Kyrgyzstan
Asia · Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan is landlocked, so all spearfishing is freshwater (lakes, reservoirs and rivers). Underwater hunting with spearguns is explicitly LEGAL for recreational/amateur and sport fishing: the Rules of Amateur and Sport Fishing permitted 'ружья для подводной охоты' (spearguns) outside designated public recreation zones (point 9), and the general ban on firearms/pneumatic weapons explicitly excepts 'ружей и пистолетов для подводной охоты' (spearguns and underwater pistols) (point 16(1)). However it is restricted: it requires paid fishing tickets/permits (point 4) or a путёвка issued by the water-body user (point 5); it is closed during species-specific spawning seasons; it is banned in protected/closed zones; and a list of protected species (Issyk-Kul trout, Issyk-Kul bare osman, pike-asp, Turkestan barbel, whitefish, peled) may never be taken. Note: the 2015 Rules (Government Decree No. 410) and the 1997 Law 'On Fisheries' were repealed in 2025 by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 237 of 25 April 2025 as part of a fisheries-law overhaul; the umbrella framework is now Law No. 35 of 17 March 2021 'On aquaculture, fisheries and protection of aquatic biological resources'. The post-April-2025 replacement Rules were not retrievable at the time of research, so the verbatim provisions captured here are from the last published (25.04.2025) edition of the 2015 Rules; substantive treatment of spearguns has been consistent historically but the current edition should be re-verified.
Zuletzt aktualiséiert Juli 31, 2025
Gouvernéierende Kader
- §Law of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 35 of 17 March 2021 'On aquaculture, fisheries and protection of aquatic biological resources' (current umbrella law, amendments as of 31.07.2025)
- §Rules of Amateur and Sport Fishing in Water Bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic, approved by Government Decree No. 410 of 24 June 2015 (last published edition 25.04.2025; repealed by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 237 of 25 April 2025)
- §Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 237 of 25 April 2025 (repealed and replaced the 2015 fisheries normative acts)
- §Law of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 39 of 25 June 1997 'On Fisheries' (repealed)
- Lizenz erfuerdert
- Erfuerdert
- Spiergewier
- Erlaabt
D'Gesetz, verbatim
Gesetzestexte
Déi exakt gesetzlech a regulatoresch Bestëmmungen, déi d'Speerfëscherei hei gouvernéieren, esou wéi publizéiert zitéiert, mat engem Link op all offiziell Quell.
Permitted fishing gear including spearguns
Rules of Amateur and Sport Fishing in Water Bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic (Government Decree No. 410 of 24 June 2015)
9. Любительский и спортивный лов рыбы разрешается удочками всех систем и наименований (блесна, спиннинги, кружки, жерлицы и другие разрешенные снасти), а также ружьями для подводной охоты вне зоны отдыха граждан.
Prohibited gear and methods (speargun exception to weapons ban)
Rules of Amateur and Sport Fishing in Water Bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic (Government Decree No. 410 of 24 June 2015)
16. Запрещается любительское и спортивное рыболовство: 1) кольцовками, спутниками, на глубинную блесну, с применением взрывчатых и отравляющих веществ, электротока, колющих орудий лова, огнестрельного и пневматического оружия (за исключением ружей и пистолетов для подводной охоты), а также способом багрения, петлями, сетными орудиями лова всех видов, ловушками всех конструкций, мордушками, подпусками, переметами, способом запруд и перегородок;
Closed (spawning) seasons by species and water body
Rules of Amateur and Sport Fishing in Water Bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic (Government Decree No. 410 of 24 June 2015)
17. Запрещается рыболовство в период нереста рыбы: 1) в озере Иссык-Куль: - чебака - с 15 марта по 30 апреля; - чебачка, линя, леща - с 1 мая по 1 июля; - маринки, османа - с 15 апреля по 15 мая; - сазана, карпа - с 15 мая по 15 июля; 2) на других рыбохозяйственных водоемах: - щуки, красноперки, плотвы, чебака, карася, окуня, усача, леща, маринки, линя, судака, сазана, карпа, сома, толстолобика, амура - с 1 мая по 1 июня; - османа речного - с 15 июня по 15 июля; - амударьинской (речной) форели - с 15 октября по 15 декабря.
