Ecuador
Americas · South America
Recreational/sport spearfishing with a speargun (arpon) is legal in Ecuadorian jurisdictional waters but is a regulated extractive activity. Under Article 124 of the Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca (2020), sport fishing for marine or freshwater fish in the extractive phase with a harpoon is permitted only with prior authorization and registration before the governing authority (Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca / MAGP). The authority sets gear, species, minimum sizes, areas, seasons and catch limits. In the Galapagos Marine Reserve a far stricter special regime applies: extractive fishing is reserved exclusively to registered local artisanal fishers (PARMA licence, restricted to permanent Galapagos residents), industrial fishing and fishing from tourist vessels are banned, and recreational spearfishing by tourists is not permitted. Directed take of sharks, rays and other elasmobranchs is prohibited nationwide.
Laatst bijgewerkt juni 14, 2026
Geldend kader
- §Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca (Registro Oficial Suplemento No. 187, 21 April 2020)
- §Reglamento General a la Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca (Decreto Ejecutivo No. 362, 2022)
- §Ley Organica de Regimen Especial para la Conservacion y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Provincia de Galapagos (LOREG, 2015)
- §Reglamento Especial de la Actividad Pesquera Artesanal en la Reserva Marina de Galapagos
- Vergunning vereist
- Vereist
- Harpoengeweer
- Toegestaan
- Buitenlanders
- Welkom
De wet, woordelijk
Wetteksten
De exacte wettelijke en regelgevende bepalingen die speervissen hier reguleren, geciteerd zoals gepubliceerd, met een link naar elke officiële bron.
Sport or recreational fishing; spearfishing with harpoon requires authorization
Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca (R.O. Suplemento No. 187, 21 April 2020)
Articulo 124.- Pesca deportiva o de recreacion. El ente rector autorizara la actividad de pesca deportiva o recreativa y podra realizarse en las aguas jurisdiccionales ecuatorianas, para lo cual establecera las medidas especificas para su ordenamiento, como son: artes de pesca, especies, tallas minimas de captura, areas, epocas de pesca y limites de captura en coordinacion con otras instituciones del sector publico. [...] La pesca deportiva para peces de agua dulce o marina en fase extractiva con arpon, sera permitida previa autorizacion y registro ante el ente rector. Las normas y demas requisitos para el desarrollo de esta actividad se estableceran en el reglamento de la presente Ley, en concordancia con las normas internacionales expedidas por los organismos competentes de los cuales el Ecuador es miembro.
Recreational/sport fishing inside the National System of Protected Areas
Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca (R.O. Suplemento No. 187, 21 April 2020)
Articulo 127.- Medidas especificas. La pesca recreativa o deportiva podra realizarse en las aguas jurisdiccionales ecuatorianas, para lo cual el ente rector podra establecer medidas especificas para su ordenamiento, en el marco de gobernanza. La Autoridad Ambiental Nacional en coordinacion con las autoridades competentes, regulara las actividades de pesca recreativa o deportiva dentro del Sistema Nacional de Areas Protegidas, de conformidad con los planes de manejo y la zonificacion de cada area y siempre que sean compatibles con sus objetivos de conservacion.
Prohibited fishing methods in the species-reproduction reserve zone
Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca (R.O. Suplemento No. 187, 21 April 2020)
Articulo 103.- Prohibiciones en zona de reserva. En la zona de reserva de reproduccion de las especies bioacuaticas, se prohibe: a) Toda actividad pesquera industrial; b) Operacion extractiva con todo tipo de artes de captura masiva determinados por el ente rector previo informe del Instituto Publico de Investigacion de Acuicultura y Pesca; c) Uso de la red de monofilamento o tambien denominada electronica; d) Uso de mallas larveras; e) Uso de explosivos y compuestos quimicos (naturales o sinteticos), para la captura de los diferentes recursos hidrobiologicos existentes; y, f) Otras que se establezcan en el Reglamento de la presente Ley, sustentado tecnicamente.
National prohibition on directed take of sharks, rays and other elasmobranchs
Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca (R.O. Suplemento No. 187, 21 April 2020)
Articulo 152.- Tiburones y especies afines. Se prohibe la pesca dirigida de tiburones, mantas y otros elasmobranquios que el ente rector determine, asi como, la fabricacion, transporte, importacion, comercializacion de artes de pesca utilizados para capturar estos recursos, la mutilacion de las aletas de tiburon y el descarte de su cuerpo al mar, la importacion, transbordo e internacion de tiburones enteros o aletas de tiburon en cualquier estado de conservacion o procesamiento, aun cuando hayan sido capturados en aguas internacionales.
