SpearfishingMap

Myanmar

Asia · South-Eastern Asia

Myanmar has no dedicated spearfishing statute and no recreational/sport-fishing licence scheme for individuals. Spearfishing is not named as a prohibited method, but all fishing in Myanmar's marine fisheries waters is licence-based under the Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90, 1990): 'Fishing' is defined broadly as 'catching, collecting, inducing, pursuing, stupefying and killing of fish' (sec 2.i), and no person may engage in inshore/offshore fishery, collect marine products, or run a commercial-scale sport fishery without a licence (secs 33, 34, 40, 41). The Director General sets the permitted method of catching, gear, species, sizes and grounds for each licence (sec 22). In practice there is no individual recreational permit, so foreign visitors can only fish/spearfish lawfully through a Department-of-Fisheries-licensed tour or liveaboard operator; independent fishing by tourists or foreign vessels without multi-layered government approval is treated as a serious offence. Large parts of the Myeik (Mergui) Archipelago are marine protected areas (e.g. Lampi Marine National Park, the country's only marine national park) where extractive activity is controlled or banned, and a nationwide three-month offshore closed season applies (1 April-30 June in 2026). Explosives, poisons and chemicals are banned (sec 38). Confidence is medium: the underlying laws are official and verbatim, but no provision explicitly addresses recreational spearfishing, so the restricted status is inferred from the general licensing regime and operator-only access reported by secondary sources.

Restricted
Betrouwbaarheid van gegevensGemiddelde betrouwbaarheid

Laatst bijgewerkt juni 15, 2026

Geldend kader

  • §Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 9/90, 25 April 1990)
  • §Law amending the Myanmar Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 16/93, 1993)
  • §Freshwater Fisheries Law (Law No. 1/91, 4 March 1991)
  • §Law Relating to Fishing Rights of Foreign Fishing Vessels (1989)
Vergunning vereist
Vereist
Buitenlanders
Niet 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 2 (i)Myanmar (Union) · national

Definition of 'Fishing'

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

Fishing means catching, collecting, inducing, pursuing, stupefying and killing of fish. This expression also includes works in support of and preparatory to fishing operations;

02Section 2 (u)Myanmar (Union) · national

Definition of 'Licence' (includes sport fishing)

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

Licence means a licence issued by the Department for fishery within the Myanma Marine Fisheries Waters or collecting Marine products for sale, or establishing fishery on commercial scale for sport fishing or carrying out other enterprises relating to fish;

03Section 7Myanmar (Union) · national

Application for a licence to establish a sport-fishing fishery

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

A person desiring to establish fishery on commercial scale for sport fishing shall apply for a licence to the Officer-in-charge of the Department of the respective Township in the prescribed application form.

04Section 22Myanmar (Union) · national

Director General determines method, gear, species, sizes and grounds

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

The Director General shall determine the following: a. type of fishery, volume of business and duties and fees; b. method of catching fish, period of fishing, species of fish permitted to catch, size of fish, fishing implement and fishing grounds; c. licence conditions.

05Section 33Myanmar (Union) · national

Prohibition - no inshore fishery without a licence

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

No person shall without a licence, engage in inshore fishery.

06Section 34Myanmar (Union) · national

Prohibition - no offshore fishery without a licence

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

No person shall without a licence, engage in offshore fishery.

07Section 38Myanmar (Union) · national

Prohibition - dangerous substances on board

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

No person shall keep on board the fishing vessel, explosive substances, poisons, chemicals and such other dangerous substances not permitted for use in fishing.

08Section 40Myanmar (Union) · national

Prohibition - no collection of marine products without a licence

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

No person shall search for and collect any marine products without a licence.

09Section 41Myanmar (Union) · national

Prohibition - no commercial-scale sport fishery without a licence

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

No person shall establish a fishery on commercial scale for sport fishing in the Myanma Marine Fisheries Waters without a licence.

10Sections 44-45Myanmar (Union) · national

Penalties - fishing without a licence / sport fishery offences

Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90)

ENVertaald

44. Whoever is found guilty of violating any of the provisions of section 33, section 41 or section 42 shall be liable to be punished with fine which may extend to kyats 5,000 or with imprisonment which may extend to 6 months or with both. 45. Whoever is found guilty of violating any of the provisions of section 34, section 37, section 39 or section 40, shall be liable to be punished with fine which may extend to kyats 10,000 or with imprisonment which may extend to 1 year or with both.