Minimum sizes and permanently protected species
Rules of Amateur and Sport Fishing in Water Bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic (Government Decree No. 410 of 24 June 2015)
18. Запрещается: - лов рыбы менее следующих размеров (в сантиметрах): карася - 18, линя - 18, леща - 20, чебака - 17, сома - 40, маринки озерной - 25, маринки речной - 18, чебачка - 10, османа речного - 15, красноперки - 10, сазана - 20, карпа - 20, плотвы - 12, усача - 25, щуки - 20, амударьинской (речной) форели - 20, судака - без ограничения размера ...; - любительский и спортивный лов иссык-кульской форели, иссык-кульского голого османа, щуковидного жереха-лысача и туркестанского усача, а также сига и пеляди; - находиться на водоеме или в непосредственной близости от него с взрывчатыми и отравляющими веществами, а также с запрещенными орудиями рыболовства;
Permit/ticket requirement and night-fishing / closed-zone bans
Rules of Amateur and Sport Fishing in Water Bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic (Government Decree No. 410 of 24 June 2015)
4. Любительское и спортивное рыболовство и лов ценных лимитируемых видов рыб (речная форель и речной осман) в рыбохозяйственных водоемах, рыболовных угодьях и реках Кыргызской Республики осуществляются по платным рыболовным билетам и карточкам уполномоченного государственного органа управления рыбным хозяйством. 5. Любительский и спортивный лов рыбы ... осуществляется по путевкам, выданным пользователями указанных водоемов. ... 16. Запрещается любительское и спортивное рыболовство: ... 6) с плавсредств, в темное время суток (с 22 до 5 часов утра); ... 11) на озере Иссык-Куль: - на рыболовном участке № 11 с плавсредств - с 1 ноября по 31 декабря; - на рыболовных участках №№ 15 и 39 - в течение всего года.
Wann Dir dauche kënnt
Saisons & Zäitbeschränkungen
Geschlossen, geöffent a ageschränkt Perioden iwwer d'Joer. Bestätegt ëmmer artenspezifisch Schliesszäiten lokal.
- ZouLake Issyk-Kul: chebak (Issyk-Kul dace)Mär 15 – Apr 30
Spawning closure for chebak in Lake Issyk-Kul (point 17(1)).
- ZouLake Issyk-Kul: chebachek, tench, breamMee 1 – Jul 1
Spawning closure for chebachek, tench and bream in Lake Issyk-Kul (point 17(1)).
- ZouLake Issyk-Kul: marinka, osmanApr 15 – Mee 15
Spawning closure for marinka and osman in Lake Issyk-Kul (point 17(1)).
- ZouLake Issyk-Kul: sazan (wild carp), carpMee 15 – Jul 15
Spawning closure for sazan and carp in Lake Issyk-Kul (point 17(1)).
- ZouOther fishery water bodies: pike, rudd, roach, chebak, crucian carp, perch, barbel, bream, marinka, tench, pike-perch, sazan, carp, catfish, silver carp, grass carpMee 1 – Jun 1
General spawning closure on water bodies other than Issyk-Kul (point 17(2)).
- ZouOther water bodies: river osmanJun 15 – Jul 15
Spawning closure for river osman outside Issyk-Kul (point 17(2)).
- ZouOther water bodies: Amu Darya (river) troutOkt 15 – Dez 15
Spawning closure for Amu Darya river trout (point 17(2)).
- ZouLake Issyk-Kul, fishing site No. 11 (from watercraft)Nov 1 – Dez 31
Fishing from watercraft banned at Issyk-Kul site No. 11 from 1 Nov to 31 Dec (point 16(11)).
Erlaabnis zum Fëschen
Lizenz
Wat Dir braucht fir am Waasser erlaabt ze sinn, wat et kascht a wéi Dir et kritt.