Galapagos Marine Reserve - artisanal fishing only; ban on fishing from tourist vessels
Reglamento Especial de la Actividad Pesquera Artesanal en la Reserva Marina de Galapagos (consolidated text, FAOLEX ecu112351)
Art. 3.- PESCA ARTESANAL EN GALAPAGOS: Es aquella actividad pesquera destinada a la captura, extraccion y recoleccion de recursos vivos acuaticos, ejercida por pescadores artesanales autorizados y registrados por la DPNG, utilizando metodos, modalidades, aparejos de pesca y embarcaciones artesanales autorizadas o reguladas por este reglamento y cuyo producto se destina al autoconsumo o el uso comercial. En la RMG esta prohibida expresamente la pesca industrial y la pesca desde embarcaciones de turismo, con excepcion de las embarcaciones de turismo con autorizacion para ejercer pesca deportiva. En la RMG esta permitida la pesca de investigacion debidamente justificada y autorizada por la DPNG, en la cual se promovera la participacion del sector pesquero.
Galapagos - underwater (spearfishing/diving) fishing requires DIGMER licence
Reglamento Especial de la Actividad Pesquera Artesanal en la Reserva Marina de Galapagos (consolidated text, FAOLEX ecu112351)
Art. 11.- Es la autorizacion que la DPNG concede al pescador artesanal y al armador pesquero artesanal, para que emprenda actividades de pesca artesanal permitidas por la LOREG, el RG, las disposiciones de este reglamento y el PRMG. La Licencia PARMA en la RMG sera concedida solamente para las actividades de pesca autorizadas, dentro de las zonas, condiciones, temporadas y demas reglas determinadas en este Reglamento y por la AIM, de acuerdo con los estudios tecnicos realizados por la DPNG. Para realizar actividades de pesca submarinas se requerira de una matricula otorgada por la DIGMER que acredite su idoneidad tecnica.
Wanneer je mag duiken
Seizoenen & tijdsbeperkingen
Gesloten, open en beperkte perioden door het jaar heen. Bevestig soortspecifieke sluitingen altijd lokaal.
- BeperktAll extractive fishing including sport spearfishing - species closed seasons (vedas)varies – varies
Under Art. 124 and Art. 125(c), sport/recreational fishers must respect species, areas and seasons (epocas de pesca) set by the governing authority. Ecuador operates species-specific closed seasons (vedas), e.g. for spiny lobster and sea cucumber. Exact dates are fixed by Ministerial Agreement and change periodically; verify current vedas with the Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca before fishing.
Toestemming om te vissen
Vergunning
Wat je nodig hebt om het water in te mogen, wat het kost en hoe je het krijgt.
Apply to the Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca / Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca (MAGP) for authorization and registration to practice extractive sport fishing with a harpoon (Art. 124). Sport-fishing vessel permits are requested online via the SIAP system (https://siap.aciis.services/acrm/) with cedula/RUC, naval registration, tonnage certificate, safety inspection and proof of payment. In Galapagos, only registered resident artisanal fishers may obtain a PARMA licence from the DPNG plus a DIGMER diving matricula for underwater fishing.
Vraag je vergunning aanOpent het officiële portaal · gob.ec
- Type
- Prior authorization and registration for sport/recreational spearfishing with harpoon (Art. 124); permiso de pesca para embarcacion deportiva for sport-fishing vessels; PARMA licence + DIGMER matricula for underwater artisanal fishing in Galapagos
- Kosten
- unknown (vessel sport-fishing permit fees per the MAGP/Acuacultura y Pesca tarifario; no fixed published figure for individual harpoon authorization)
- Geldigheid
- Sport-fishing vessel permit: 1 year
- Hoe te verkrijgen
- Apply to the Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca / Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca (MAGP) for authorization and registration to practice extractive sport fishing with a harpoon (Art. 124). Sport-fishing vessel permits are requested online via the SIAP system (https://siap.aciis.services/acrm/) with cedula/RUC, naval registration, tonnage certificate, safety inspection and proof of payment. In Galapagos, only registered resident artisanal fishers may obtain a PARMA licence from the DPNG plus a DIGMER diving matricula for underwater fishing.
