SpearfishingMap

Cameroon

Africa · Middle Africa

Spearfishing (chasse sous-marine) is not banned in Cameroon but is regulated as part of the general fisheries regime. The governing instrument is Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 to lay down the rules and regulations governing fisheries and aquaculture, which replaced the 1994 fisheries code (Law No. 94/01). The new law expressly recognises 'underwater fishing' (peche sous-marine) and 'sport or recreational fishing' as distinct categories of fishing (Section 15), and it defines underwater fishing as 'a set of activities designed to capture or collect fish resources from the seabed' (Section 11 definitions). Carrying out underwater, river or lake fishing using a self-contained breathing apparatus (e.g. SCUBA), a foil or any other similar equipment requires prior authorization from the Minister in charge of fisheries; doing so without authorization is a criminal offence (Section 88). All fishing is also subject to general prohibitions: it is forbidden to catch fully protected aquatic species (Section 26) or to use explosives, chemicals, poison, electricity, firearms or self-triggered traps (Section 27 f). Boundaries of the zones where each type of fishing may be practised, and the conditions for carrying them out, are set by separate Regulation (Section 15(2)-(3)); detailed implementing decrees for the 2024 law were still being rolled out in 2025, so some operational rules (specific recreational permit, fees, seasons, size limits) are not yet publicly codified. Industrial fishing is additionally restricted near the coast, and a marine protected area (Manyange na Elombo-Campo, created 2021) bans industrial fishing in part of the southern coastal waters.

Restricted
Betrouwbaarheid van gegevensGemiddelde betrouwbaarheid

Laatst bijgewerkt juni 14, 2026

Geldend kader

  • §Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 to lay down the rules and regulations governing fisheries and aquaculture in Cameroon
  • §Law No. 94/01 of 20 January 1994 to lay down forestry, wildlife and fisheries regulations (repealed/replaced by the 2024 law for the fisheries part)
  • §Decree creating the Manyange na Elombo-Campo National Marine Park (signed 3 November 2021)
Vergunning vereist
Vereist
Duikfles
Toegestaan

De wet, woordelijk

Wetteksten

De exacte wettelijke en regelgevende bepalingen die speervissen hier reguleren, geciteerd zoals gepubliceerd, met een link naar elke officiële bron.

01Section 11 (definitions)Cameroon · national

Definition of underwater fishing

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

underwater fishing: a set of activities designed to capture or collect fish resources from the seabed;

02Section 11 (definitions)Cameroon · national

Definition of sport or recreational fishing

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

sport or recreational fishing: any activity aimed at catching or collecting fishery resources for leisure purposes and not involving the marketing of fishing products;

03Section 11 (definitions)Cameroon · national

Definition of fishgig (multi-pronged spear)

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

fishgig: multi-pronged spear designed for catching large fish or flatfish along the bank;

04Section 15Cameroon · national

Types of fishing (underwater and recreational fishing recognised)

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

Types of fishing shall include: - Industrial fishing; - semi-industrial fishing; - artisanal fishing; - sport and recreational fishing; - technical and scientific fishing; - educational fishing; - underwater fishing; - aquaculture or ornamental fishing; - fishing for small estuary shrimp. (2) The boundaries of the zones where the various types of fishing are practiced shall be defined by Regulation. (3) The conditions for carrying out the types of fishing referred to in (1) above shall be set in accordance with the Regulation.

05Section 26Cameroon · national

Prohibition on catching fully protected aquatic species

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

SECTION 26: (1) In conformity with the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, catching of fully protected aquatic species shall be forbidden. (2) Where they may survive, protected and fully protected aquatic species caught inadvertently shall be thrown back into water forthwith. (3) Where such fully protected aquatic species are caught dead, Ministries in charge of wildlife and fisheries shall be informed thereof at the time of unloading. (4) Fully protected aquatic species unloaded shall be systematically seized by relevant authorities. (5) The list of fully protected aquatic species shall be drawn up by the Ministry in charge of wildlife.