From the authorized state fisheries management body, or from the user of the assigned water body. Electronic fishing permits are reported to be obtainable online (e.g. via the MegaPay app, per secondary sources).
Är Lizenz kréienÖffnet dat offiziellt Portal · cbd.minjust.gov.kg
- Typ
- Paid fishing ticket and card (рыболовный билет/карточка) issued by the authorized state fisheries body; or a путёвка (permit) issued by the water-body user/association for certain species
- Käschten
- unknown
- Gëltegkeet
- unknown
- Wéi ze kréien
- From the authorized state fisheries management body, or from the user of the assigned water body. Electronic fishing permits are reported to be obtainable online (e.g. via the MegaPay app, per secondary sources).
- Autoritéit
- Authorized state fisheries management body (Department of Fisheries Complex under the Ministry of Agriculture / Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision)
Ausrüstung & Technik
Ausrüstungsreegelen
Wéi Ausrüstung erlaabt ass, wéi se benotzt duerf ginn a wéi Bedéngungen drun hänken.
Aschränkungen
- Spearguns ('ружья для подводной охоты') permitted only outside public recreation zones ('вне зоны отдыха граждан') (point 9).
- Speargun is treated as an exception to the general ban on firearms and pneumatic weapons (point 16(1)); secondary sources note guns/pistols must be of factory manufacture.
- No more than three tackles per angler or boat; total hooks not exceeding two per rod/tackle (point 10) - applies to rod fishing.
- Explosives, poisons, electric current, piercing implements, nets, traps and similar are prohibited (point 16(1)).
The speargun permission is explicit in two places of the 2015 Rules (points 9 and 16(1)). 'Public recreation zone' (зона отдыха граждан) where spearfishing is barred is not coordinate-defined in the Rules; check local signage. Scuba use for spearfishing is not addressed in the retrieved text.
Wat Dir mat kënnt huelen
Fangbeschränkungen & geschützte Arten
Deeglech Quoten, Mindestgréissten a Arten, déi ni geholl duerfen ginn.
Deeglech Limit
5 kg of fish per angler per day (chebak, chebachek, pike-perch, sazan, carp, barbel, pike, catfish, marinka, silver carp, grass carp, crucian carp, perch, rudd, bream, tench, roach); a single fish exceeding the limit is not a violation (point 14). Removal from the water body limited to a two-day norm (point 15).
Mindestgréissten
- Crucian carp (карась)min. 18 cm
- Tench (линь)min. 18 cm
- Bream (лещ)min. 20 cm
- Chebak / Issyk-Kul dace (чебак)min. 17 cm
- Catfish (сом)min. 40 cm
- Lake marinka (маринка озерная)min. 25 cm
- River marinka (маринка речная)min. 18 cm
- Chebachek (чебачек)min. 10 cm
- River osman (осман речной)min. 15 cm
- Rudd (красноперка)min. 10 cm
- Sazan / wild carp (сазан)min. 20 cm
- Carp (карп)min. 20 cm
- Roach (плотва)min. 12 cm
- Barbel (усач)min. 25 cm
- Pike (щука)min. 20 cm
- Amu Darya (river) trout (амударьинская/речная форель)min. 20 cm
Geschützt Arten — net huelen
- GeschütztIssyk-Kul trout (иссык-кульская форель)
- GeschütztIssyk-Kul bare osman (иссык-кульский голый осман)
- GeschütztPike-asp / Aspiolucius (щуковидный жерех-лысач)
- GeschütztTurkestan barbel (туркестанский усач)
- GeschütztWhitefish / Coregonus (сиг)
- GeschütztPeled (пелядь)
Undersized fish and crayfish, and any banned species, must be released alive (footnote to point 18). Crayfish under 10 cm and egg-bearing females may not be taken. Valuable limited species (river trout, river osman) are catch-limited per fishing card (points 4, 7, 15).
Wien fësche duerf
Besucher & Awunner
Wéi d'Reegelen fir auslännesch Besucher a lokal Awunner ënnerscheeden.