- Autoriteit
- Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca, Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca (MAGP); Direccion del Parque Nacional Galapagos (DPNG) for Galapagos
Uitrusting & techniek
Uitrustingsregels
Welke uitrusting is toegestaan, hoe die gebruikt mag worden en welke voorwaarden eraan verbonden zijn.
Beperkingen
- Harpoon (arpon) spearfishing for marine or freshwater fish in the extractive phase is permitted only with prior authorization and registration before the governing authority (Art. 124).
- Only gear, devices and fishing methods authorized by the governing authority may be used (Art. 125 e).
- Explosives, chemical compounds, mass-capture gear, monofilament/electronic nets and larval nets are prohibited in the reproduction reserve zone (Art. 103).
- In Galapagos, underwater fishing requires a DIGMER matricula certifying technical fitness (Art. 11).
The Ley itself authorizes spearfishing with arpon (Art. 124); detailed technical rules (e.g. scuba vs free-diving, number of spears) are to be set in the implementing Reglamento and Ministerial Agreements, which were not retrieved at the level of harpoon-specific gear detail. Confirm current technical conditions with the Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca.
Wat je mag meenemen
Vangstlimieten & beschermde soorten
Dagquota, minimummaten en soorten die nooit gevangen mogen worden.
Daglimiet
Set by the governing authority per Art. 124 (limites de captura); no single national figure for sport spearfishing was retrieved.
Beschermde soorten — niet meenemen
- BeschermdSharks (tiburones) - directed take prohibited (Art. 152)
- BeschermdManta rays (mantas) - directed take prohibited (Art. 152)
- BeschermdOther elasmobranchs determined by the governing authority (Art. 152)
- BeschermdMarine fauna listed under Art. 153 and environmental/CITES instruments
Sport/recreational fishers must catch only permitted species in the zones and periods set by the authority and respect minimum capture sizes (Art. 124, Art. 125 c). Directed take of sharks, rays and other elasmobranchs is prohibited nationwide (Art. 152). Specific minimum sizes and daily bag limits are fixed by Ministerial Agreement and were not retrieved as verbatim figures.
Wie mag vissen
Bezoekers & inwoners
Hoe de regels verschillen voor buitenlandse bezoekers en lokale inwoners.
Buitenlandse bezoekers
ToegestaanSpeciale vergunning vereist
Vereisten
- Obtain prior authorization and registration for extractive harpoon sport fishing from the Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca (Art. 124).
- Sport-fishing typically conducted from authorized sport-fishing vessels holding a permiso de pesca para embarcacion deportiva.
Beperkingen
- In the Galapagos Marine Reserve, extractive fishing (including the artisanal PARMA licence) is reserved to permanent Galapagos residents only; tourists/foreigners cannot spearfish there.
- Galapagos National Park: fishing only on GNPD-authorized recreational tour boats; recreational spearfishing not permitted.
Nationality is not a stated bar to sport spearfishing on the mainland coast, but the activity is authorization-based; the Galapagos special regime effectively excludes non-resident extractive fishing.
Inwoners
Galapagos: Licencia PARMA (artisanal fishing permit) granted by the DPNG, plus DIGMER diving matricula for underwater fishing; mainland: authorization/registration for sport fishing with harpoon (Art. 124)
Vereisten
- Galapagos PARMA: be a permanent resident of the Province of Galapagos and affiliated to a legally constituted artisanal fishers' cooperative; appear in the Registry of Artisanal Fishers of Galapagos; hold a DIGMER diving matricula to fish underwater (Arts. 4, 11, 12).
Voordelen
- Galapagos permanent residents (registered artisanal fishers) hold exclusive extractive fishing rights within the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
On the continental coast there is no general residency requirement for sport spearfishing beyond the Art. 124 authorization; in Galapagos extractive fishing is limited to resident artisanal fishers.
Waar aan de kust
Toegestane & verboden zones
Genoemde gebieden die open of gesloten zijn voor speervissen. Bekijk het volledige beeld op de interactieve kaart.
Toegestane gebieden
Sport/recreational spearfishing with a harpoon is permitted in Ecuadorian jurisdictional waters (aguas jurisdiccionales ecuatorianas) subject to prior authorization and registration with the governing authority, and to gear/species/size/area/season/catch limits set under Art. 124. Activity inside the species-reproduction reserve zone (1 nautical mile from the low-water line along the continental coast, Art. 102) and the artisanal fishing zone (8 nautical miles, Art. 104) is subject to additional restrictions and bans on industrial and mass-capture gear (Art. 103).
