Barbados
Americas · Caribbean
Recreational spearfishing is generally permitted in Barbados outside protected areas, but it is regulated and subject to important restrictions. The primary fisheries statute is now the Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025 (enacted 12 May 2025), which repealed the Fisheries Act, Cap. 391 (1993). That Act bans destructive methods (firearms, electric-shock devices, explosives, poisons and other noxious substances) but does not prohibit spearguns outright; instead it empowers the Minister to make regulations on the 'use of underwater breathing apparatus, spear guns or other similar devices' (s.438(1)(k)). Under the still-relevant Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 it is illegal to use SCUBA to take sea eggs (sea urchins), and harvesting egg-bearing lobster, turtles, coral and ornamental fish is prohibited or requires written permission. All non-commercial fishing vessels require a recreational fishing licence (s.134). Spearfishing and all fishing/extraction are prohibited inside the Folkestone (Barbados) Marine Reserve near Holetown - the country's only legislated marine protected area - where spear guns are expressly not permitted. The sea egg fishery has been closed by moratorium since 2005, and Caribbean spiny lobster is subject to an annual closed season.
Последно ажурирање Јуни 14, 2026
Управувачка рамка
- §Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025 (enacted 12 May 2025; repealed Fisheries Act, Cap. 391)
- §Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. 1998/102, Cap. 391)
- §Fisheries Act, 1993 (Cap. 391) - repealed by the 2025 Act
- §Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, 1976 (governs marine reserves, incl. Folkestone)
- Потребна дозвола
- Потребно
- Харпун
- Дозволено
- Странци
- Добредојдовте
Законот, дословно
Правни текстови
Точните законски и регулаторни одредби кои го уредуваат подводниот риболов овде, цитирани онака како се објавени, со врска до секој официјален извор.
Prohibited fishing gear and fishing methods
Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025
23.(1) No person shall (a) use any prohibited fishing gear or fishing method; or (b) use, permit the use of or carry onboard for the purpose of fishing (i) any fish aggregating device unless authorized to do so; (ii) any firearm, electric shock device, explosive, poison, or other noxious substance; or (iii) any other object used for disabling or killing fish or rendering fish more easily caught.
Power to regulate spear guns and underwater breathing apparatus
Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025
438.(1) The Minister may make regulations generally for the sustainable management and development of fisheries, aquaculture and mariculture in Barbados and in particular, for the following: ... (k) use of underwater breathing apparatus, spear guns or other similar devices;
Recreational fishing licence required
Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025
134.(1) All Barbados registered and foreign registered fishing vessels to be used in non-commercial fishing activities in the waters of Barbados shall possess a valid recreational fishing licence. (2) No person shall engage in commercial fishing activities with a recreational fishing licence.
Repeal of the Fisheries Act, Cap. 391
Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025
444. The Fisheries Act, Cap. 391, is hereby repealed.
Prohibition on taking sea eggs with SCUBA, in closed season or closed area
Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. 1998/102, Cap. 391)
8. No person shall fish for any sea eggs (a) during the closed season; (b) with the assistance of SCUBA; or (c) in a closed area.
Definition of SCUBA and sea egg
Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. 1998/102, Cap. 391)
In these Regulations, ... "SCUBA" means self-contained underwater breathing apparatus; "sea egg" means the white sea urchin Tripneustes ventricosus; "turtle" means all species of marine turtle.
Prohibition on possession or harm of egg-bearing lobster
Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. 1998/102, Cap. 391)
6. (1) No person shall (a) have in his possession; (b) sell; (c) purchase; or (d) harm any lobster which is carrying eggs. (2) No person shall remove eggs from a lobster.
Protection of turtles
Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. 1998/102, Cap. 391)
7. (1) No person shall (a) have in his possession; (b) sell or expose for sale; or (c) purchase any turtle or part thereof or turtle eggs. (2) No person shall fish for or ensnare any turtle. (3) No person shall disturb or endanger any turtle nest or remove from a nest any turtle eggs.
