Costa Rica
Americas · Central America
Recreational spearfishing (pesca deportiva subacuatica / pesca submarina) is legal in Costa Rica and is recognized as a form of sport fishing that may be carried out underwater (Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436, Art. 70.c). It is restricted: a valid sport-fishing card (carne de pesca deportiva) issued by INCOPESCA is required for anyone fishing underwater (Art. 75), the fisher must be at least 16 years old (Reglamento Decreto 36782, Art. 69), and the catch is for self-consumption or taxidermy only (no commercial sale). Practice is widely understood (national authorities and the dive community) to require freediving (breath-hold/'a pulmon') only, with the use of SCUBA / autonomous diving (breathing) equipment for spearfishing prohibited. Spearfishing, like all sport and commercial fishing, is absolutely prohibited inside national parks, natural monuments and biological reserves (Ley 8436, Art. 9), and restricted in other protected areas per their management plans. INCOPESCA sets minimum sizes, catch limits, closed seasons (vedas) and zones (Art. 73 of the Law).
Последно ажурирање Јуни 14, 2026
Управувачка рамка
- §Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436 (Fisheries and Aquaculture Law), enacted 1 March 2005
- §Reglamento a la Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436 - Decreto Ejecutivo No. 36782-MINAET-MAG-MOPT-TUR-SP-S-MTSS (2011)
- §Ley de Creacion del Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuicultura (INCOPESCA) No. 7384 (1994)
- Потребна дозвола
- Потребно
- Харпун
- Дозволено
- SCUBA
- Забрането
- 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.
Sport fishing may be carried out underwater (subaquatic)
Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436
Articulo 70.-La pesca deportiva podra efectuarse: a) Desde tierra. b) A bordo de alguna embarcacion. c) De manera subacuatica.
Sport-fishing card required for underwater fishers
Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436
Articulo 75.-Tanto la tripulacion como quienes practiquen la pesca deportiva a bordo de una embarcacion o de manera subacuatica, deberan portar el respectivo carne de pesca deportiva extendido por el INCOPESCA.
Definition of sport fishing
Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436
Articulo 68.-La pesca deportiva es la actividad pesquera que realizan personas fisicas, nacionales o extranjeras, con el fin de capturar, con un aparejo de pesca personal apropiado para el efecto, recursos acuaticos pesqueros en aguas continentales, jurisdiccionales o en zona economica exclusiva, sin fines de lucro y con proposito de deporte, recreo, turismo o pasatiempo.
INCOPESCA sets fees, seasons, zones, minimum sizes and maximum catch for sport fishers
Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436
Articulo 73.-El INCOPESCA establecera los canones, las epocas, las zonas y las tallas minimas, asi como el numero maximo de ejemplares que pueda capturar un pescador deportista, de acuerdo con las condiciones del recurso de que se trate y las caracteristicas particulares del lugar donde se desarrolle la actividad.
Sport-fishing catch destined for taxidermy or self-consumption
Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436
Articulo 74.-Las capturas obtenidas de la pesca deportiva, segun la cantidad autorizada de ejemplares, se destinaran a la taxidermia o al consumo de quienes las realicen, bajo los terminos y las condiciones que determine el INCOPESCA.
Commercial and sport fishing prohibited in national parks, natural monuments and biological reserves
Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436
Articulo 9.-Prohibense el ejercicio de la actividad pesquera con fines comerciales y la pesca deportiva en parques nacionales, monumentos naturales y reservas biologicas. El ejercicio de la actividad pesquera en la parte continental e insular, en las reservas forestales, zonas protectoras, refugios nacionales de vida silvestre y humedales, estara restringido de conformidad con los planes de manejo, que determine para cada zona el Ministerio de Ambiente y Energia (MINAE), en el ambito de sus atribuciones.
Penalty for fishing in protected wildlife areas
Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436
Articulo 153.-Quien autorice o ejerza la actividad de pesca comercial o de pesca deportiva en las areas silvestres protegidas indicadas en el primer parrafo del articulo 9 de esta Ley, se sancionara con multa de veinte a sesenta salarios base y la cancelacion de la respectiva licencia.
Definition of harpoon/speargun (arpon)
Reglamento a la Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436 - Decreto Ejecutivo No. 36782
Arpon: Arte de pesca utilizado para capturar especies acuaticas, que consiste en una varilla con punta o lanza que podra ser empleada en forma manual o mecanica, tambien conocido como arbaleta.
Sport fishing authorized only to persons over 16 with INCOPESCA card
Reglamento a la Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436 - Decreto Ejecutivo No. 36782
Articulo 69. La pesca deportiva se autorizara unicamente a las personas fisicas, mayores de 16 anos, para lo cual deberan contar con el respectivo carne emitido por la Autoridad Ejecutora de la LPA.
