SpearfishingMap

Uruguay

Americas · South America

Spearfishing (pesca submarina) is legal in Uruguay as a form of recreational/sport fishing (pesca deportiva). Under Article 44 of the Responsible Fishing Law (Ley N° 19.175 of 2013), sport fishing 'may be exercised freely' except where particular zones, species, periods or fishing gear require a prior fishing permit, as regulated by the Executive Power on the proposal of DINARA. There is no general national spearfishing-specific statute; the activity is governed by the general recreational-fishing framework plus species-specific closures (notably the recurring annual precautionary closure on corvina negra, Pogonias chromis) and minimum landing sizes. Uruguay has an active CMAS-affiliated underwater federation (FUAS) that organises spearfishing competitions and hosted the 2021 World Spearfishing Championship. No retrievable source confirms a national statutory ban on scuba/autonomous breathing apparatus for spearfishing specifically; the FUAS page describes pneumatic spearguns, lights and night spearfishing as prohibited 'in many countries' generically rather than citing a Uruguayan prohibition, so these points are marked unknown rather than asserted.

Restricted
DatenzouverlässegkeetMëttel Zouverlässegkeet

Zuletzt aktualiséiert Oktober 17, 2025

Gouvernéierende Kader

  • §Ley N° 13.833 (Riquezas del Mar) of 29 December 1969 - foundational law on fishing and aquatic hunting
  • §Ley N° 19.175 (Pesca Responsable y Fomento de la Acuicultura) of 20 December 2013 - current framework law; Art. 7(C) defines sport fishing, Art. 44 establishes free exercise subject to permits
  • §Decreto N° 115/018 - regulation of Ley N° 19.175; Art. 18 reiterates free exercise of sport fishing
  • §Decreto N° 149/997 - sets minimum landing sizes (tallas mínimas) and prohibited fishing methods
  • §DINARA Resolution N° 306/2025 - latest precautionary closure (veda) on corvina negra
Lizenz erfuerdert
Net erfuerdert
Spiergewier
Erlaabt
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.

01Artículo 7, literal CUruguay · national

Definition of sport fishing

Ley N° 19.175 (Pesca Responsable y Fomento de la Acuicultura)

ESOriginal

Pesca deportiva, cuando se realice por deporte, turismo, placer o recreación.

02Artículo 44Uruguay · national

Free exercise of sport fishing subject to permits

Ley N° 19.175 (Pesca Responsable y Fomento de la Acuicultura)

ESOriginal

La pesca deportiva podrá ejercerse libremente con excepción de aquellos casos en los que, en función de las zonas, especies, períodos y artes empleadas requieran previamente la obtención de permiso de pesca, lo que será reglamentado por el Poder Ejecutivo de conformidad con lo propuesto por la Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos.

03Artículo 18Uruguay · national

Sport fishing exercised freely absent prohibitions (regulation)

Decreto N° 115/018 (reglamentario de la Ley N° 19.175)

ESOriginal

La pesca deportiva podrá ejercerse libremente, siempre que no haya prohibiciones al respecto, conforme lo establece el artículo 44 de la Ley que se reglamenta.

04Artículo 49Uruguay · national

Minimum landing sizes (tallas mínimas de desembarque)

Decreto N° 149/997

ESOriginal

Merluza (Merluccius hubbsi): 35 cm. de longitud total. Corvina (Micropogonias furnieri): 32 cm. de longitud total. Pescadilla (Cynoscion striatus): 27 cm. de longitud total. Pez Espada (Xiphias gladius): 25 kilogramos por unidad.

05Artículo 45Uruguay · national

Prohibited fishing methods

Decreto N° 149/997

ESOriginal

Quedan prohibidos para los buques de bandera nacional: el empleo de redes de deriva; el uso de explosivos; sustancias tóxicas; trasmallos (redes de enmalle de dos o tres paños superpuestos); y el sistema de apaleo para incrementar las capturas con redes de enmalle.

