set per-lake by the authority each year and not fixed in the Orderunknown – unknown
Article 25 of the 2020 Ministerial Order mandates an annual 'biological break' (suspension of fishing) of at least two (2) months, extendable on assessment, with the timing chosen per lake based on the biological characteristics of each lake's aquatic organisms. Specific calendar dates are set administratively per lake and are not stated in the law.
- LimitataLake Kivu and Lakes Burera/Ruhondo - fishing permitted only between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m.; Eastern Lakes between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.unknown – unknown
Article 21 restricts official fishing to night-time hours: Lake Kivu and Lakes Burera/Ruhondo from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.; Eastern Lakes from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Permesso di pescare
Licenza
Cosa ti serve per poter entrare in acqua, quanto costa e come ottenerla.
Apply to the authority in charge of aquaculture and fisheries development (Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board, RAB). Under Law 58/2008 Art. 16, fishing licences are issued via the District (based on the Mayor's report). Sport licences may be issued to individuals, hotels or guest houses.
Ottieni la tua licenzaApre il portale ufficiale · rwandalii.org
- Tipo
- Fishing licence. For recreation: Sport fishing license category A (A1 for Rwandans, A2 for foreign residents or non-residents). Professional licence is category B; research/scientific is separate. No spearfishing licence exists.
- Costo
- unknown
- Validità
- unknown
- Come ottenerla
- Apply to the authority in charge of aquaculture and fisheries development (Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board, RAB). Under Law 58/2008 Art. 16, fishing licences are issued via the District (based on the Mayor's report). Sport licences may be issued to individuals, hotels or guest houses.
- Autorità
- Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) - Fisheries and Aquaculture program
Attrezzatura e tecnica
Regole sull'attrezzatura
Quale attrezzatura è consentita, come può essere usata e le condizioni associate.
Restrizioni
- Only positively-listed gears are authorised (Art. 18): lift nets, gill nets of specified mesh/sizes, and long-line hooks. Spearguns and harpoons are not listed and therefore not authorised.
- Monofilament nets are prohibited for all species.
- Dugout canoes are prohibited (Art. 19); boats must be of wooden timber/stainless materials, named and plate-numbered.
- Sport (recreational) fishing is defined as hook fishing: not more than five (5) hooks total; an individual uses one (1) hook; hotels/guest houses up to twenty (20) hooks.
- Prohibited methods (Law Art. 11 / Order Art. 22): poisons, explosives, electromagnetic/electrocution methods, beating/flashing water, fishing in reproduction areas, fishing in aquaculture concession areas.
Rwandan fisheries law operates on a positive-list basis (only listed gears allowed). Spearfishing/harpooning is not among the authorised methods, and recreational fishing is legally a hook-and-line activity, so there is no lawful pathway for recreational spearfishing. Field/news reports describe 'spearing/shooting' as a traditional artisanal technique but it is not a permitted method under the current regulations. Scuba use in connection with fishing is not addressed in the law (unknown).
Cosa puoi prelevare
Limiti di cattura e specie protette
Quote giornaliere, taglie minime e specie che non devono mai essere prelevate.
Limite giornaliero
Not specified as a numeric bag limit; recreational catch is constrained by the hook limits (individual: 1 hook; sport licence: max 5 hooks; hotel/guest house: max 20 hooks) and by minimum mesh/gill-net sizes that target adult fish.
The 2020 Order controls catch indirectly through minimum mesh sizes and gear specifications by species (limnothrissa miodon, rastrineobola argentea, haplochromis, tilapia, carp, clarias, protopterus) rather than through explicit minimum landing sizes. No explicit numeric daily bag limit or protected-species list specific to spearfishing was found in the retrieved legal texts.
Chi può pescare
Visitatori e residenti
Come le regole differiscono per i visitatori stranieri e i residenti locali.
Visitatori stranieri
ConsentitoLicenza speciale obbligatoria
Requisiti
- A foreign resident or non-resident who wishes to do recreational (sport) fishing must hold a sport fishing licence category A2 (Article 14 of the 2020 Order).
- Must comply with all general fishing rules: authorised gears only, licence, zone/distance/hours restrictions, and prohibited-method bans.
Restrizioni
- Foreigners are bound by the same gear regime as residents: spearfishing/harpooning is not an authorised method, so a foreigner cannot lawfully spearfish.
- Recreational activity is limited to hook fishing (one hook per individual).
Foreigners can legally engage in recreational (sport) hook fishing under category A2 but there is no foreigner licence for spearfishing because spearfishing is not a recognised legal method.
Residenti
Sport fishing license category A1 (Rwandan nationals) for recreation; professional category B for commercial fishing.
Requisiti
- Hold the appropriate licence issued by the authority in charge of aquaculture and fisheries (RAB), via the District under Law 58/2008 Art. 16.
- Use only authorised gears; sport fishing limited to hooks (individual: one hook).
Rwandan residents practising recreational fishing use category A1 sport licences; the same prohibition on spearfishing gear applies as for foreigners.
Dove sulla costa
Zone consentite e vietate
Aree denominate aperte o chiuse alla pesca subacquea. Vedi il quadro completo sulla mappa interattiva.
