Oman
Asia · Western Asia
Spearfishing in Oman is heavily restricted and is not part of the standard recreational fishing permit. Under the new Executive Regulation of the Living Aquatic Resources Law (Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026, in force 13 April 2026), recreational fishing is allowed only with a licence and restricted to manual line and hook; night fishing (sunset to sunrise) is banned and the catch is capped at 20 kg. Spear/harpoon use falls outside this recreational permit and is treated as a separately regulated activity: reports indicate harpoon fishing requires holding a fishing licence for several years, coastal residency and a dedicated harpoon permit, and some areas of Musandam Governorate may permit it only with a permit from local authorities. Spearfishing while on SCUBA is not permitted. Foreign-flagged commercial vessels are barred unless partnered with an Omani company. Marine protected areas (e.g. the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve) prohibit fishing and have seasonal closures. Underlying law: Aquatic/Living Aquatic Resources Law, Royal Decree No. 20/2019 (which repealed Royal Decree No. 53/81).
Laatst bijgewerkt juni 16, 2026
Geldend kader
- §Royal Decree No. 20/2019 - Aquatic Living Resources Law (issued 13 February 2019; repealed Royal Decree No. 53/81)
- §Royal Decree No. 53/81 - Law of Maritime Fishing and the Protection of Aquatic Living Resources (1981; repealed)
- §Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026 - Executive Regulation of the Living Aquatic Resources Law (in force 13 April 2026; replaces 14 prior ministerial decisions including Ministerial Resolution No. 4/94)
- §Ministerial Decision No. 39/2024 - amendment introducing seasonal shark fishing ban
- §Royal Decree (3 April 1996) - establishment of the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve
- Vergunning vereist
- Vereist
- Harpoengeweer
- Verboden
- Duikfles
- Verboden
- 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.
Royal Decree 20/2019 issuing the Aquatic Living Resources Law - promulgation articles (verbatim English translation)
Royal Decree No. 20/2019 issuing the Aquatic Living Resources Law
We, Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman, after perusal of [the Basic Statute of the State promulgated by Royal Decree 101/96] ... and after presentation to Majlis Oman, and in pursuance of public interest, have decreed as follows. Article I: The attached Aquatic Living Resources Law shall apply. Article II: The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries shall issue the executive regulation for the provisions of this law within a period not exceeding one year from the date of its issuance, and shall issue the decisions necessary to implement the provisions of this law, and until they are issued, the regulation and decisions in force shall continue to operate to the degree that they do not contradict with the provisions of this law. Article III: The Law on Fishing and Protection of Marine Living Resources promulgated by Royal Decree 53/81 is hereby repealed, as well as every provision contrary to this law or in conflict with its provisions. Article IV: This decree shall be published in the Official Gazette, and comes into force after 90 (ninety) days from the date of its publication.
Reported summary of recreational fishing rules under Ministerial Decision 70/2026 (NOT statutory verbatim - press digest)
Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026 - Executive Regulation of the Aquatic Living Resources Law (in force 13 April 2026)
JOURNALIST SUMMARY, NOT A STATUTORY QUOTE - the full text of Ministerial Decision 70/2026 is behind a paid subscription on the official decree.om portal and could not be retrieved verbatim. As reported by Muscat Daily and the Oman Observer, the executive regulation provides that recreational fishing is permitted under licence only; must be carried out manually using line and hook; the maximum catch per trip is 20 kg; and recreational fishing between sunset and sunrise is prohibited. It is also reported to ban bottom trawling, prohibit devices that aggregate fish (FADs), bar claiming of fishing locations by custom/tradition, and provide administrative penalties of up to RO 10,000, activity suspension of up to 180 days, or licence revocation.
Reported summary of repealed Royal Decree 53/81 powers (NOT statutory verbatim - legal-database abstract)
Royal Decree No. 53/81 - Law of Maritime Fishing and the Protection of Aquatic Living Resources (repealed by RD 20/2019)
DATABASE ABSTRACT, NOT A STATUTORY QUOTE - retained for historical context only. Per the ECOLEX/FAO legal-database summary, the 1981 law empowered authorities to specify equipment permitted or prohibited in navigation and fishing, to ban substances harmful to the growth, reproduction and migration of living aquatic resources, to designate locations where fishing is prohibited seasonally, and to establish the minimum size of fish and other living aquatic resources. This law was repealed by Royal Decree No. 20/2019.
Reported summary of seasonal shark fishing ban under Ministerial Decision 39/2024 (NOT statutory verbatim - press digest)
Ministerial Decision No. 39/2024 (amending regulations under Royal Decree No. 20/2019)
JOURNALIST SUMMARY, NOT A STATUTORY QUOTE - as reported by The Arabian Stories, fishing for sharks will be prohibited from the first day of December until the last day of September of the following year under Ministerial Decision 39/2024. The official Arabic text of the decision was not retrieved verbatim.