Requirements to obtain or renew a sport-fishing card (national or foreign tourists)
Reglamento a la Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436 - Decreto Ejecutivo No. 36782
Requisitos para obtener o renovar un carne de pesca deportiva (turistas nacionales o extranjeros): 1. Presentar copia de la cedula de identidad, cedula de residencia o pasaporte vigente, junto con el original para verificar su autenticidad. 2. Aportar una fotografia tamano pasaporte reciente. 3. Presentar solicitud de carne de pesca deportiva, segun formulario (F.S.P.D), para grupos de turistas, la cual esta disponible en la Pagina Web de INCOPESCA. 4. Presentar recibo de cancelacion del canon respectivo.
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.
- ОграниченоAll sport/underwater fishers - closed seasons (vedas), minimum sizes and maximum catch numbers set administratively by INCOPESCA per species and zone
There is no single fixed national closed season for spearfishing. Under Articulo 73 of Law 8436, INCOPESCA establishes the seasons (epocas), zones, minimum sizes and maximum number of specimens by species and area. Specific vedas (e.g. for snapper, shrimp, lobster and seasonal/spatial closures) are issued by separate INCOPESCA resolutions and must be checked before fishing.
Дозвола за риболов
Дозвола
Што треба да имаш за да бидеш дозволен во водата, колку чини и како да ја добиеш.
Apply online via the INCOPESCA website (www.incopesca.go.cr) or at one of the regional INCOPESCA offices (Cuajiniquil, Playas del Coco, Nicoya, Quepos, Golfito, Limon, Puntarenas, Herradura, San Jose, Heredia). Present a valid ID/residency card/passport, a recent passport-size photo, the F.S.P.D application form, and proof of payment of the canon.
Добиј ја дозволатаГо отвора официјалниот портал · incopesca.go.cr
- Тип
- Carne de pesca deportiva (sport-fishing card) issued by INCOPESCA; required for underwater/subaquatic sport fishers (Ley 8436 Art. 75). A dedicated 'underwater fishing' (pesca submarina) annual licence category exists.
- Цена
- Approx. USD 16.95 (8 days), USD 28.25 (1 month), USD 56.50 (1 year); an annual underwater-fishing licence is reported at ~USD 56.50. Fees set in colones by INCOPESCA canon.
- Важење
- 8 days, 1 month, or 1 year
- Како да се добие
- Apply online via the INCOPESCA website (www.incopesca.go.cr) or at one of the regional INCOPESCA offices (Cuajiniquil, Playas del Coco, Nicoya, Quepos, Golfito, Limon, Puntarenas, Herradura, San Jose, Heredia). Present a valid ID/residency card/passport, a recent passport-size photo, the F.S.P.D application form, and proof of payment of the canon.
- Орган
- INCOPESCA (Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuicultura)
Опрема и техника
Правила за опрема
Која опрема е дозволена, како може да се употребува и условите поврзани со тоа.
Ограничувања
- Spearguns/harpoons (arpon/arbaleta, manual or mechanical) are an accepted fishing gear (Reglamento, definition of 'Arpon').
- SCUBA / autonomous underwater breathing equipment (tanks) is prohibited for spearfishing; only freediving / breath-hold ('a pulmon') is permitted per national authorities and the dive community.
- Use of artificial lights to attract fish is reported as prohibited.
- Some secondary/dive sources report a practical limit of a maximum of two spearguns carried, but this could not be confirmed against the verbatim Law/Reglamento text.
The general fishing-method prohibitions in Ley 8436 Art. 38 (explosives, toxic/acoustic devices, undersized capture, unauthorized gear, gill/pelagic trawl nets, etc.) apply to all fishing. The Law/Reglamento provisions retrieved verbatim do not themselves spell out the SCUBA ban or a 2-speargun cap; those appear in INCOPESCA practice and secondary sources.
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
Catch is for self-consumption or taxidermy only; no commercial sale. INCOPESCA sets the maximum number of specimens per species/zone (Ley 8436 Art. 73/74). For sport fishing of large pelagics the Reglamento allows landing up to five specimens per fishing trip (Art. 68); a general 5-fish-per-trip limit for spearfishing is reported by secondary/dive sources but is not stated verbatim for spearfishing in the retrieved law text.
Заштитени видови — не земај
- ЗаштитеноPez vela / sailfish (Istiophorus albidus/albicans) - declared species of tourist-sport interest, catch-and-release
- ЗаштитеноMarlin azul / blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) - catch-and-release
- ЗаштитеноMarlin negro / black marlin (Makaira indica) - catch-and-release
- ЗаштитеноMarlin rayado / striped marlin (Tetrapturus audax) - catch-and-release
- ЗаштитеноSabalo / tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) - species of tourist-sport interest
- ЗаштитеноCetaceans, pinnipeds and sea turtles (quelonios) - capture prohibited (Ley 8436 Art. 39)
Minimum sizes ('tallas minimas') are set administratively by INCOPESCA per species (Ley 8436 Art. 73; capture below authorized size prohibited under Art. 38.h). Sport-interest billfish (sailfish, marlins) and roosterfish are managed under catch-and-release. Specific minimum-size figures were not retrieved verbatim and are left empty rather than guessed.