06Section 27Cameroon · national

Prohibited fishing methods and gear

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

SECTION 27: When fishing, it shall be forbidden to: a) use trawl nets over a distance of 5 (five) nautical miles from the baseline; b) Use vessels with more than 350 (three hundred and fifty) Gross Register Tonnage (GRT) on territorial waters; c) use boats with more than 10 (ten) Gross Register Tonnage on inland waterways; d) use of means or devices that may obstruct fishing net meshes or may hamper their selective action [...]; e) use monofilament fishing net devices; f) use dynamites or any other form of explosive, chemical substances, poison, electricity, fire arms, self-triggered traps or any other device which may destroy the aquatic fauna or ecosystem; g) fish with tools without grid nets prescribed by the regulation in force to ensure the protection of species; h) use special tools such as detonators of chemical substances' mixture or the release of compressed gas, unless the latter is as results from the user's manipulation [...].

07Section 88Cameroon · national

Authorization required for underwater fishing with breathing apparatus (offence and penalty)

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

SECTION 88: Whoever carries out underwater, river or lake fishing using a self-contained breathing apparatus, foil or any other similar equipment without authorization from the Minister in charge of fisheries shall be punished with imprisonment for from 2 (two) months to 1 (one) year or a fine of from CFAF 500 000 (five hundred thousand) to CFAF 1 000 000 (one million), or with both such imprisonment and fine.

08Section 80Cameroon · national

Penalty for fishing with destructive devices

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

SECTION 80: Whoever fishes using electricity, lamps, dynamite, firearms, self-activating traps or any other device that destroys wildlife or the aquatic environment shall be punished with imprisonment for from 1 (one) year to 5 (five) years or a fine of from CFAF 15 000 000 (fifteen million) to CFAF 30 000 000 (thirty million), or with both such imprisonment and fine.

09Section 11 (definitions) / Section 89Cameroon · national

Fishery exploitation permit (access to fishery resources)

Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 governing fisheries and aquaculture

ENVertaald

fishery exploitation permit: administrative document issued by the Ministry responsible for fisheries to a natural or legal person, giving entitlement to access to fishery resources; [...] SECTION 89: Whoever refuses to present an exploitation permit [to] officials and staff of the Ministry in charge of fisheries shall be punished with imprisonment for from 6 (six) months to 1 (one) year or a fine of from CFAF 50 000 (fifty thousand) to CFAF 200 000 (two hundred thousand), or with both such imprisonment and fine.

Wanneer je mag duiken

Seizoenen & tijdsbeperkingen

Gesloten, open en beperkte perioden door het jaar heen. Bevestig soortspecifieke sluitingen altijd lokaal.

Geen seizoenssluitingen geregistreerd — controleer lokaal voordat je duikt.

Toestemming om te vissen

Vergunning

Wat je nodig hebt om het water in te mogen, wat het kost en hoe je het krijgt.

Vergunning vereistvia Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA)

Apply to the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA). Conditions for permits and for the various types of fishing (including underwater and sport/recreational fishing) are to be fixed by Regulation under the 2024 law.

Vraag je vergunning aan

Opent het officiële portaal · faolex.fao.org

Vergunning vereist
Type
Fishery exploitation permit / authorization from the Minister in charge of fisheries; a specific authorization is required for underwater/river/lake fishing using a self-contained breathing apparatus (Section 88). A separate sport/recreational fishing regime exists (Section 15) but its detailed permit and fee schedule are set by implementing Regulation not yet fully published.
Kosten
unknown
Geldigheid
unknown
Hoe te verkrijgen
Apply to the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA). Conditions for permits and for the various types of fishing (including underwater and sport/recreational fishing) are to be fixed by Regulation under the 2024 law.
Autoriteit
Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA)

Uitrusting & techniek

Uitrustingsregels

Welke uitrusting is toegestaan, hoe die gebruikt mag worden en welke voorwaarden eraan verbonden zijn.