Protection of coral
Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. 1998/102, Cap. 391)
14. No person shall take, injure, destroy or fish for coral, except with the written permission of the Chief Fisheries Officer and in accordance with any conditions which he may specify.
Minimum landing weight for yellowfin and bigeye tuna
Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. 1998/102, Cap. 391)
12. No person shall land a yellowfin tuna, or a bigeye tuna, less than 3.2 kilogrammes live weight.
Penalty for contravention of the 1998 Regulations
Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. 1998/102, Cap. 391)
15. Any person who contravenes these Regulations is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $50 000 or to imprisonment for a term of 2 years or to both.
Prohibition on spear guns and fishing within the Folkestone Marine Reserve
Folkestone (Barbados) Marine Reserve rules - National Conservation Commission
Do not touch or take any coral, fish or marine life. Do not fish in the reserve or use spear guns, hooks, lines, traps or explosives to catch fish.
Кога можеш да нуркаш
Сезони и временски ограничувања
Затворени, отворени и ограничени периоди во текот на годината. Секогаш потврди локално за затворањa специфични за видови.
- ЗатвореноSea egg (white sea urchin, Tripneustes ventricosus)
The sea egg fishery has been under an indefinite closure/moratorium since 2005; opening requires a Cabinet decision following a positive Fisheries Division stock survey. As of the latest official notice (2023) the sea egg season remains closed until further notice. Harvesting with SCUBA is separately prohibited under Regulation 8 of the Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998.
- ЗатвореноCaribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus)Мај 1 – Јун 30
Barbados operates an annual closed season for Caribbean spiny lobster (typically 1 May to 30 June; the 2025 lobster fishing season was reopened by public notice on 23 June 2025). During the closed season it is prohibited to catch, sell, purchase or possess lobster. Egg-bearing lobster are protected year-round under Regulation 6 of the 1998 Regulations. Dates are set annually by the Fisheries Division and should be confirmed each year.
Дозвола за риболов
Дозвола
Што треба да имаш за да бидеш дозволен во водата, колку чини и како да ја добиеш.
Apply to the Chief Fisheries Officer, Fisheries Division, in the form specified, with vessel particulars and the prescribed application fee (Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025, ss.134-136).
Добиј ја дозволатаГо отвора официјалниот портал · fisheries.gov.bb
- Тип
- Recreational fishing licence (per vessel) for non-commercial fishing in Barbados waters
- Цена
- Prescribed application fee set by the Chief Fisheries Officer (specific amount not published in the Act; to be confirmed with the Fisheries Division)
- Важење
- unknown
- Како да се добие
- Apply to the Chief Fisheries Officer, Fisheries Division, in the form specified, with vessel particulars and the prescribed application fee (Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025, ss.134-136).
- Орган
- Fisheries Division (Chief Fisheries Officer), Ministry responsible for fisheries
Опрема и техника
Правила за опрема
Која опрема е дозволена, како може да се употребува и условите поврзани со тоа.
Ограничувања
- Spear guns and other fishing methods are prohibited inside the Folkestone (Barbados) Marine Reserve.
- Firearms, electric-shock devices, explosives, poisons and other noxious substances are prohibited for fishing nationally (Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025, s.23).
- SCUBA must not be used to harvest sea eggs (sea urchins) (Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998, reg.8).
- The Minister may make regulations governing the use of underwater breathing apparatus, spear guns and similar devices (2025 Act, s.438(1)(k)); check current subsidiary regulations and any Official Gazette notices on prohibited methods before fishing.
Spear guns are not banned outright by national statute, but their use is regulated and prohibited in the marine reserve. The 2025 Act allows the Minister to issue specific regulations on speargun/underwater-breathing-apparatus use, so the rules can change by subsidiary instrument. The previous 1993 Fisheries Act regime did not impose a general speargun ban either.
Што можеш да земеш
Ограничувања на улов и заштитени видови
Дневни квоти, минимални мерки и видови кои никогаш не смеат да се земат.