06Resolución N° 306/2025Uruguay · national

Precautionary closure on corvina negra (2025-2026)

Resolución DINARA N° 306/2025

ESOriginal

Se prohíbe la extracción de corvina negra (Pogonias cromis) bajo cualquier modalidad en todos los ríos y arroyos que desembocan en el Río de la Plata y en el Océano Atlántico, así como en las desembocaduras de las lagunas costeras, desde la fecha de la resolución hasta el 15 de enero de 2026.

Wann Dir dauche kënnt

Saisons & Zäitbeschränkungen

Geschlossen, geöffent a ageschränkt Perioden iwwer d'Joer. Bestätegt ëmmer artenspezifisch Schliesszäiten lokal.

Jan
Feb
Mär
Apr
Mee
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Okt
Nov
Dez
ZouAgeschränktOp
  • ZouCorvina negra (Pogonias chromis / Pogonias cromis)Okt 17 – Jan 15

    Recurring annual precautionary closure (veda precautoria) declared each spring by DINARA. The 2025-2026 closure (Resolución N° 306/2025, issued 17 October 2025) prohibits extraction of corvina negra by any method until 15 January 2026, in all rivers and streams flowing into the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean and at the mouths of coastal lagoons. Prior versions: Res. 327/2024 (31 Oct 2024 to 15 Jan 2025) and Res. 242/2020 (12 Nov 2020 to 31 Dec 2020). Dates of start vary slightly year to year. Violations sanctioned under Ley N° 19.175.

Erlaabnis zum Fëschen

Lizenz

Wat Dir braucht fir am Waasser erlaabt ze sinn, wat et kascht a wéi Dir et kritt.

Keng Lizenz erfuerdertvia Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA), Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca (MGAP)
Keng Lizenz erfuerdert
Typ
No general recreational fishing licence required for sport/underwater fishing
Käschten
unknown
Gëltegkeet
unknown
Wéi ze kréien
Per Art. 44 of Ley N° 19.175 and Art. 18 of Decreto 115/018, sport fishing (which includes spearfishing) may be exercised freely; a fishing permit (permiso de pesca) is only required where specific zones, species, periods or gear are subject to restriction by DINARA. Recreational/shore fishers and artisanal fishers are exempt from the project-permit requirements. Researchers report no general recreational licence registry exists.
Autoritéit
Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA), Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca (MGAP)

Ausrüstung & Technik

Ausrüstungsreegelen

Wéi Ausrüstung erlaabt ass, wéi se benotzt duerf ginn a wéi Bedéngungen drun hänken.

SpiergewierErlaabt

Aschränkungen

  • Explosives and toxic/anaesthetic substances are prohibited in all fishing (Ley N° 13.833 Art. 13; Decreto 149/997 Art. 45)
  • Standard spearfishing gear is used and recognised by the national federation FUAS: rubber-powered speargun (fusil de gomas), spear/harpoon (arpón), pole spear (fisga), mask, fins, wetsuit, weights, knife and dive flag

No retrievable Uruguayan statute specifically permits or bans scuba/autonomous breathing apparatus (escafandra autónoma / equipo autónomo) for spearfishing; scuba_allowed left null pending an authoritative national source. The FUAS page notes that pneumatic spearguns, underwater lights and night spearfishing are prohibited 'in many countries' but does not cite a Uruguayan prohibition, so those are not asserted here.

Wat Dir mat kënnt huelen

Fangbeschränkungen & geschützte Arten

Deeglech Quoten, Mindestgréissten a Arten, déi ni geholl duerfen ginn.

Deeglech Limit

unknown

Mindestgréissten

  • Corvina (Micropogonias furnieri)min. 32 cm
  • Merluza (Merluccius hubbsi)min. 35 cm
  • Pescadilla (Cynoscion striatus)min. 27 cm

Geschützt Arten — net huelen

  • GeschütztCorvina negra (Pogonias chromis) - extraction prohibited by any method under the recurring DINARA precautionary closure
  • GeschütztMarine mammals (sea lions / lobos marinos) - protected; exploitation only as historically regulated

Minimum landing sizes from Decreto 149/997 Art. 49 are framed for fisheries generally; recreational/spearfishers are expected to respect them. Pez espada (Xiphias gladius) carries a minimum landing weight of 25 kg per unit. No retrievable per-day catch quota specific to recreational spearfishing was found.

