China

Any unit or individual that intends to engage in inland water or inshore fishing must first apply to departments of fishery administration for fishing licences.

Use of explosives and poisons in fishing shall be prohibited. It shall not be permitted to fish in prohibited fishing areas and during closed seasons, to fish with gear and methods banned by the fishery authority or to use fishing nets with meshes smaller than the minimum prescribed sizes.

Catching fry of aquatic animals of important economic value shall be prohibited. Catching fry of aquatic animals of important economic value or spawning aquatic animals under protection for artificial breeding or for other special purposes must be approved by the department of fishery administration under the State Council or by departments of fishery administration under the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government.

The use of explosives, poisons, electricity and any other means in fishing that impairs the fishery resources is prohibited. The manufacture, sale and use of banned fishing gear are prohibited. Fishing in restricted fishing areas and during closed seasons is prohibited. The use of fishing nets with mesh smaller than the specified minimum size is prohibited. The proportion of juvenile fish in a catch may not exceed the specified level. The sale of catch illegally harvested in the restricted fishing areas and during closed seasons is prohibited.

国家对捕捞业实行捕捞许可证制度。捕捞许可证由县级以上人民政府渔业渔政主管部门批准发放。……捕捞许可证不得买卖、出租、出借或者以其他形式转让，不得涂改、伪造、变造。个人通过娱乐性垂钓或者手工采集的方式零星获得水产品的，不属于捕捞作业，不需要申请捕捞许可证；县级以上地方人民政府渔业渔政主管部门应当加强管理，防止破坏渔业资源。 [English gist: The State operates a fishing-licence (捕捞许可证) system for fishing operations; licences are issued by county-level-or-above fishery authorities and may not be traded, leased, lent, transferred, altered or forged. An individual who obtains only small/sporadic amounts of aquatic products by recreational angling (娱乐性垂钓) or hand collection is NOT engaged in 'fishing operations' and does NOT need a fishing licence; local fishery authorities at county level or above shall nonetheless manage it to prevent damage to fishery resources.]

省级以上人民政府渔业渔政主管部门根据渔业资源状况、水生生物繁殖生长规律以及重点水生生物物种、水产种质资源保护等方面的需要，科学论证、设立并公布禁渔区、禁渔期……禁止违反禁渔区、禁渔期的规定从事捕捞活动，禁止违规垂钓。 [English gist: Provincial-or-above fishery authorities scientifically set and publish closed fishing areas (禁渔区) and closed seasons (禁渔期). Carrying out fishing in violation of closed-area/closed-season rules is prohibited, and irregular/illegal angling (违规垂钓) is prohibited.]

禁止使用炸鱼、毒鱼、电鱼等破坏渔业资源和渔业水域生态环境的方法进行捕捞。禁止携带炸鱼、毒鱼、电鱼等破坏渔业资源和渔业水域生态环境的装置、器具等进入渔业水域。禁止制造、销售、使用禁用的渔具。禁止使用小于最小网目尺寸的网具进行捕捞。……禁止使用的捕捞方法、禁用渔具目录、最小网目尺寸和推荐渔具目录，由国务院渔业渔政主管部门或者省、自治区、直辖市人民政府渔业渔政主管部门规定，并及时调整。 [English gist: Fishing by explosives, poison, electrofishing or other methods that damage fishery resources/aquatic ecology is prohibited, as is carrying such devices into fishery waters. Manufacturing, selling and using banned fishing gear is prohibited, as is using nets below the minimum mesh size. The list of prohibited methods, the banned-gear catalog (禁用渔具目录) and minimum mesh sizes are set by the national or provincial fishery authorities.]

省、自治区、直辖市根据需要制定休闲渔业管理办法。 [English gist: Provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government shall, as needed, formulate recreational-fishery (休闲渔业) management measures.]

（娱乐性垂钓中禁止的行为）使用各类探鱼设备和视频装置进行垂钓，鱼枪、鱼叉、鱼镖、弓弩等手段射鱼。 [English gist: Among the behaviours PROHIBITED in recreational angling: angling with any kind of fish-finding equipment or video device, and shooting/spearing fish (射鱼) using spearguns (鱼枪), fish spears (鱼叉), fish darts (鱼镖), crossbows (弓弩) and similar means. This implements the Ministry of Agriculture's Yangtze-basin recreational-angling rules, in which fish spears/arrows are listed in the Yangtze banned-gear catalog.]

第九条 禁止采挖珊瑚礁和以爆破、钻孔、施用有毒物质、电击等方式破坏珊瑚礁。 第十条 禁止采挖、捕捞、杀害砗磲。 [English gist: Art. 9 — Harvesting/excavating coral reef is prohibited, as is damaging coral reef by blasting, drilling, applying toxic substances or electric shock. Art. 10 — Harvesting, fishing/catching and killing giant clams (砗磲) is prohibited.]

No person shall fish by any means in a marine reserve. [In marine parks] only holder of a valid marine park fishing permit granted in accordance with the Marine Parks and Marine Reserves Regulation (Cap. 476A) (the Regulation) may fish in marine parks. [Gist: spearfishing is therefore banned outright in Hong Kong's marine reserve and is only possible in marine parks for permit-holders; the Regulation governs marine-park/reserve fishing rules.]