DuikflesToegestaan

Beperkingen

  • Underwater, river or lake fishing using a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCUBA), a foil or similar equipment requires prior authorization from the Minister in charge of fisheries; without it the activity is a criminal offence (Section 88).
  • Use of dynamite, explosives, chemical substances, poison, electricity, firearms and self-triggered traps is strictly forbidden (Section 27 f; penalised under Sections 80 and 81).
  • Firearms (which can include powerhead/firearm-type spear devices) are prohibited as a fishing method.
  • A 'fishgig' (multi-pronged hand spear) is defined in law as legitimate gear for catching large fish/flatfish along the bank, indicating hand-held spears are recognised gear rather than prohibited devices.

The 2024 law does not explicitly ban hand-held spears or spearguns. SCUBA-assisted underwater fishing is permitted only with ministerial authorization. There is no published numeric limit on number of spears. Confirm current rules with MINEPIA before practising, as implementing decrees for the 2024 law were still being issued in 2025.

Wat je mag meenemen

Vangstlimieten & beschermde soorten

Dagquota, minimummaten en soorten die nooit gevangen mogen worden.

Daglimiet

unknown

Beschermde soorten — niet meenemen

  • BeschermdFully protected aquatic species listed by the Ministry in charge of wildlife (CITES-aligned)
  • BeschermdSea turtles (marine turtles)
  • BeschermdWest African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis)
  • BeschermdAtlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii)

Catching of fully protected aquatic species is forbidden (Section 26); the official list is maintained by the Ministry in charge of wildlife and is CITES-aligned. Manatees, marine turtles and humpback dolphins are explicitly protected in the Manyange na Elombo-Campo marine park context. No published recreational daily bag or minimum size limits were found for spearfishing.

Wie mag vissen

Bezoekers & inwoners

Hoe de regels verschillen voor buitenlandse bezoekers en lokale inwoners.

Buitenlandse bezoekers

Beperkingen

  • Industrial fishing licences may be issued only to natural persons resident in Cameroon or to companies whose head office is located in Cameroon (residency requirement under the prior code, Article 118 of Law 94/01); the principle of permits/authorizations from MINEPIA continues under the 2024 law.
  • Foreign-flagged vessels and chartering are tightly regulated (Sections 18-20).

No spearfishing-specific rule for foreign recreational divers was found. As with all fishing, a foreigner would need the relevant authorization from MINEPIA, and underwater fishing with breathing apparatus requires ministerial authorization (Section 88). Treat as unknown/restricted until confirmed with MINEPIA.

Inwoners

Fishery exploitation permit / artisanal or sport-recreational fishing authorization from MINEPIA

Voordelen

  • Local coastal communities are permitted to practise artisanal subsistence fishing inside the Manyange na Elombo-Campo marine park, where industrial fishing is banned.

Detailed resident recreational/underwater fishing permit conditions are to be set by Regulation under the 2024 law and were not fully published as of mid-2026.

Waar aan de kust

Toegestane & verboden zones

Genoemde gebieden die open of gesloten zijn voor speervissen. Bekijk het volledige beeld op de interactieve kaart.

Verboden gebieden

  • Manyange na Elombo-Campo National Marine Parkmarine protected area / national marine park

    Cameroon's first marine protected area, created by decree signed on 3 November 2021, located on the southern Atlantic coast at the maritime border with Equatorial Guinea (Campo / Ebodje area, South Region). Covers about 110,300 hectares of territorial waters. Industrial fishing is prohibited inside the park and its buffer zone; artisanal subsistence fishing by local communities is permitted. The park protects spawning grounds and species including sea turtles, the West African manatee and the Atlantic humpback dolphin. Any human activity likely to affect the park's objectives requires a prior, approved environmental impact study.

  • Trawl-net fishing over a distance of 5 nautical miles from the baseline is prohibited, and vessels above 350 GRT are barred from territorial waters (Section 27 a, b). This protects the near-shore band where most artisanal and any underwater fishing would occur, but is a gear/vessel restriction rather than a ban on diving with a hand spear.