Кој може да риба
Посетители и резиденти
Како правилата се разликуваат за странски посетители и локалните жители.
Странски посетители
ДозволеноПотребна е специјална дозвола
Барања
- Obtain an INCOPESCA carne/licencia de pesca deportiva (available to national and foreign tourists).
- Present a valid passport (original plus copy).
- Provide a recent passport-size photograph.
- Submit the F.S.P.D application form (available on the INCOPESCA website) and pay the canon.
Ограничувања
- Same equipment, area and catch restrictions as residents (freediving only, no fishing in national parks/reserves, self-consumption only).
- Minimum age 16.
Foreign tourists are explicitly contemplated in the sport-fishing definition (Art. 68: 'personas fisicas, nacionales o extranjeras') and in the carne requirements, and licences can be obtained online.
Резиденти
Carne de pesca deportiva (same sport-fishing card; nationals present cedula de identidad or cedula de residencia instead of passport)
Барања
- Present cedula de identidad or cedula de residencia (original plus copy).
- Provide a recent passport-size photograph.
- Submit the sport-fishing card application form and pay the canon.
- Be at least 16 years old.
Requirements for residents and foreign tourists are largely the same except for the accepted identity document.
Каде на крајбрежјето
Дозволени и забранети зони
Именувани области кои се отворени или затворени за подводен риболов. Погледни ја целосната слика на интерактивната карта.
Дозволени области
Recreational/underwater sport fishing is permitted in continental, jurisdictional and exclusive economic zone waters, and in inland waters reserved for subsistence, small-scale artisanal, tourism, sport and recreational fishing (Reglamento Art. 73), provided the area is not a national park, natural monument, biological reserve or otherwise restricted protected area, and the fisher holds a valid INCOPESCA sport-fishing card.
Valid carne de pesca deportiva required; minimum age 16; freediving only (no SCUBA/autonomous breathing equipment); catch for self-consumption/taxidermy; respect INCOPESCA minimum sizes, catch limits and vedas.
Забранети области
- National parks, natural monuments and biological reserves (all)protected area (national park / natural monument / biological reserve)
All commercial and sport fishing (including spearfishing) is absolutely prohibited in national parks, natural monuments and biological reserves under Ley 8436 Art. 9. Violations carry fines of 20-60 base salaries and licence cancellation (Art. 153).
- Isla del Coco (Cocos Island) National Park / Marine Conservation Areamarine national park (no-take)
Marine national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site approx. 550 km off the Pacific coast; a no-take protected area where all fishing including spearfishing is prohibited.
- Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserveabsolute nature reserve (marine protected area)
Costa Rica's oldest protected area (terrestrial 1963, marine zone 1982) at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula; a strict no-take reserve where fishing including spearfishing is prohibited.
- Cahuita National Parknational park (coral reef)
Caribbean coast national park protecting a coral reef; fishing including spearfishing is prohibited within the protected marine area.
- Marino Ballena National Parkmarine national park
Pacific (South Puntarenas) marine national park; fishing including spearfishing is prohibited within the protected area.
- Isla del Caño Biological Reservebiological reserve (no-take marine protected area)
Pacific biological reserve about 16-20 km off the Osa Peninsula, comprising 320 ha of land and ~5,800 ha (52 km2) of sea. As a biological reserve it is a no-take MPA where all fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited under Ley 8436 Art. 9 (sport and commercial fishing banned in biological reserves). Created by decree in 1976/1978 and managed by SINAC.
- Las Baulas Marine National Parkmarine national park
Marine national park on the Pacific Guanacaste coast (Playa Grande / Tamarindo area) protecting leatherback turtle nesting beaches and adjacent marine waters. As a national park, all sport and commercial fishing including spearfishing is prohibited within the protected marine area under Ley 8436 Art. 9.
- Manuel Antonio National Park (marine sector)national park (marine sector)
Pacific national park near Quepos (central Puntarenas) with a protected marine sector. As a national park, all sport and commercial fishing including spearfishing is prohibited within the protected area under Ley 8436 Art. 9.
- Corcovado National Park (marine sector)national park (marine sector)
Large national park on the Osa Peninsula (Pacific) protecting rainforest, mangroves and coastal/marine ecosystems. As a national park, all sport and commercial fishing including spearfishing is prohibited along its protected coast/marine sector under Ley 8436 Art. 9.