Wanneer je mag duiken

Seizoenen & tijdsbeperkingen

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

jan
feb
mrt
apr
mei
jun
jul
aug
sep
okt
nov
dec
GeslotenBeperktOpen
  • GeslotenAll fishing boats operating in offshore marine areasapr 1 – jun 30

    Annual offshore marine closed season (spawning-season fishing ban) imposed by the Department of Fisheries to protect breeding fish stocks. In 2026 the ban ran 1 April to 30 June; in other years the spawning closure has been stated as roughly May to end July. Fishing in offshore areas and in designated no-fishing zones is prohibited during this period and violators face legal action.

    english.news.cn
  • GeslotenFreshwater fishingmei 1 – jul 31

    Reported freshwater closed season (spawning protection) under the Freshwater Fisheries Law administered by the Department of Fisheries.

    gnlm.com.mm

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 Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation

Apply to the Officer-in-charge of the Department of Fisheries of the relevant Township/State/Division in the prescribed form (Marine Fisheries Law secs 3-7). For visitors, book through a registered, DoF-licensed tour/liveaboard operator that handles permits and clearances.

Vraag je vergunning aan

Opent het officiële portaal · dof.gov.mm

Vergunning vereist
Type
Fisheries licence issued by the Department of Fisheries; no individual recreational/sport-fishing permit exists for tourists. Lawful fishing/spearfishing for visitors is via a licensed tour or liveaboard operator holding DoF clearances and area permits.
Kosten
unknown
Geldigheid
unknown
Hoe te verkrijgen
Apply to the Officer-in-charge of the Department of Fisheries of the relevant Township/State/Division in the prescribed form (Marine Fisheries Law secs 3-7). For visitors, book through a registered, DoF-licensed tour/liveaboard operator that handles permits and clearances.
Autoriteit
Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation
Officieel vergunningenportaal · dof.gov.mm

Uitrusting & techniek

Uitrustingsregels

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

Beperkingen

  • Explosive substances, poisons, chemicals and other dangerous substances not permitted for use in fishing may not be kept on board a fishing vessel (Marine Fisheries Law sec 38).
  • Permitted catching method, gear/implement, species, sizes, period and grounds are fixed per licence by the Director General (sec 22) - spearguns are neither explicitly authorised nor explicitly banned in the statute.

No statutory provision specifically authorises or prohibits spearguns/spearfishing. Legality of speargun use depends on licence conditions set by the Department of Fisheries and on the operator's permit. Many dive/liveaboard operations and protected areas in the Mergui Archipelago do not permit spearfishing in practice.

Wat je mag meenemen

Vangstlimieten & beschermde soorten

Dagquota, minimummaten en soorten die nooit gevangen mogen worden.

Daglimiet

unknown

Beschermde soorten — niet meenemen

  • BeschermdWhale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - nationwide ban on catching, killing or selling; accidental catches must be released
  • BeschermdMarine turtles (Turtle Excluder Devices mandated in trawls, Directive No. 6/2018)

No published recreational daily bag or size limits for spearfishing. Permitted species and sizes are set per licence by the Director General (Marine Fisheries Law sec 22). Marine turtles, their eggs and corals are listed marine products and are protected; whale sharks are subject to a national catch ban.

Wie mag vissen

Bezoekers & inwoners

Hoe de regels verschillen voor buitenlandse bezoekers en lokale inwoners.

Buitenlandse bezoekers

Niet toegestaan

Speciale vergunning vereist

Vereisten

  • Cannot fish or spearfish independently; must go through a registered, Department-of-Fisheries-licensed tour or liveaboard operator that holds the required government permits and area clearances.
  • Advance booking and permit lead time required for Mergui Archipelago access (operators typically require booking around 20 days ahead).
  • Foreign fishing rights in Myanmar marine waters are otherwise restricted to registered foreign vessels / joint ventures under the Marine Fisheries Law (secs 14-15) and the Law Relating to Fishing Rights of Foreign Fishing Vessels.

Beperkingen

  • Independent fishing by tourists or foreign-owned vessels without multi-layered government approval is treated as a serious offence (risk of vessel seizure, fines, prosecution).
  • No-fishing zones, marine protected areas and Lampi Marine National Park are off-limits.
  • Subject to the annual offshore closed season (approx. 1 April-30 June).

There is no recreational fishing licence pathway for individual foreigners; the only lawful route is via a permitted local operator.

Inwoners

Fisheries licence (inshore/offshore/sport) issued by the Department of Fisheries to citizens under the Marine Fisheries Law.

Vereisten

  • Apply to the relevant Township/State/Division Officer-in-charge of the Department in the prescribed form (secs 3-7).
  • Pay licence and registration fees in Myanmar currency (secs 8-9, 26).