Wanneer je mag duiken
Seizoenen & tijdsbeperkingen
Gesloten, open en beperkte perioden door het jaar heen. Bevestig soortspecifieke sluitingen altijd lokaal.
- GeslotenSharksdec 1 – sep 30
Shark fishing prohibited from 1 December to the last day of September of the following year (Ministerial Decision No. 39/2024).
- GeslotenKingfish (kanad)aug 15 – okt 15
Closed season for kingfish under the 2026 executive regulation.
- GeslotenShrimpdec 1 – aug 31
Closed season for shrimp under the 2026 executive regulation.
- GeslotenDaymaniyat Islands Nature Reservemei 1 – okt 31
The Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve is fully closed to visitors from 1 May to 31 October to protect endangered sea turtle nesting (no landings, no snorkeling, no boats within sensitive zones).
Toestemming om te vissen
Vergunning
Wat je nodig hebt om het water in te mogen, wat het kost en hoe je het krijgt.
Apply online via gov.om (sign in, fill form, pay fee, await approval, ~30 min). Documents: Omani/GCC national ID card or expatriate resident card; vessel photo optional.
Vraag je vergunning aanOpent het officiële portaal · gov.om
- Type
- Recreational/amateur fishing licence (daily or annual)
- Kosten
- Daily: 2 Omani Rials (OMR); Annual: 30 OMR (Oman Observer reports daily 24-hour permit RO 2, annual permit RO 30, 30-day renewal RO 30)
- Geldigheid
- Daily (24 hours) or annual
- Hoe te verkrijgen
- Apply online via gov.om (sign in, fill form, pay fee, await approval, ~30 min). Documents: Omani/GCC national ID card or expatriate resident card; vessel photo optional.
- Autoriteit
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth & Water Resources
Uitrusting & techniek
Uitrustingsregels
Welke uitrusting is toegestaan, hoe die gebruikt mag worden en welke voorwaarden eraan verbonden zijn.
Beperkingen
- Recreational fishing restricted to manual line and hook only (Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026); spearguns/harpoons are not part of the recreational permit.
- Spearfishing while on SCUBA is not permitted (secondary source).
- Harpoon use reported to require a multi-year fishing licence, coastal residency and a dedicated harpoon permit, and in Musandam a permit from local authorities.
- Bottom trawling prohibited.
- Devices designed to attract/aggregate fish (FADs) prohibited.
- Nets, explosives and chemicals banned for recreational use.
Standard recreational licences only authorise rod/line and hook from shore, boat or tourist vessel. Spear/harpoon fishing sits outside this and is separately and tightly regulated; treat as restricted/effectively unavailable to most recreational and foreign fishers.
Wat je mag meenemen
Vangstlimieten & beschermde soorten
Dagquota, minimummaten en soorten die nooit gevangen mogen worden.
Daglimiet
20 kg per recreational fishing trip
Beschermde soorten — niet meenemen
- BeschermdSharks (seasonally closed 1 Dec - 30 Sep)
- BeschermdSea turtles (hawksbill and green - protected; harming/touching illegal in reserves)
- BeschermdLobster
- BeschermdShrimp (seasonal closure 1 Dec - 31 Aug)
- BeschermdAbalone
- BeschermdSea cucumbers
- BeschermdCrabs
- BeschermdOysters and shells (no harvest/trade without permit)
Recreational anglers may not target or keep lobster, shrimp, abalone or certain molluscs. Sea cucumbers, crabs, oysters and shells require permits for harvest/trade. Selling recreational catch is prohibited. Size limits exist under the law but specific per-species minimum sizes were not retrieved verbatim.
Wie mag vissen
Bezoekers & inwoners
Hoe de regels verschillen voor buitenlandse bezoekers en lokale inwoners.
Buitenlandse bezoekers
ToegestaanSpeciale vergunning vereist
Vereisten
- Valid Omani residency permit (expatriate resident card) to apply for a recreational fishing licence.
- Minimum age 18, medically fit with good swimming skills.
- Hold a recreational fishing licence (daily 2 OMR / annual 30 OMR).
Beperkingen
- Recreational fishing limited to manual line and hook; spearfishing/harpoon not covered by the recreational permit.
- No commercial sale of catch; 20 kg trip limit; no night fishing.
- Foreign-flagged commercial vessels prohibited unless partnered with an Omani company and granted prior approval.
- Tourists without residency generally fish only via licensed tour/charter operators.
Expatriate residents can obtain the same recreational licence as Omanis, but spear/harpoon fishing's residency- and permit-heavy conditions make it effectively inaccessible to most foreigners; spearfishing on SCUBA is not allowed.
Inwoners
Recreational/amateur fishing licence (daily or annual)
Vereisten
- Omani national ID card (or GCC ID).
- Minimum age 18, medically fit, good swimming skills.
- For harpoon fishing (reported): hold a fishing licence for several years and be a resident of a coastal wilayat/state, then apply for a separate harpoon permit.
Voordelen
- Eligible for recreational licence on the same terms as expatriate residents.