Wien fësche duerf

Besucher & Awunner

Wéi d'Reegelen fir auslännesch Besucher a lokal Awunner ënnerscheeden.

Auslännesch Besucher

Erlaabt

No source indicates a nationality-based prohibition on recreational/sport fishing. Sport fishing may be exercised freely subject to the same species/zone/season restrictions that apply to everyone. No specific foreigner-only licensing requirement was found in retrievable sources.

Awunner

No resident-specific recreational fishing licence regime was identified; sport fishing is generally free to exercise for residents and non-residents alike, subject to species/zone/season restrictions set by DINARA.

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

  • During the annual corvina negra precautionary closure, extraction of corvina negra by any method is prohibited in all rivers and streams flowing into the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean, and at the mouths of coastal lagoons on the Atlantic. This is a species-specific area closure rather than a blanket spearfishing ban.

  • A sport-fishing exclusion zone (Zona B1) established by DINARA to protect artisanal fishing. Exact coordinates not retrieved.

  • Isla e Islote de Lobos y su entorno sumergido (Isla de Lobos Marine Protected Area)marine reserve / national park (first Uruguayan marine protected area)

    Uruguay's first marine protected area, declared a National Park within the SNAP by decree on 22 August 2024 ("Isla e Islote de Lobos y su entorno sumergido"). The island lies ~8.1 km offshore from Punta del Este and hosts the largest South American sea lion colony in the Southern Hemisphere. The decree prohibits landing/descent of visitors for recreation or tourism on the islands (including the emergent rocky perimeter), and prohibits fishing and hunting modalities that harm the local ecosystem. Protected core: 43.5 ha (main island) + 1.3 ha (islet) plus the submerged surroundings. Spearfishing around the island/islet falls under the prohibited 'fishing modalities harming the ecosystem' and the landing ban, so it should be treated as off-limits.

  • Parque Nacional Cabo Polonio (islands - intangible zone)national park (SNAP) - intangible islands within a coastal-marine area

    Cabo Polonio National Park (Decreto N° 337/009, 20 July 2009; 25,820 ha of which ~21,167 ha marine) on the Atlantic coast of Rocha department. The creating decree prohibits hunting and fishing 'except artisanal or sport fishing', so sport spearfishing is not blanket-banned in the park's marine area; however, visiting the offshore islands is permitted only for research purposes (intangible zone), making the island sub-area off-limits to spearfishers. Mapped at the cape/island cluster.

  • Área de manejo de hábitats y/o especies Cerro Verde e Islas de la Coronillacoastal-marine protected area (SNAP) with offshore islands and 5-nautical-mile marine fringe

    Coastal-marine protected area in Rocha department adjacent to Parque Santa Teresa near La Coronilla, incorporated into the SNAP by Decreto N° 285/011 (August 2011) as a 'habitat and/or species management area'. Comprises Punta Coronilla, Cerro Verde, a complex of oceanic islands and a marine fringe extending to 5 nautical miles (the Ramsar Site limit). It is a key juvenile green sea turtle feeding/development area; Isla Verde is the only known tern breeding colony in Uruguay. The management plan provides for regulated artisanal and sport fishing rather than a blanket ban, but the islands and turtle habitat are sensitive conservation zones; spearfishers should treat it as a restricted/regulated area subject to the management plan.

  • Paisaje Protegido Laguna de Rochaprotected landscape (SNAP) - coastal lagoon with marine platform fringe

    Protected Landscape on the Atlantic coast of Rocha department (incorporated into the SNAP in 2010; ~22,000 ha including ~7,200 ha of lagoon water plus a coastal strip and part of the oceanic platform). Declared a National Lacustrine Park (1977), UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Site (2015). Fishing within the area is regulated under its management plan (artisanal fishing is traditional here); the lagoon mouth is also subject to the recurring corvina negra closure. Mapped at the lagoon body; treat as a regulated/restricted area for spearfishing.