Voordelen

  • Fishing rights in inshore grounds between the baselines and the coast are reserved/preferred for citizens (sec 13).

No dedicated recreational spearfishing licence category for residents; sport fishing is licensed only at commercial scale (secs 7, 41).

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

  • Myeik (Mergui) Archipelago - licensed liveaboard/tour areas

    Spearfishing and fishing by foreign visitors are practicable only via Department-of-Fisheries-licensed tour or liveaboard operators that hold area permits and DoF clearances; independent fishing by tourists is not permitted. Specific extraction is at the operator's permit discretion and excludes protected zones.

    Operator-only access; advance permits required; marine protected areas within the archipelago excluded; subject to the annual offshore closed season.

    fishingworldguide.com

Verboden gebieden

Op de kaart

Condities op het water

Live condities

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

Live mariene & weerscondities nabij Myeik (Mergui) Archipelago - licensed liveaboard/tour areas.

Condities

Wie je moet vragen

Autoriteiten

De officiële instanties die verantwoordelijk zijn voor visserij en vergunningen.

  • Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation

    fisheries authority

    dof.gov.mm

  • Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI)

    ministry

    moali.gov.mm

  • Forest Department / Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division (manages Lampi Marine National Park)

    environment authority

    lampipark.org

Waar dit vandaan komt

Bronnen

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

  1. [01]

    Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (Law No. 9/90, 25 April 1990) - full text (FAOLEX PDF)

    Officieel
    faolex.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15
  2. [02]

    Marine Fisheries Law 1990 - Myanmar (The Outlaw Ocean Global Fishing Legislative Database)

    Secundair
    theoutlawocean.comGeraadpleegd jun 15
  3. [03]

    Fishing Offenses and Infractions - Myanmar (The Outlaw Ocean Global Fishing Legislative Database)

    Secundair
    theoutlawocean.comGeraadpleegd jun 15
  4. [04]

    Fisheries Country Profile: Myanmar 2025 - SEAFDEC

    Officieel
    seafdec.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15
  5. [05]

    Department of Fisheries - Fisheries Management Division

    Officieel
    dof.gov.mmGeraadpleegd jun 15
  6. [06]

    Myanmar imposes fishing ban during spawning season to protect aquatic resources (Xinhua, 1 April 2026)

    Secundair
    english.news.cnGeraadpleegd jun 15
  7. [07]

    Fisheries Dept enacts seasonal ban to recover marine resources - Global New Light of Myanmar (official state newspaper)

    Officieel
    gnlm.com.mmGeraadpleegd jun 15
  8. [08]

    Fishing in Myanmar 2026 (recreational fishing / tourist access guide)

    Secundair
    fishingworldguide.comGeraadpleegd jun 15
  9. [09]

    Lampi Island Marine National Park - Wikipedia (coordinates and status)

    Secundair
    en.wikipedia.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15
  10. [10]

    Lampi - Marine National Park (official park site)

    Officieel
    lampipark.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15

Notities van de onderzoeker

Spearfishing is not specifically regulated by name in Myanmar law. The framework is built on the Myanma Marine Fisheries Law (No. 9/90, 1990; amended by No. 16/93), the Freshwater Fisheries Law (No. 1/91, 1991), and the Law Relating to Fishing Rights of Foreign Fishing Vessels. 'Fishing' is defined broadly (catching, collecting, inducing, pursuing, stupefying, killing fish - sec 2.i) and is licence-based; explosives/poisons/chemicals are banned (sec 38) but harpoons/spearguns are not listed as prohibited gear. There is no individual recreational or sport-fishing licence; sport fishing is licensed only as a commercial-scale enterprise (secs 7, 41). For foreigners the only lawful route to fish/spearfish is through a DoF-licensed tour or liveaboard operator with area permits - hence the 'restricted' status. Practical caveats: large areas of the Mergui Archipelago are marine protected areas/no-fishing zones; Lampi is the only marine national park; a nationwide offshore closed season runs roughly April-June; whale sharks and marine turtles are protected. Confidence is medium because no provision explicitly addresses recreational spearfishing - the restricted classification is inferred from the general licensing regime plus secondary reporting on operator-only access, and licence-level rules (gear, species, bag, size) are set administratively per licence rather than published. The FAOLEX official law text was verified verbatim via pdftotext extraction of the FAO PDF. The extwprlegs1.fao.org HTML mirror (mya3461.htm) and the UNODC PDF mirror were intermittently unavailable (HTTP 404/521) at time of access.

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