Comoros
Africa · Eastern Africa
There is no dedicated recreational spearfishing law in the Union of the Comoros, but the activity is governed by the national Fisheries and Aquaculture Code. Under the original 2007 Code (Loi N°07-011/AU, Article 33), spearfishing with a harpoon ('peche au harpon') and gleaning on foot were expressly prohibited on coral reefs in Comorian maritime waters. The Code was revised by Loi N°19-05/AU (adopted 25 June 2019, promulgated by Decree N°20-905/PR on 1 April 2020), which re-enacts the Code: it classifies any fishing for recreational purposes as 'peche sportive' (sport fishing) and makes it subject to a prior permit issued by an approved agency/association or the fisheries administration (Article 39). Practising sport fishing without a permit is now a 'grave infraction' (Article 98-1). The administration also levies a specific 'droit sur la peche sous-marine' (underwater-fishing fee) under Article 65. Inside marine protected areas, fishing (and diving with or without fishing gear or weapons) requires prior authorisation and follows each area's management plan (2007 Code Art. 76; 2019 Code Art. 53). Several large marine national parks (Moheli, Coelacanth, Mitsamiouli-Ndroude, Shisiwani) restrict or ban fishing. In practice many coastal villages have locally banned underwater spear guns, nets and traps, though enforcement is weak. Foreigners are not separately addressed; the permit/authorisation regime applies to any person fishing in Comorian waters.
Laatst bijgewerkt juni 14, 2026
Geldend kader
- §Loi N°07-011/AU du 29 aout 2007 portant Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
- §Loi N°19-05/AU du 25 juin 2019 portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture (promulguee par Decret N°20-905/PR du 1er avril 2020)
- Vergunning vereist
- Vereist
De wet, woordelijk
Wetteksten
De exacte wettelijke en regelgevende bepalingen die speervissen hier reguleren, geciteerd zoals gepubliceerd, met een link naar elke officiële bron.
Prohibition of harpoon fishing and foot-gleaning on coral reefs
Loi N°07-011/AU du 29 aout 2007 portant Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
ARTICLE 33: Sont interdites dans les eaux maritimes comoriennes: a) la pratique de la peche au harpon et de la peche a pied dans les recifs coralliens; b) la pratique du chalutage dans la mer territoriale; c) l'utilisation, dans une distance en-deca de vingt quatre (24) milles marins, de filets maillants dont la maille est inferieure a deux (02) centimetres en etat mouille, derivants d'une longueur superieure a cinq cent (500) metres.
Sport (recreational) fishing requires a prior permit
Loi N°19-05/AU portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
Article 39: L'exercice de la peche sportive est subordonne a l'obtention prealable d'un permis delivre par une agence ou association agreee ou a defaut par l'administration chargee des peches et de l'aquaculture en concertation avec les autorites competentes de l'ile autonome concernee.
Definition of sport fishing
Loi N°19-05/AU portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
(s) Peche sportive, toute activite de peche pratiquee a des fins recreatives ;
Fishing in marine protected areas follows the area's management plan
Loi N°19-05/AU portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
Article 53: L'exercice de la peche et de l'aquaculture dans les aires marines protegees se fait conformement au plan d'amenagement et de gestion de ces zones. En l'absence d'un plan d'amenagement et de gestion, la reglementation generale sur les peches et l'aquaculture s'applique dans ces zones.
Access, diving and fishing in protected aquatic areas require prior authorisation
Loi N°07-011/AU du 29 aout 2007 portant Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
Article 76: Sous reserve du droit de passage inoffensif tel qu'amenage en droit international, la residence, l'acces avec ou sans engins de peche ou armes, la navigation, le camping, le survol a basse altitude, la plongee, les recherches scientifiques et le prelevement d'animaux ou l'extraction d'especes vegetales dans les aires protegees aquatiques sont subordonnes a une autorisation prealable delivree par l'administration chargee des peches et de l'aquaculture et l'administration chargee de l'environnement.
Prohibited fishing methods (toxic substances, explosives, firearms, electric methods)
Loi N°19-05/AU portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
Article 62: Il est interdit pour exercer la peche : (a) De faire usage de substances ou appats toxiques, d'explosifs, d'armes a feu ou de procedes electriques ; (b) De detenir a bord de toute embarcation ou navire de peche les substances, appats, explosifs, armes a feu ou procedes mentionnes dans l'alinea (a) ci-dessus.
Underwater-fishing fee (droit sur la peche sous-marine)
Loi N°19-05/AU portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
Article 65: L'administration chargee des peches [...] fixe le taux et l'assiette des droits, redevances et taxes applicables en matiere des peches et de l'aquaculture, notamment : (a) Droit sur la peche sous-marine ; [...] (e) Droit d'entree et de visite des aires protegees aquatiques ;
Practising sport fishing without a permit is a grave fisheries infraction
Loi N°19-05/AU portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture
Article 98-1: Constituent des infractions graves en matiere de peche : [...] b) La pratique de la peche sportive, de prospection ou a des fins d'aquariophilie ou de recherche scientifique sans permis ou autorisation ;
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.