Prior authorization and registration required; comply with authorized gear, permitted species, minimum sizes, designated areas, open seasons and catch limits; respect protected-species bans (sharks/rays/elasmobranchs).
Verboden gebieden
- Galapagos Marine Reservemarine reserve
Marine protected area of approximately 143,000 km2 extending 40 nautical miles from the archipelago baseline (plus internal waters). Extractive fishing is reserved exclusively to registered local artisanal fishers (PARMA licence, restricted to permanent Galapagos residents). Industrial fishing and fishing from tourist vessels are banned; recreational spearfishing by tourists/non-residents is not permitted. Underwater (diving) extractive fishing by licensed artisanal fishers additionally requires a DIGMER matricula.
- Galapagos National Parknational park
Galapagos National Park rules: fishing is only permitted on recreational tour boats authorized by the GNPD; motorized aquatic sports, mini-subs and aerial tourism activities are not permitted. Recreational spearfishing is not permitted within the park or the marine reserve.
- Species-reproduction reserve zone (1 nautical mile, continental coast)reproduction reserve zone
Zone from the low-water line along Ecuador's continental coast extending at least 1 nautical mile seaward (Art. 102), set aside for reproduction of hydrobiological species. Industrial fishing, mass-capture gear, monofilament/electronic nets, larval nets, explosives and chemical compounds are prohibited (Art. 103).
Condities op het water
Live condities
Live mariene en weersmomentopname nabij een kustreferentiepunt in Ecuador, van Open-Meteo. Condities variëren langs de kust — beschouw als indicatief.
Live mariene & weerscondities nabij Galapagos Marine Reserve.
Wie je moet vragen
Autoriteiten
De officiële instanties die verantwoordelijk zijn voor visserij en vergunningen.
Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca (Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca - MAGP)
fisheries authority
Subsecretaria de Recursos Pesqueros
fisheries authority
Direccion del Parque Nacional Galapagos (DPNG)
protected area authority
Direccion General de la Marina Mercante (DIGMER) / Armada del Ecuador
maritime authority
Instituto Publico de Investigacion de Acuicultura y Pesca
research institute
Waar dit vandaan komt
Bronnen
Elke bewering op deze pagina is terug te voeren op een van deze referenties.
- [01]
Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca (R.O. Suplemento No. 187, 21 April 2020) - official gob.ec PDF
Officieelgob.ecGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [02]
Reglamento Especial de la Actividad Pesquera Artesanal en la Reserva Marina de Galapagos (consolidated text)
Officieelfaolex.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [03]
Decreto Ejecutivo No. 362 - Reglamento General a la Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca
Officieelproduccion.gob.ecGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [04]
Solicitud de permiso de pesca para embarcacion deportiva - Guia Oficial de Tramites (gob.ec)
Officieelgob.ecGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [05]
Reserva Marina - Parque Nacional Galapagos (galapagos.gob.ec)
Officieelgalapagos.gob.ecGeraadpleegd jun 14 - [06]
Galapagos National Park Rules - Galapagos Conservancy
Secundairgalapagos.orgGeraadpleegd jun 14
Notities van de onderzoeker
Recreational spearfishing with a harpoon is explicitly authorized by Article 124 of the 2020 Ley Organica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y Pesca, but only 'previa autorizacion y registro ante el ente rector' (with prior authorization and registration), hence the 'restricted' status. The governing authority (Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca/MAGP) sets gear, species, minimum sizes, areas, seasons and catch limits; detailed harpoon-specific technical rules and exact catch/size figures are delegated to the implementing Reglamento and Ministerial Agreements and were not retrieved as verbatim numeric values. The Galapagos Marine Reserve operates a separate, much stricter special regime (LOREG + artisanal fishing regulation): extractive fishing is exclusive to registered resident artisanal fishers, industrial fishing and fishing from tourist vessels are banned, and recreational spearfishing by tourists is not permitted. Sharks, rays and other elasmobranchs are protected nationwide (Art. 152). All law_texts excerpts are verbatim Spanish from the official gob.ec PDF and the FAOLEX consolidated Galapagos regulation; accents were normalized to ASCII for JSON safety but wording is otherwise unchanged. Closed-season (veda) dates and specific bag/size limits should be verified directly with the Viceministerio de Acuacultura y Pesca before fishing as they change by Ministerial Agreement.
Stel me op de hoogte wanneer de regels van Ecuador veranderen
We mailen je wanneer de seizoenen of regelgeving van Ecuador in onze dataset worden bijgewerkt.