Auslännesch Besucher
The retrieved Rules do not distinguish foreigners from residents; amateur/sport fishing rules apply to 'граждане' (citizens/persons) generally and require the same paid ticket/permit. No foreigner-specific spearfishing provision was found in official sources; tourist guides indicate foreigners fish under the same permit system. Treat as unknown pending the post-2025 replacement rules.
Awunner
Paid fishing ticket/card or путёвка (same as for all amateur anglers)
Ufuerderungen
- Hold valid fishing documents (билет, путёвка, рыболовная карточка) and present them on demand to fisheries inspectors (point 8).
- Comply with the regime of the visited water body, size limits, closed seasons and zone restrictions.
The Rules do not establish a separate resident category; the same permit regime applies to all persons engaged in amateur/sport fishing.
Wou op der Küst
Erlaabt & verbotene Zonen
Benannt Gebidder, déi fir Speerfëscherei op oder zou sinn. Kuckt d'ganzt Bild op der interaktiver Kaart.
Erlaabt Gebidder
Amateur and sport fishing, including spearguns outside public recreation zones, is permitted on Lake Issyk-Kul under permit, subject to spawning closures and the all-year ban on sites No. 15 and No. 39. Issyk-Kul trout and Issyk-Kul bare osman may never be taken.
Paid fishing ticket/permit required; spawning closures (point 17); protected species may not be taken (point 18); sites No. 15 and No. 39 closed all year; site No. 11 closed to watercraft 1 Nov-31 Dec.
Amateur and sport fishing with spearguns is permitted on water bodies and rivers generally, except state nature reserves and aquaculture/commercial-fishing/reproduction zones (point 2), outside public recreation zones (point 9), under permit/ticket.
Paid ticket/permit (points 4-5); general spawning closure 1 May-1 Jun (point 17(2)); no night fishing from watercraft 22:00-05:00 (point 16(6)); minimum sizes (point 18).
Verbotene Gebidder
The Rules do not apply to water areas of state nature reserves and water areas assigned for commercial fish-breeding, commercial fishing and reproduction of fish stocks; amateur/sport fishing is excluded there (point 2).
- Lake Issyk-Kul, fishing sites No. 15 and No. 39year-round closed fishing area
Amateur and sport fishing prohibited the entire year (point 16(11)).
- River mouths, dams, sluices and bridges (buffer zones)buffer/protection zone
Banned within 100 m either side of and into the water body at river/canal mouths, 150 m upstream, and 150 m either side of dams, sluices and bridges (point 16(2)); also in melioration/sluice canals (point 16(3)) and at fish concentration sites, migration paths and spawning grounds (point 16(4)).
- Sary-Chelek State Biosphere Reserve (Lake Sary-Chelek)nature reserve
Strict state nature reserve (zapovednik, IUCN Ia) and UNESCO biosphere reserve in Jalal-Abad Region centred on the high-mountain Lake Sary-Chelek (470 ha, ~245 m deep, elev. ~1,873 m). As a state nature reserve, its water area is excluded from the Amateur/Sport Fishing Rules (point 2) and all fishing is prohibited. A specific, mappable instance of the general 'state nature reserves' ban already in the dataset.
State nature reserve (zapovednik) in Naryn Region; in 1998 the lake sections of Son-Kol (5,200 ha water) and Chatyr-Kol (3,954 ha water) were incorporated. As reserve water areas they are excluded from the Amateur/Sport Fishing Rules (point 2) and all fishing is prohibited. Coordinate is the Son-Kol lake centre.
Konditioune op dem Waasser
Live-Konditioune
Live Mieres- a Wiederschnappschoss no engem Küstenreferenzpunkt a Kyrgyzstan, vun Open-Meteo. Konditioune variéiere laanscht d'Küst — als indikatif betruechten.
Live Mieres- & Wiederbedéngungen no Lake Issyk-Kul (open sites).
