Philippines
Asia · South-Eastern Asia
Recreational spearfishing is generally permitted in the Philippines as a breath-hold (freediving) activity in open coastal waters that are not protected, but it is heavily restricted. National law does not name 'spearfishing' explicitly; instead it is regulated through the Philippine Fisheries Code (RA 8550, as amended by RA 10654), local government unit (LGU) ordinances and marine-protected-area declarations. A spear/speargun is widely treated by fisheries authorities and commentators as 'active gear', and any form of commercial fishing with active gear inside municipal waters is prohibited, so LGUs may ban or zone recreational spearfishing in their municipal waters. Fishing of any kind, including spearfishing, is unlawful inside declared marine protected areas, fishery reserves, refuges and sanctuaries (Sec. 101). The use of scuba or surface-supplied air compressors ('hookah'/compressor fishing) to spear or gather fish is banned pursuant to the Fisheries Code and reinforced by numerous municipal ordinances. Night spearfishing with high-intensity 'superlights' in municipal waters is also unlawful (Sec. 98). Certain species (e.g. humphead/Napoleon wrasse, sea turtles, giant clams) are protected and may not be taken. There is no national recreational spearfishing licence; rules are highly local, so the practical legality depends on the specific municipality and site.
Zuletzt aktualiséiert Juni 15, 2026
Gouvernéierende Kader
- §Republic Act No. 8550 — The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998
- §Republic Act No. 10654 (2015) — An Act to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, amending RA 8550
- §Republic Act No. 9147 (2001) — Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (protected marine wildlife)
- §Republic Act No. 10067 — Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act of 2009
- §Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) — basis for municipal/LGU fisheries ordinances and municipal-water jurisdiction
- Scuba
- Verboten
- Auslänner
- Wëllkomm
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.
Unauthorized Fishing
Republic Act No. 10654 (amending RA 8550, Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998)
It shall be unlawful for any person to capture or gather or to cause the capture or gathering of fish, fry or fingerlings of any fishery species or fishery products without license or permit from the Department or LGU.
Use of Superlights (night fishing with high-intensity lights)
Republic Act No. 10654 (amending RA 8550, Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998)
It shall be unlawful to engage in fishing with the use of superlight in municipal waters, or to fish with fishing light attractor using candlelight power or intensity beyond the standards set by the Department in consultation with the LGUs for fishing in municipal waters, or in violation of the rules promulgated by the Department for fishing with the use of superlight or fishing light attractor outside municipal waters.
Fishing in Marine Protected Areas, fishery reserves, refuge and sanctuaries
Republic Act No. 10654 (amending RA 8550, Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998)
It shall be unlawful to fish in marine protected areas, fishery reserves, refuge, or fish sanctuaries as declared by the Department or the LGUs.
Definition of Active Fishing Gear
Republic Act No. 10654 (amending RA 8550, Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998)
Active fishing gear is a fishing device characterized by the pursuit of the target species by towing, pushing the gears, surrounding, covering, dredging, and scaring the target species to impoundments; such as, but not limited to, trawl, purse seines, Danish seines, paaling and drift gill net.
Definition of Passive Fishing Gear
Republic Act No. 10654 (amending RA 8550, Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998)
Passive fishing gear is characterized by the absence of pursuit of the target species; such as, but not limited to, hook and line, fishpots, traps and gill nets set across the path of the fish.
Ban on the use of explosives, noxious or poisonous substances
Republic Act No. 10654 (amending RA 8550, Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998)
It shall be unlawful for any person to catch, take or gather or cause to be caught, taken or gathered fish or any fishery species in Philippine waters with the use of explosives, noxious or poisonous substance such as sodium cyanide...
Wann Dir dauche kënnt
Saisons & Zäitbeschränkungen
Geschlossen, geöffent a ageschränkt Perioden iwwer d'Joer. Bestätegt ëmmer artenspezifisch Schliesszäiten lokal.
Keng seasonal Schliessungen opgeholl — lokal verifizéieren ier Dir daucht.
Erlaabnis zum Fëschen
Lizenz
Wat Dir braucht fir am Waasser erlaabt ze sinn, wat et kascht a wéi Dir et kritt.
Where required, permits/registration are handled at the municipal/city LGU level or by BFAR. Recreational divers should check with the local LGU or barangay before spearfishing.
Är Lizenz kréienÖffnet dat offiziellt Portal · bfar.da.gov.ph
- Typ
- No dedicated national recreational spearfishing licence. Sec. 86 makes it unlawful to capture fish without a license or permit from the Department (BFAR) or the LGU, but in practice recreational spearfishers are not required to register or obtain a license; LGUs may impose local permit/zone requirements.
- Käschten
- unknown
- Gëltegkeet
- unknown
- Wéi ze kréien
- Where required, permits/registration are handled at the municipal/city LGU level or by BFAR. Recreational divers should check with the local LGU or barangay before spearfishing.