- Piedras Blancas National Park (marine sector)national park (marine sector)
Pacific national park on the Golfo Dulce coast (Osa, Puntarenas) with protected coastal/marine waters. As a national park, all sport and commercial fishing including spearfishing is prohibited within the protected area under Ley 8436 Art. 9.
- Tortuguero National Park (marine sector)national park (marine sector)
Caribbean-coast national park (Limón) protecting sea-turtle nesting beaches, canals and adjacent marine waters. As a national park, all sport and commercial fishing including spearfishing is prohibited within the protected area under Ley 8436 Art. 9.
- Santa Rosa National Park / Islas Murciélago (marine sector)national park (marine sector / Bat Islands)
Northwest Pacific (Guanacaste) national park whose marine sector includes the Islas Murciélago (Bat Islands). The area is protected as a marine reserve within the national park and is closed to fishing; as a national park, sport and commercial fishing including spearfishing is prohibited under Ley 8436 Art. 9.
Услови на водата
Живи услови
Живи поморски и временски вредности до крајбрежна референтна точка во Costa Rica, од Open-Meteo. Условите варираат долж крајбрежјето — третирај ги како индикативни.
Живи морски и временски услови близу Isla del Coco (Cocos Island) National Park / Marine Conservation Area.
Кого да прашаш
Власти
Официјалните тела одговорни за рибарство и лиценцирање.
INCOPESCA - Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuicultura
fisheries authority (executing authority of the Fisheries Law)
incopesca.go.crRegional offices: Puntarenas (HQ), Cuajiniquil, Playas del Coco, Nicoya, Quepos, Golfito, Limon, Herradura, San Jose, HerediaMINAE / SINAC - Ministerio de Ambiente y Energia / Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion
environment ministry (manages protected areas / marine parks)
Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas (Costa Rican Coast Guard)
maritime enforcement authority
Откаде доаѓа тоа
Извори
Секоја тврдба на оваа страница се проследува до еден од овие референци.
- [01]
Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436 (full text PDF, FAOLEX)
Официјаленfaolex.fao.orgПристапено Јун 14 - [02]
Reglamento a la Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura No. 8436 - Decreto Ejecutivo No. 36782 (full text PDF)
Официјаленredpescaindnr.orgПристапено Јун 14 - [03]
Ley No. 8436 - Ley de pesca y acuicultura (FAOLEX / ECOLEX record)
Официјаленfao.orgПристапено Јун 14 - [04]
INCOPESCA - official fisheries authority website
Официјаленincopesca.go.crПристапено Јун 14 - [05]
FECOP - Licencia de Pesca en Costa Rica (license validity and process)
Секундаренes.fishcostarica.orgПристапено Јун 14 - [06]
Pura Vida Traveling - Fishing License in Costa Rica: Regulations, Cost & Best Practices (license fees in USD)
Секундаренpuravidatraveling.comПристапено Јун 14 - [07]
Lancaster Scuba - Can You Spearfish in Costa Rica? (practical rules: license, freediving only, 2 spearguns, 5-fish limit, MPAs)
Секундаренlancasterscuba.comПристапено Јун 14 - [08]
Alvarado et al. - Costa Rica's Marine Protected Areas: status and perspectives (Revista de Biologia Tropical / SciELO)
Секундаренscielo.sa.crПристапено Јун 14
Белешки на истражувачот
Verbatim legal text was extracted from the official Ley 8436 (FAOLEX PDF, cos60829.pdf) and the official Reglamento Decreto 36782 PDF, both fetched and text-extracted locally; Spanish accents/special characters were normalized to ASCII in the JSON for portability but otherwise the wording is verbatim. The Law and Reglamento establish that sport fishing may be conducted underwater (subaquatic) and require an INCOPESCA sport-fishing card for underwater fishers, with all fishing prohibited in national parks/monuments/biological reserves. The widely-cited practical specifics for spearfishing - SCUBA prohibited (freediving only), a maximum of two spearguns, and a 5-fish-per-trip self-consumption limit - are reported by national authorities and the dive/fishing community (secondary sources) and by INCOPESCA practice, but the exact SCUBA ban and 2-speargun cap were NOT located verbatim in the retrieved Law/Reglamento text; the 5-specimen-per-trip figure appears verbatim only for large pelagic sport fishing (Reglamento Art. 68). These items are flagged as reported rather than verbatim, and minimum-size figures were left empty rather than guessed. Confidence is 'medium': the core legal framework and licensing are strongly sourced from official law, while some operational spearfishing limits rest on secondary sources. MPA coordinates are approximate park centroids from general references, not from the legal instruments. INCOPESCA's own carne and licencias web pages were under maintenance at time of access.
Извести ме кога ќе се сменат правилата на Costa Rica
Ќе те известиме по е-пошта кога ќе се ажурираат сезоните или прописите на Costa Rica во нашата база на податоци.