Дневен лимит
unknown
Минимални мерки
- Yellowfin tuna (minimum landing weight 3.2 kg live weight)
- Bigeye tuna (minimum landing weight 3.2 kg live weight)
Заштитени видови — не земај
- ЗаштитеноMarine turtles (all species) - taking, possession and sale prohibited
- ЗаштитеноEgg-bearing (berried) lobster - possession, sale, purchase or harm prohibited
- ЗаштитеноCoral - taking/injuring prohibited without written permission of the Chief Fisheries Officer
- ЗаштитеноOrnamental fish and aquatic flora - fishing prohibited without written permission
- ЗаштитеноSea eggs / white sea urchin (Tripneustes ventricosus) - fishery under indefinite closure
- ЗаштитеноCetaceans, whale shark, manta and ray species and sawfishes - 'prohibited species' under the new fisheries regime
Minimum landing weight for yellowfin and bigeye tuna is 3.2 kg live weight (1998 Regulations, reg.12). The size_limits field uses a notes-style species label because the limits are expressed by weight, not length. No general recreational daily bag limit is published in the located legislation; confirm species-specific measures and any Official Gazette notices with the Fisheries Division.
Кој може да риба
Посетители и резиденти
Како правилата се разликуваат за странски посетители и локалните жители.
Странски посетители
ДозволеноПотребна е специјална дозвола
Барања
- Non-commercial fishing vessels (including foreign-registered) must hold a valid recreational fishing licence (2025 Act, s.134).
- Foreign vessels used solely for recreational fishing are exempt from the separate foreign fishing vessel licence (s.138), but still require the recreational fishing licence.
Ограничувања
- No spearfishing or any fishing inside the Folkestone (Barbados) Marine Reserve.
- Same gear/method and protected-species rules apply as for residents.
Tourists are frequently told that no licence is needed for casual recreational fishing, but under the 2025 Act the licence requirement attaches to the fishing vessel used for non-commercial fishing. Visitors who spearfish should verify current requirements with the Fisheries Division, especially licence and any speargun regulations.
Резиденти
Recreational fishing licence (non-commercial) issued by the Chief Fisheries Officer
Барања
- Apply to the Chief Fisheries Officer with vessel particulars and the prescribed fee (ss.134-136).
- Comply with prohibited-gear, protected-species and closed-season rules.
Commercial fishers require separate registration/licensing; a recreational licence may not be used for commercial fishing (s.134(2)).
Каде на крајбрежјето
Дозволени и забранети зони
Именувани области кои се отворени или затворени за подводен риболов. Погледни ја целосната слика на интерактивната карта.
Забранети области
- Folkestone (Barbados) Marine Reservemarine reserve
Barbados's only legislated marine protected area, established 1981 under the Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, 1976. It runs about 2.1-2.2 km along the west coast near Holetown (St. James), from just north of the Coral Reef Club Hotel to the southern edge of the Sandy Lane Hotel property, extending up to roughly 950 m offshore, and is divided into four zones (scientific research, northern and southern water sports, and recreational). All fishing and extraction are prohibited, and spear guns, hooks, lines, traps and explosives may not be used. Coordinates below are the approximate location of Holetown, the reserve's central point (approximate - the legal boundary is defined in the reserve order, not by these coordinates).
- Carlisle Bay Marine Parkmarine park
A marine conservation area on the southwest coast of Barbados, in the parish of Saint Michael, adjacent to Bridgetown between Brownes Beach/Bay Street Esplanade and Needham's Point. Established (alongside Folkestone) as one of Barbados's two marine conservation areas; managed by the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU) and National Conservation Commission (NCC), with demarcation lines marking the northern and southern limits and mooring buoys within. Fishing within its designated boundaries is expressly prohibited (so spearfishing is not permitted). Note: management is administrative/voluntary via CZMU demarcation; reporting indicates the park has no specific legislative protection. The bay also contains the 'Underwater Museum' of six shipwrecks (e.g. the Berwyn, Bajan Queen) functioning as artificial reefs. Coordinates are the approximate centre of Carlisle Bay; the managed boundary is set by the CZMU demarcation lines, not by this point.