- Autoritéit
- Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) / Local Government Units (LGUs)
Ausrüstung & Technik
Ausrüstungsreegelen
Wéi Ausrüstung erlaabt ass, wéi se benotzt duerf ginn a wéi Bedéngungen drun hänken.
Aschränkungen
- Scuba- and compressor- (surface-supplied 'hookah') assisted spearfishing/gathering of fish is banned pursuant to the Philippine Fisheries Code; many municipalities (e.g. Naga, Cebu; Pangasinan municipalities) have separate ordinances prohibiting the use of an air compressor as a breathing apparatus in any fishing activity.
- Spear/speargun is widely treated by fisheries authorities as 'active gear'; commercial fishing with active gear inside municipal waters is prohibited, and LGUs may ban or zone recreational spearguns in municipal waters.
- Use of high-intensity 'superlights' for night fishing in municipal waters is unlawful (Sec. 98).
- Some LGUs ban spearguns while allowing only traditional hand-held spears; rules vary by municipality.
National law does not explicitly regulate spearguns by name. The dominant constraints are: no scuba/compressor while spearing, no fishing in MPAs/sanctuaries, no superlights in municipal waters, and whatever the local LGU ordinance specifies for spears/spearguns and zones.
Wat Dir mat kënnt huelen
Fangbeschränkungen & geschützte Arten
Deeglech Quoten, Mindestgréissten a Arten, déi ni geholl duerfen ginn.
Deeglech Limit
unknown (no national recreational bag limit located; LGU ordinances may set local limits)
Geschützt Arten — net huelen
- GeschütztHumphead / Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) — protected; CITES Appendix II; capture/sale/export restricted
- GeschütztSea turtles (all marine turtles) — protected under RA 9147 (Wildlife Act)
- GeschütztGiant clams (Tridacna spp.) — protected
- GeschütztWhale shark and manta rays — protected (take/trade prohibited)
- GeschütztCorals — gathering, possession, sale or export prohibited under the Fisheries Code
Protected/endangered marine species may not be taken; trade and consumption are prohibited without special permits from BFAR or DENR. Coral exploitation is separately banned under the Fisheries Code.
Wien fësche duerf
Besucher & Awunner
Wéi d'Reegelen fir auslännesch Besucher a lokal Awunner ënnerscheeden.
Auslännesch Besucher
ErlaabtUfuerderungen
- Same rules as residents: no fishing in marine protected areas/sanctuaries, no scuba/compressor-assisted spearing, comply with local LGU ordinances.
- Tourists may generally bring and use spearfishing gear for freediving in non-protected open coastal areas, but should confirm locally whether a site is a sanctuary, since many are unmarked.
Aschränkungen
- Foreign nationals are restricted from commercial fishing / utilization of Philippine fishery resources; recreational, non-commercial breath-hold spearfishing in permitted areas is the relevant activity.
- Marine protected areas are off-limits to everyone.
Secondary dive-industry sources indicate tourists can freedive-spearfish in open, non-sanctuary waters, but must avoid MPAs and respect local ordinances. No specific national foreigner spearfishing permit was located.
Awunner
No dedicated recreational spearfishing licence at national level; municipal/city LGU rules apply.
Ufuerderungen
- Comply with municipal/LGU fisheries ordinances and any local spearfishing zones.
- Avoid all declared MPAs, reserves, refuges and sanctuaries.
- Do not use scuba/compressor or superlights.
Virdeeler
- Municipal fisherfolk and their organizations have preferential rights to fish within municipal waters under the Fisheries Code.
Local commercial/livelihood spearfishing by municipal fisherfolk is governed by LGU ordinances; preferential access to municipal waters is reserved for registered municipal fisherfolk.
Wou op der Küst
Erlaabt & verbotene Zonen
Benannt Gebidder, déi fir Speerfëscherei op oder zou sinn. Kuckt d'ganzt Bild op der interaktiver Kaart.
Verbotene Gebidder
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Parknational marine park / UNESCO World Heritage no-take zone
UNESCO World Heritage marine park in the Sulu Sea (Cagayancillo, Palawan), covering approx. 97,030 hectares including the North and South Atolls and Jessie Beazley Reef. It is a strict 'no-take' zone: no fishing or exploitation of any kind (including spearfishing) is permitted. Protected as a marine protected area under the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act of 2009 (RA 10067) and under Sec. 101 of the Fisheries Code.
- Declared marine protected areas, fishery reserves, refuges and fish sanctuaries (nationwide)marine protected areas / sanctuaries (general, nationwide)
All marine protected areas, fishery reserves, refuges and fish sanctuaries declared by BFAR/the Department or by LGUs are closed to fishing, including spearfishing, under Sec. 101 of the Fisheries Code (RA 8550 as amended by RA 10654). Hundreds of small LGU-declared MPAs exist along Philippine coasts; many are not signposted, so divers must verify locally.
