South Africa

recreational fishing means, any fishing done for leisure or sport and not for sale, barter, earnings or gain;

No person shall exercise any right granted in terms of section 18 or perform any other activity in terms of this Act unless a permit has been issued by the Minister to such person to exercise that right or perform that activity.

No person shall in any marine protected area, without permission in terms of subsection (3)- (a) fish or attempt to fish; (b) take or destroy any fauna and flora other than fish; (c) dredge, extract sand or gravel, discharge or deposit waste or any other polluting matter, or in any way disturb, alter or destroy the natural environment; (d) construct or erect any building or other structure on or over any land or water within such a marine protected area; or (e) carry on any activity which may adversely impact on the ecosystems of that area.

(1) A person may obtain a recreational fishing permit online via https://www.fishing.dffe.gov.za or from an office authorised by the Minister, subject to the payment of a predetermined fee, to engage in one or more of the following types of recreational fishing: Angling, Spearfishing, Cast-netting and Marine Aquarium Fish. ... (2) A recreational fishing permit entitles the holder to catch fish for own use only and not for the purpose of selling or trading fish. ... (4) The holder of a recreational fishing permit, endorsed for spearfishing, is entitled to catch fish of the Class Pisces (i.e. bony fish, sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras) with only a speargun. ... (8) The holder of a recreational fishing permit, shall not use any artificial respiratory equipment, with the exception of a snorkel.

(15) The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for spearfishing shall not catch, disturb, land, keep, or control: (a) any fish listed in the Prohibited Species List in Table 3. (b) more fish than the bag-limit listed in respect of each species in Species List in Table 4 during any one day. Furthermore, there is an overall cumulative daily bag limit of ten, irrespective of the species caught and provided that this limit does not apply to those species listed here with no bag limit, and to those with a bag limit exceeding ten; (c) any fish smaller than, or of a mass less than, the size-limit listed in respect of each species in the Species List in Table 4. (d) any fish during the closed-season listed in respect of each species in the Species List in Table 4. (16) The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for spearfishing shall not catch fish or attempt to catch fish in an estuary.

(9) There is a closed season for elf / shad (Pomatomus saltatrix) from 1 September to 30 November in any year. (10) There is a closed season for galjoen (Dichistius capensis) from 15 October of one year to the last day of February in the following year, both dates inclusive. (11) There is a closed season for red steenbras (Petrus rupestris) from 1 September to 30 November in any year.