Konditioune op dem Waasser

Live-Konditioune

Live Mieres- a Wiederschnappschoss no engem Küstenreferenzpunkt a Uruguay, vun Open-Meteo. Konditioune variéiere laanscht d'Küst — als indikatif betruechten.

Live Mieres- & Wiederbedéngungen no Isla e Islote de Lobos y su entorno sumergido (Isla de Lobos Marine Protected Area).

Konditioune

Wien ze froen

Autoritéiten

Déi offiziell Gremien, déi fir Fëscherei a Lizenzéierung zoustänneg sinn.

  • Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA)

    fisheries authority

    gub.uyTel: (+598) 2413 8030
  • Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca (MGAP)

    agriculture and fisheries ministry

  • Federación Uruguaya de Actividades Subacuáticas (FUAS)

    national underwater activities federation (CMAS-affiliated)

    fuas.uyEmail: fuasuruguay@gmail.com; Tel: +(598) 9449 0818; Verdi 4405 C.P. 11400, Montevideo
  • Prefectura Nacional Naval (Armada Nacional)

    maritime authority

Wou dëst hierkommt

Quellen

All Behaaptung op dëser Säit geet op eng vun dëse Referenze zréck.

  1. [01]

    Ley N° 19.175 - Pesca Responsable y Fomento de la Acuicultura (IMPO)

    Offiziell
    impo.com.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  2. [02]

    Ley N° 13.833 - Riquezas del Mar (IMPO)

    Offiziell
    impo.com.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  3. [03]

    Decreto N° 115/018 (IMPO)

    Offiziell
    impo.com.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  4. [04]

    Decreto N° 149/997 - tallas mínimas y métodos prohibidos (Aduanas Uruguay)

    Offiziell
    aduanas.gub.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  5. [05]

    Pesca recreativa - Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca (MGAP)

    Offiziell
    gub.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  6. [06]

    Áreas vedadas para la pesca de corvina negra (MGAP/DINARA) - Resolución N° 306/2025

    Offiziell
    gub.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  7. [07]

    Resolución N° 327/024 Veda precautoria de Corvina Negra (MGAP)

    Offiziell
    gub.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  8. [08]

    DINARA impone veda precautoria sobre corvina negra (MGAP)

    Offiziell
    gub.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  9. [09]

    Pesca Submarina - Federación Uruguaya de Actividades Subacuáticas (FUAS)

    Sekundär
    fuas.uyOpgeruff Jun 15
  10. [10]

    Ordenación Pesquera - Asociación Oceanográfica Uruguaya

    Sekundär
  11. [11]

    El motivo por el cual Dinara prohibió la pesca de corvina negra (El Observador)

    Sekundär
    elobservador.com.uyOpgeruff Jun 15

Fuerschernotizen

Spearfishing in Uruguay is legal as a category of recreational/sport fishing (pesca deportiva), exercised freely under Art. 44 of Ley N° 19.175 and Art. 18 of Decreto 115/018 except where DINARA imposes zone/species/season/gear restrictions. There is no retrievable Uruguay-specific statute that singles out spearfishing gear (e.g. a national scuba ban or pneumatic-speargun ban); such points are deliberately left null/unknown rather than guessed. The most consequential live restriction for divers is the recurring annual precautionary closure on corvina negra (Pogonias chromis), which bans its extraction by any method in rivers, streams and coastal-lagoon mouths roughly October to mid-January each year. Minimum landing sizes (Decreto 149/997) and prohibited destructive methods (explosives/toxics) apply generally. Daily bag limits and a precise national list of recreational size limits were not retrievable, so they are marked unknown. Confidence is medium: the legal framework, the corvina negra closure and minimum sizes are confirmed verbatim from official IMPO/MGAP sources, but spearfishing-specific operational rules (scuba use, night diving, gear caps) are not codified in any source retrieved and would benefit from direct confirmation with DINARA or FUAS.

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