Obtain a prior permit from an approved agency or association ('agence ou association agreee'), or failing that from the fisheries administration, in coordination with the competent authorities of the autonomous island concerned. A specific underwater-fishing fee ('droit sur la peche sous-marine', Art. 65) may also apply.
Vraag je vergunning aanOpent het officiële portaal · faolex.fao.org
- Type
- Permis de peche sportive (sport/recreational fishing permit) under Article 39 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Code
- Kosten
- unknown
- Geldigheid
- unknown
- Hoe te verkrijgen
- Obtain a prior permit from an approved agency or association ('agence ou association agreee'), or failing that from the fisheries administration, in coordination with the competent authorities of the autonomous island concerned. A specific underwater-fishing fee ('droit sur la peche sous-marine', Art. 65) may also apply.
- Autoriteit
- Administration chargee des peches et de l'aquaculture (national fisheries administration)
Uitrusting & techniek
Uitrustingsregels
Welke uitrusting is toegestaan, hoe die gebruikt mag worden en welke voorwaarden eraan verbonden zijn.
Beperkingen
- Harpoon/spear fishing ('peche au harpon') is prohibited on coral reefs in Comorian maritime waters (2007 Code, Art. 33).
- Firearms are prohibited as a fishing method, and fishing gear or weapons may not be used in protected aquatic areas without prior authorisation (2007 Code Art. 76 & 77; 2019 Code Art. 62).
- Many coastal villages have locally banned underwater spear guns, nets and traps (FAO SmartFish / community reports).
The Code does not set numeric equipment limits (number of spears, etc.) for recreational spearfishing. Because coral reefs are the main spearfishing habitat and harpoon fishing there is banned, speargun use is effectively restricted; scuba-assisted spearfishing is not specifically addressed in the Code.
Wat je mag meenemen
Vangstlimieten & beschermde soorten
Dagquota, minimummaten en soorten die nooit gevangen mogen worden.
Daglimiet
unknown
Beschermde soorten — niet meenemen
- BeschermdMarine mammals (mammiferes marins)
- BeschermdMarine turtles (tortues marines)
- BeschermdCoelacanth and other species protected under national legislation and applicable international conventions
- BeschermdSharks (shark finning and retention/sale of detached shark fins prohibited, 2007 Code Art. 35-36)
Article 63 (2019 Code) / Article 78 (2007 Code) prohibit at all times and in all places the fishing, capture, detention and sale of marine mammals, marine turtles and protected fish/aquatic organisms, except under special authorisation for scientific research. Specific minimum sizes are set by regulation ('par voie reglementaire') rather than in the Code itself; daily bag limits for recreational spearfishing were not found in the retrieved texts.
Wie mag vissen
Bezoekers & inwoners
Hoe de regels verschillen voor buitenlandse bezoekers en lokale inwoners.
Buitenlandse bezoekers
Vereisten
- The Code applies to any person, vessel or craft present in Comorian maritime waters or on Comorian territory (2019 Code, Art. 4); the sport-fishing permit requirement (Art. 39) therefore applies to foreigners as well as nationals.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Code does not contain a separate foreigners' regime for recreational/sport fishing. No nationality-based prohibition was found, but no explicit foreigner-specific permit pathway was found either; foreigners would be subject to the same permit/authorisation and protected-area rules. Confirm with the fisheries administration before travelling.
Inwoners
Permis de peche sportive (same sport-fishing permit applies; no resident-specific recreational category found). Traditional fishing ('peche traditionnelle') by Comorians is free and licence-exempt (2019 Code, Art. 54) but is a separate, non-recreational category.
Voordelen
- Traditional fishing is exercised freely and without charge ('libre et gratuit', Art. 54), subject to conservation restrictions on minimum catch size and methods (Art. 55).
The Code distinguishes traditional/subsistence fishing (open to Comorians) from sport fishing (permit-based). It does not create a distinct residents' recreational-spearfishing licence.
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
- Mohéli National Park (Parc National de Mohéli / former Parc Marin de Mohéli)marine national park
Comoros' first and largest marine protected area, created in 2001 as Mohéli Marine Park and reclassified as a national park in 2010. Covers coral reefs, mangroves and islets around Mohéli (Mwali) island and protects coelacanth, dugong, marine turtles and humpback whales. Fishing and diving inside the park are governed by its management plan; spear-gun/harpoon use is restricted and no-take/community-managed zones apply.
- Coelacanth National Park (Parc National Coelacanthe)marine national park
Marine national park established in 2010 on the western/south-western coast of Grande Comore (Ngazidja), approx. 92.76 km2, protecting coral reefs and the volcanic caves that shelter the coelacanth. Fishing is restricted under the park management regime and the Fisheries Code's protected-area provisions.