Wien ze froen
Autoritéiten
Déi offiziell Gremien, déi fir Fëscherei a Lizenzéierung zoustänneg sinn.
Department of Fisheries Complex (Департамент рыбного хозяйства / рыбопромышленного комплекса)
fisheries authority
mnr.gov.kgUnder the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Processing Industry; announces annual spawning closuresMinistry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic
environment ministry
mnr.gov.kgPublishes fishing-prohibition (nerestovy zapret) notices; oversees fish-stock protectionCentralized Bank of Legal Information, Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic
legislation portal
cbd.minjust.gov.kgOfficial source of legislation text
Wou dëst hierkommt
Quellen
All Behaaptung op dëser Säit geet op eng vun dëse Referenze zréck.
- [01]
Правила любительского и спортивного рыболовства в водоемах Кыргызской Республики (Decree No. 410 of 24 June 2015), current published edition 25.04.2025 - CBD Ministry of Justice
Offiziellcbd.minjust.gov.kgOpgeruff Jun 15 - [02]
Full document JSON for Decree No. 410 / Amateur Fishing Rules via Ministry of Justice OpenData API (GetDocument.json?Code=97696)
Offiziellcbd.minjust.gov.kgOpgeruff Jun 15 - [03]
Law of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 35 of 17 March 2021 'On aquaculture, fisheries and protection of aquatic biological resources' (amendments as of 31.07.2025)
Sekundärcontinent-online.comOpgeruff Jun 15 - [04]
Ministry of Natural Resources: amateur and sport fishing prohibited during spawning in 2025 (official notice, 17 April 2025)
Offiziellmnr.gov.kgOpgeruff Jun 15 - [05]
Закон КР № 39 от 25 июня 1997 'О рыбном хозяйстве' (repealed) - CBD OpenData metadata
Offiziellcbd.minjust.gov.kgOpgeruff Jun 15 - [06]
Fishing in Kyrgyzstan - tourist guide (locations, permits, MegaPay e-permits)
Sekundärilovekg.comOpgeruff Jun 15 - [07]
В Кыргызстане введен временный запрет на любительскую рыбалку в период нереста (news.kg, Apr 2025)
Sekundärnews.kgOpgeruff Jun 15
Fuerschernotizen
Kyrgyzstan is landlocked (no sea coast); all spearfishing is freshwater (Lake Issyk-Kul, Son-Kul, Toktogul and other reservoirs, and rivers such as Naryn, Chu). Spearfishing (подводная охота) with spearguns is explicitly LEGAL but RESTRICTED for amateur/sport fishing: permitted only outside public recreation zones (point 9) and expressly excepted from the firearms/pneumatic-weapons ban (point 16(1)); a paid fishing ticket/permit is required, spawning closures apply, certain Issyk-Kul sites are closed, and six species (Issyk-Kul trout, Issyk-Kul bare osman, pike-asp, Turkestan barbel, whitefish, peled) are permanently protected. IMPORTANT CURRENCY CAVEAT: the verbatim provisions captured here are from the last published edition (25.04.2025) of the 2015 Rules, which were repealed by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 237 of 25 April 2025 as part of a 2025 fisheries-law overhaul (the 1997 Fisheries Law and 2015 decree were both repealed; the umbrella law is now Law No. 35 of 2021). The post-April-2025 replacement Rules could not be retrieved from the Ministry of Justice CBD at research time because the portal renders only via a JavaScript SPA / OpenData API; the verbatim text was obtained through the official OpenData API (GetDocument.json?Code=97696). Cost/validity of permits and explicit foreigner rules were not found in official text and are marked unknown. Data confidence: medium - legal text is verbatim from the official source, but it reflects a just-repealed edition and the live replacement was not confirmed. License cost, foreigner-specific rules and exact coordinates of recreation/closed zones should be re-verified against the current (post-237/2025) Rules.
Mech notifizéieren wann Kyrgyzstans Reegelen änneren
Mir emailen Iech wann Kyrgyzstans Saisons oder Reegelen a eisem Dateset aktualiséiert ginn.