Услови на водата
Живи услови
Живи поморски и временски вредности до крајбрежна референтна точка во Barbados, од Open-Meteo. Условите варираат долж крајбрежјето — третирај ги како индикативни.
Живи морски и временски услови близу Folkestone (Barbados) Marine Reserve.
Кого да прашаш
Власти
Официјалните тела одговорни за рибарство и лиценцирање.
Fisheries Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security
fisheries authority
fisheries.gov.bbPrincess Alice Highway, Bridgetown, Barbados; Chief Fisheries OfficerNational Conservation Commission (NCC) - Folkestone Marine Reserve
marine protected area manager
nccbarbados.comFolkestone Marine Park & Visitor Centre, Holetown, St. JamesCoastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU)
coastal management authority
coastal.gov.bbBridgetown, Barbados
Откаде доаѓа тоа
Извори
Секоја тврдба на оваа страница се проследува до еден од овие референци.
- [01]
Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025 - full bill text (Barbados Parliament)
Официјаленbarbadosparliament.comПристапено Јун 14 - [02]
Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025 - bill record
Официјаленbarbadosparliament.comПристапено Јун 14 - [03]
Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (Cap. 391) - official subsidiary legislation PDF
Официјаленbarbadoslawcourts.gov.bbПристапено Јун 14 - [04]
Barbados Fisheries Division - Legal Framework
Официјаленfisheries.gov.bbПристапено Јун 14 - [05]
New Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Acts of 2025 enacted on 12 May 2025
Официјаленfisheries.gov.bbПристапено Јун 14 - [06]
Sea egg season remains closed (Barbados Fisheries Division)
Официјаленfisheries.gov.bbПристапено Јун 14 - [07]
Public Notice - Opening of the Lobster Fishing Season, 23 June 2025 (Government of Barbados Press Office)
Официјаленfacebook.comПристапено Јун 14 - [08]
About the Folkestone Marine Reserve - National Conservation Commission
Официјаленnccbarbados.comПристапено Јун 14 - [09]
Local Legislation - Coastal Zone Management Unit (lists Marine Areas Act 1976, Fisheries Act 1993, 1998 Regulations)
Официјаленcoastal.gov.bbПристапено Јун 14 - [10]
Folkstone Marine Reserve - CPAG (size and zones)
Секундаренthecpag.orgПристапено Јун 14
Белешки на истражувачот
Legal landscape changed materially in 2025: the Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025 (in force 12 May 2025) repealed the Fisheries Act, Cap. 391 (1993). Verbatim provisions for the 2025 Act were taken from the official Parliament bill PDF; the Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 verbatim text was extracted from the official Barbados Law Courts subsidiary-legislation PDF. Neither the 2025 Act nor the 1998 Regulations imposes a general ban on spearguns/spearfishing; spearguns are regulated (and bannable) by ministerial regulation (2025 Act s.438(1)(k)) and are expressly prohibited inside the Folkestone Marine Reserve. CAUTION / open items: (1) the lobster closed-season dates (1 May - 30 June) are the regional/typical pattern and the Barbados 2025 reopening notice (23 June 2025), but the exact verbatim Barbados notice text could not be confirmed - verify the current year's dates with the Fisheries Division; (2) the Folkestone Reserve coordinates given are the approximate location of Holetown (the reserve centre), NOT surveyed legal boundary points; (3) recreational licence fees, validity, and current speargun-specific subsidiary regulations should be confirmed directly with the Fisheries Division. A government GIS page on the new regulations (gisbarbados.gov.bb) was inaccessible (HTTP 403) and could not be quoted. Confidence is 'medium': primary statutory text is well-sourced and official, but some operational details (fees, exact annual season dates, precise reserve coordinates) remain to be confirmed.
Извести ме кога ќе се сменат правилата на Barbados
Ќе те известиме по е-пошта кога ќе се ажурираат сезоните или прописите на Barbados во нашата база на податоци.