  • Protected coastal and mangrove area south of Douala (Littoral/South regions) with sensitive estuarine and marine habitat; fishing in protected park waters is restricted and subject to park management. Affected by the Kribi deep-sea port development. Spearfishing within protected park boundaries should be treated as prohibited absent specific authorization.

Condities op het water

Live condities

Live mariene en weersmomentopname nabij een kustreferentiepunt in Cameroon, van Open-Meteo. Condities variëren langs de kust — beschouw als indicatief.

Live mariene & weerscondities nabij Manyange na Elombo-Campo National Marine Park.

Condities

Wie je moet vragen

Autoriteiten

De officiële instanties die verantwoordelijk zijn voor visserij en vergunningen.

  • Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA)

    fisheries authority

    minepia.gov.cmYaounde, Cameroon
  • Ministry in charge of Wildlife (Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, MINFOF)

    environment / wildlife ministry

    minfof.cmMaintains the list of fully protected aquatic species (CITES)
  • Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED)

    environment ministry

    minep.gov.cmMarine protected areas / environmental impact studies

Waar dit vandaan komt

Bronnen

Elke bewering op deze pagina is terug te voeren op een van deze referenties.

  1. [01]

    Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 to lay down the rules and regulations governing fisheries and aquaculture in Cameroon (official English text, FAOLEX)

    Officieel
    faolex.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14
  2. [02]

    Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture - FAOLEX record (LEX-FAOC151686)

    Officieel
    fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14
  3. [03]

    Une nouvelle loi pour proteger les especes halieutiques et lutter contre la peche illicite au Cameroun (Mongabay, Jan 2025) - confirms Law 2024/019 of 23 Dec 2024 replaces the 1994 law

    Secundair
    fr.mongabay.comGeraadpleegd jun 14
  4. [04]

    Cameroon Law 94-01 - The Global Fishing Legislative Database (The Outlaw Ocean Project) - prior fisheries code, licensing residency requirement

    Secundair
    theoutlawocean.comGeraadpleegd jun 14
  5. [05]

    Cameroon creates marine park to curb industrial fishing on its sea border with Equatorial Guinea (Business in Cameroon) - Manyange na Elombo-Campo MPA

    Secundair
    businessincameroon.comGeraadpleegd jun 14
  6. [06]

    Unchecked development threatens Cameroon's Manyange Na Elombo-Campo marine park (Global Voices, Nov 2025)

    Secundair
    globalvoices.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14
  7. [07]

    As a megaport rises in Cameroon, a delicate coastal ecosystem ebbs (Mongabay News, Apr 2024) - Douala-Edea coastal park

    Secundair
    news.mongabay.comGeraadpleegd jun 14

Notities van de onderzoeker

Spearfishing is not specifically named in Cameroonian law, but 'underwater fishing' (peche sous-marine) is an explicit, recognised category of fishing under Law No. 2024/019 of 23 December 2024 (Section 15), defined as collecting fish from the seabed (Section 11). Practising it with a self-contained breathing apparatus requires ministerial authorization (Section 88). Hand spears ('fishgig') are recognised lawful gear; explosives, poison, electricity and firearms are banned (Section 27 f, Sections 80-81). The law is brand new (replacing the 1994 code) and many operational details - specific recreational permit, fees, seasons, size/bag limits, exact zone boundaries for each fishing type - are to be fixed by implementing Regulations that were still being issued through 2025; these were not found in published form, hence no seasons or numeric limits are recorded and confidence is set to medium. All verbatim law text is quoted from the official FAOLEX English translation of the 2024 law; minor OCR artifacts in the source PDF were normalised but wording was preserved. MPA coordinates are approximate centroids for the Campo/Ebodje (Manyange na Elombo-Campo) and Douala-Edea coastal areas and should be treated as indicative, not survey-grade. Anyone intending to spearfish should confirm current requirements directly with MINEPIA before diving.

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