- Mitsamiouli Ndroude National Parkmarine national park
Marine national park established in 2010 on the northern coast of Grande Comore (Ngazidja), approx. 23.14 km2, protecting coral reef habitat. Fishing restricted under park management plan and Fisheries Code protected-area rules.
- Shisiwani National Parkmarine national park
Marine national park established in 2010 on Anjouan (Ndzwani), approx. 64.97 km2, protecting coral reefs and coastal habitat. Fishing restricted under park management plan and Fisheries Code protected-area rules.
- Coral reefs in Comorian maritime waters (general)habitat protection (coral reef)
Under Article 33 of the 2007 Fisheries Code, harpoon fishing ('peche au harpon', i.e. spearfishing) and foot-gleaning are prohibited on coral reefs throughout Comorian maritime waters.
Condities op het water
Live condities
Live mariene en weersmomentopname nabij een kustreferentiepunt in Comoros, van Open-Meteo. Condities variëren langs de kust — beschouw als indicatief.
Live mariene & weerscondities nabij Mohéli National Park (Parc National de Mohéli / former Parc Marin de Mohéli).
Wie je moet vragen
Autoriteiten
De officiële instanties die verantwoordelijk zijn voor visserij en vergunningen.
Direction Generale des Ressources Halieutiques / Administration chargee des peches et de l'aquaculture (Ministere en charge de la peche)
fisheries authority
justice.gouv.kmunknownParcs Nationaux des Comores (Comoros National Parks agency)
protected area authority
nationalparksassociation.orgunknownMinistere en charge de l'Environnement
environment ministry
nairobiconvention.orgunknown
Waar dit vandaan komt
Bronnen
Elke bewering op deze pagina is terug te voeren op een van deze referenties.
- [01]
Code des peches et de l'aquaculture 2007 (Loi N°07-011/AU) - official PDF, Ministere de la Justice des Comores
Officieeljustice.gouv.kmGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [02]
Decret N°20-905/PR promulguant la Loi N°19-05/AU portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture (full revised code) - FAOLEX
Officieelfaolex.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [03]
Loi N°19-05/AU portant revision du Code des Peches et de l'Aquaculture - ECOLEX legislation record
Officieelecolex.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [04]
Code des peches et de l'aquaculture - Ministere de la Justice des Comores (legislation index page)
Officieeljustice.gouv.kmGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [05]
Country Review / SMARTFISH Programme / Comoros - FAO (prohibited methods incl. underwater spear guns banned by villages; weak enforcement)
Officieelopenknowledge.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [06]
Parc Marin de Mohéli (Mohéli Marine Park) - Equator Initiative
Secundairequatorinitiative.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [07]
List of protected areas of the Comoros - Wikipedia (marine national parks list, 2010 decree)
Secundairen.wikipedia.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [08]
Comoros Marine and Coastal Resources Governance - Nairobi Convention country profile
Secundairnairobiconvention.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14
Notities van de onderzoeker
Spearfishing is not separately regulated as a sport in the Comoros; it falls under the national Fisheries and Aquaculture Code. Key legal points: (1) The 2007 Code (Loi N°07-011/AU, Art. 33) expressly bans harpoon fishing and foot-gleaning on coral reefs in Comorian maritime waters. (2) The Code was fully revised by Loi N°19-05/AU (adopted 25 June 2019, promulgated by Decret N°20-905/PR on 1 April 2020). The revised consolidated text treats all recreational fishing as 'peche sportive', requiring a prior permit (Art. 39), and makes unlicensed sport fishing a grave infraction (Art. 98-1). A specific underwater-fishing fee exists (Art. 65). The revised code's prohibited-methods article (Art. 62) lists toxic substances, explosives, firearms and electric methods but does not re-state the explicit coral-reef harpoon ban; Art. 109 repeals prior contrary provisions, so the precise current status of the Art. 33 harpoon ban is ambiguous and was not independently confirmed against a regulation reproducing or repealing it. (3) Fishing/diving in marine protected areas requires authorisation and follows each area's management plan (Art. 53 / 2007 Art. 76); the major marine parks are Mohéli, Coelacanth, Mitsamiouli-Ndroude and Shisiwani. (4) Many coastal villages locally ban spear guns, nets and traps, though enforcement is weak (FAO SmartFish). Coordinates given for protected zones are approximate island-coast centroids derived from the islands' known locations, NOT official park boundary coordinates, because registry pages did not publish per-park coordinates. Verbatim law text was transcribed from the official Ministry of Justice 2007 PDF and the FAOLEX 2019 revised-code PDF via OCR; minor OCR artifacts and accent normalisation may exist. Confidence is medium: legal text is from authoritative official sources, but recreational-specific operational details (fees, bag/size limits, foreigner pathway) and the exact reconciliation of the 2007 vs 2019 gear bans were not all retrievable.
Stel me op de hoogte wanneer de regels van Comoros veranderen
We mailen je wanneer de seizoenen of regelgeving van Comoros in onze dataset worden bijgewerkt.