- Apo Reef Natural Parknational marine park / no-take zone
The 34 km2 Apo Reef in the Mindoro Strait (Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro) is the second-largest contiguous coral reef system in the world and the Philippines' second-largest no-take zone after Tubbataha. Declared a Natural Park by Presidential Proclamation 868 (1996); the PAMB declared a full No-Take-Zone Policy in 2007 (PAMB Resolution No. 005 / Ordinance No. 001, S. 2007), completely banning fishing, collecting and harvesting of any marine life - including spearfishing - within the protected area (reinforced by Sec. 101 of the Fisheries Code).
- Apo Island Marine Sanctuarymarine reserve / no-take sanctuary
Volcanic island ~7 km off the southeastern tip of Negros (barangay of Dauin, Negros Oriental). One of the world's most famous community-organized marine sanctuaries, established 1982 with a no-take reserve along its southeast coast. The marine reserve is protected under the NIPAS Act and managed by a Protected Area Management Board; fishing of any kind (including spearfishing) is prohibited inside the no-take sanctuary.
- Sumilon Island Marine Sanctuarymarine reserve / no-take sanctuary
Small island (~24 ha) off Oslob, Cebu, in the Cebu/Bohol Strait. Designated in 1974, it was the first marine protected area / no-take marine sanctuary established in the Philippines (under Silliman University Marine Reserve). Fishing is restricted/prohibited within the sanctuary to preserve marine life; spearfishing is therefore not permitted in the no-take zone (reinforced by Sec. 101 of the Fisheries Code).
Konditioune op dem Waasser
Live-Konditioune
Live Mieres- a Wiederschnappschoss no engem Küstenreferenzpunkt a Philippines, vun Open-Meteo. Konditioune variéiere laanscht d'Küst — als indikatif betruechten.
Live Mieres- & Wiederbedéngungen no Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.
Wien ze froen
Autoritéiten
Déi offiziell Gremien, déi fir Fëscherei a Lizenzéierung zoustänneg sinn.
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Agriculture
fisheries authority
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) — Biodiversity Management Bureau
environment ministry (protected wildlife and protected areas)
Tubbataha Management Office (TMO)
marine protected area management authority
Local Government Units (municipalities/cities)
local fisheries regulators (municipal waters and MPAs)
Wou dëst hierkommt
Quellen
All Behaaptung op dëser Säit geet op eng vun dëse Referenze zréck.
- [01]
Republic Act No. 10654 (2015) — amending the Philippine Fisheries Code (RA 8550), full text
Offizielllawphil.netOpgeruff Jun 15 - [02]
Republic Act No. 10654 — Supreme Court E-Library
Offiziellelibrary.judiciary.gov.phOpgeruff Jun 15 - [03]
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8550 — The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (BFAR official PDF)
Offiziellbfar.da.gov.phOpgeruff Jun 15 - [04]
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Offiziellwhc.unesco.orgOpgeruff Jun 15 - [05]
Republic Act No. 9147 — Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (Official Gazette)
Offiziellofficialgazette.gov.phOpgeruff Jun 15 - [06]
Environmental Implications of Spearfishing in the Philippines — CCEF / Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation
Sekundärcoast.phOpgeruff Jun 15 - [07]
Is Spearfishing Legal in the Philippines? — Lancaster Scuba
Sekundärlancasterscuba.comOpgeruff Jun 15 - [08]
Naga City, Cebu — Ordinance No. 2010-003 banning use of compressor as breathing apparatus in fishing activities
Offiziellcityofnagacebu.gov.phOpgeruff Jun 15
Fuerschernotizen
Spearfishing is not named explicitly in Philippine national statute; legality is inferred from the Fisheries Code (RA 8550 as amended by RA 10654), LGU ordinances and MPA declarations. Verbatim law texts (Sec. 86 Unauthorized Fishing, Sec. 98 Superlights, Sec. 101 MPAs, Sec. 4 active/passive gear definitions, Sec. 92 explosives/poisons) were retrieved from the official lawphil.net text of RA 10654 and corroborated against the Supreme Court E-Library and BFAR. Section numbers reflect RA 10654's renumbering of RA 8550. Practical legality is highly local: many municipalities have their own spearfishing/compressor ordinances and small MPAs that are not centrally listed or signposted. The Naga City (Cebu) compressor ordinance PDF was located but is a corrupted scan, so its operative text is cited as a source rather than quoted verbatim. No national recreational catch/size limits or open/closed spearfishing seasons were located (seasons left empty); some species closed seasons and LGU-level limits exist but were not retrievable as verbatim spearfishing-specific provisions. Confidence is medium: national prohibitions are well-sourced and verbatim, but municipality-level rules vary widely and are not exhaustively covered.
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