Aree consentite
Largest fishable lake; comprises Rusizi, Nyamasheke, Karongi, Rutsiro and Rubavu Districts. Fishing is permitted only with authorised net/hook gears, only during night hours (5 p.m.-7 a.m.), only beyond set distances from shore (200 m for limnothrissa, 50 m for tilapia/clarias, 30 m for haplochromis), and never in bays. No spearfishing-specific authorisation exists.
Licence required; only authorised net/long-line-hook gears (Art. 18); night-only hours (Art. 21); minimum distance from shore; fishing in bays prohibited; speargun/harpoon not a recognised legal method.
Northern Region fishing zone. Fishing only with authorised gears, beyond 50 m (rastrineobola/limnothrissa) or 30 m (haplochromis/tilapia/clarias) from shore, during night hours (5 p.m.-7 a.m.).
Licence required; authorised net/hook gears only; night-only hours; minimum distance from shore. No spearfishing pathway.
Eastern Province lakes including Lake Muhazi, Mugesera, Rweru, the Bugesera lakes and the Akagera Basin lakes. Fishing beyond 25 m from shore for all species, during night hours (4 p.m.-8 a.m.). Several of the Akagera-zone lakes lie inside Akagera National Park.
Licence required; authorised net/hook gears only; night-only hours; minimum 25 m from shore. Lakes within Akagera National Park are additionally subject to park rules. No spearfishing pathway.
Aree vietate
- Bays of Lake Kivufishing-restricted area within lake
Article 21 expressly states 'It is prohibited to fish in bays' on Lake Kivu (in the context of limnothrissa miodon fishing areas).
- Reproduction (spawning) areasspawning/reproduction protected area
Fishing in reproduction areas is prohibited under Article 22(5) of the 2020 Order and Article 11(5) of Law 58/2008 ('fishing where water organisms are reproduced').
- Aquaculture concession areasaquaculture concession
Fishing in an aquaculture concession area is prohibited under Article 22(6), except for holders of a research fishing licence.
Condizioni in acqua
Condizioni in tempo reale
Istantanea marina e meteo in tempo reale vicino a un punto di riferimento costiero in Rwanda, da Open-Meteo. Le condizioni variano lungo la costa — considerale indicative.
Condizioni marine e meteo in tempo reale vicino a Lake Kivu (Kivu Region fishing zone).
A chi rivolgersi
Autorità
Gli enti ufficiali responsabili della pesca e delle licenze.
Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB)
fisheries and aquaculture authority (agriculture board)
rab.gov.rwFisheries and Aquaculture program, RAB, Kigali, RwandaMinistry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI)
agriculture and animal resources ministry (parent ministry / policy)
minagri.gov.rwMINAGRI, Kigali, Rwanda
Da dove provengono
Fonti
Ogni affermazione su questa pagina risale a uno di questi riferimenti.
- [01]
Law n°58/2008 of 10/09/2008 determining the Organisation and Management of Aquaculture and Fishing in Rwanda (RwandaLII)
Ufficialerwandalii.orgConsultato il Giu 15 - [02]
Ministerial Order n°001/11.30 of 11/12/2020 regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries (RwandaLII, HTML)
Ufficialerwandalii.orgConsultato il Giu 15 - [03]
Ministerial Order regulating Aquaculture and Fisheries (RwandaLII, official PDF source)
Ufficialerwandalii.orgConsultato il Giu 15 - [04]
How Legal Fishing Gears improved Sambaza Fishing in Lake Kivu (Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board)
Ufficialerab.gov.rwConsultato il Giu 15 - [05]
Tipping the scales of illicit fishing in Lake Kivu (Institute for Security Studies)
Secondariaissafrica.orgConsultato il Giu 15 - [06]
Sport Fishing in Rwanda - Lake Kivu, Ihema and Shikani (mentions spearing/shooting among methods and tourist fishing experiences)
communitysilverbackgorillatours.comConsultato il Giu 15
Note dei ricercatori
Rwanda is landlocked (no sea coastline); spearfishing would only ever concern inland freshwater (notably Lake Kivu, Lakes Burera/Ruhondo, and the Eastern Lakes). The governing law (Law 58/2008) and its implementing Ministerial Order (n°001/11.30 of 2020) use a positive-list gear regime: only listed nets and long-line hooks are authorised, and recreational 'sport fishing' is legally defined as hook fishing (1 hook per individual). Spearguns/harpoons are not authorised gears and there is no spearfishing licence category, so recreational spearfishing has no legal pathway and is classed here as 'restricted' (effectively not permitted). 'Spearing/shooting' appears in field/news reporting as a traditional artisanal practice, not as a legally sanctioned method. All law_texts entries are verbatim English excerpts retrieved from RwandaLII (the 2020 Order PDF was parsed directly; quotes verified against the source). The English text is an official/translated version of instruments originally also published in Kinyarwanda and French. Specific licence fees/validity and the exact calendar dates of the annual biological break per lake were not found in the retrieved sources and are marked unknown. Confidence is medium: primary legal sources are authoritative and current, but the 'restricted' classification is an interpretation of the positive-list regime rather than an explicit named ban on spearfishing.
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