- Coastal residents may be eligible for harpoon permits where allowed (e.g. parts of Musandam).
Traditional/customary claims to fishing locations are prohibited under the 2026 regulation.
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
Reports indicate that certain areas of Musandam Governorate may allow spear/harpoon fishing under conditions, subject to obtaining a permit from local authorities. Note: the Royal Oman Police have at times issued precautionary advisories suspending fishing and tourist-boat activity in Musandam waters due to regional risks.
Permit from local authorities required; spearfishing not permitted on SCUBA; subject to national recreational rules and any precautionary suspensions.
Verboden gebieden
- Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reservemarine nature reserve
Oman's only dedicated marine nature reserve, established by Royal Decree on 3 April 1996, located ~18 km off Barka in the Gulf of Oman (Al Batinah South Governorate). Managed by the Oman Environment Authority with rangers and a permit system. Fishing is prohibited; touching coral or turtles is illegal; access requires a permit. Fully closed 1 May - 31 October for turtle nesting.
Condities op het water
Live condities
Live mariene en weersmomentopname nabij een kustreferentiepunt in Oman, van Open-Meteo. Condities variëren langs de kust — beschouw als indicatief.
Live mariene & weerscondities nabij Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve.
Wie je moet vragen
Autoriteiten
De officiële instanties die verantwoordelijk zijn voor visserij en vergunningen.
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources
fisheries authority
Oman Environment Authority
environment authority (manages marine nature reserves)
Royal Oman Police (Coast Guard)
enforcement / maritime authority
Waar dit vandaan komt
Bronnen
Elke bewering op deze pagina is terug te voeren op een van deze referenties.
- [01]
New regulations to govern fishing, protect Oman's marine resources (Muscat Daily, on Ministerial Decision No. 70/2026)
Secundairmuscatdaily.comGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [02]
Oman issues new executive regulation to strengthen fisheries governance (The Arabian Stories, Ministerial Decision 70/2026)
Secundairthearabianstories.comGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [03]
Want to fish for fun, take a permit (Oman Observer)
Secundairomanobserver.omGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [04]
Get a Recreational Fishing Licence (Annual/Daily) - Official Oman e-Government portal
Officieelgov.omGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [05]
Royal Decree No. 53/81 Law of Maritime Fishing (ECOLEX/FAO legal database)
Officieelecolex.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [06]
Royal Decree 20/2019 Issuing the Aquatic Living Resources Law (Decree.om)
Officieeldecree.omGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [07]
Oman's ministry amends regulations of Law on Fishing (Ministerial Decision 39/2024 - shark season; The Arabian Stories)
Secundairthearabianstories.comGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [08]
Al-Daymaniyat Islands Marine Nature Reserve (Daymaniyat.com)
Secundairdaymaniyat.comGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [09]
New Regulations on Fishing and Tourist Boats in Musandam (Omanet / ROP)
Officieelomanet.omGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [10]
Is Spearfishing Legal in Oman? (Trickyfish - dive aggregator)
communitytrickyfish.coGeraadpleegd jun 15
Notities van de onderzoeker
VERBATIM/SOURCE STATUS: The only genuinely verbatim legal text retrieved is the English translation of the promulgation articles (preamble + Articles I-IV) of Royal Decree 20/2019, available on the official decree.om portal (law_texts[0]). The substantive articles of the Aquatic Living Resources Law (RD 20/2019) and the full text of the Executive Regulation (Ministerial Decision 70/2026) are behind a paid subscription on decree.om and could NOT be retrieved verbatim. Accordingly, the recreational-fishing rules (licence only, manual line and hook only, 20 kg per trip, no fishing sunset-to-sunrise, bottom-trawling and FAD bans, RO 10,000 penalty ceiling), the RD 53/81 powers, and the shark closed season are documented from journalist/legal-database summaries (Muscat Daily, Oman Observer, The Arabian Stories, ECOLEX) and are explicitly labelled in law_texts as reported summaries, NOT statutory quotes. Specific article numbers for these provisions and for any spear/harpoon rule could not be cited and are not invented. Spearfishing/harpoon fishing is not addressed by name in any retrieved official text; the 'restricted' conclusion is derived from (a) the national recreational framework permitting only manual line and hook, and (b) secondary dive/aggregator reporting (trickyfish.co) that harpoon use requires a multi-year licence, coastal residency and a dedicated permit, with some Musandam areas allowing it under permit and spearfishing prohibited on SCUBA. The daily sunset-to-sunrise night-fishing ban is a time-of-day rule (captured in legal_status, equipment_rules and foreigners_rules) and was removed from the seasons array, which holds only machine-parseable calendar periods. Daymaniyat reserve coordinates are an approximate centroid (~23.86N, 58.10E). data_confidence lowered to 'low' to reflect the heavy reliance on paywalled primary law and secondary/aggregator sourcing. Recommend verifying all spear/harpoon and recreational-permit specifics directly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources before relying on this for legal purposes.
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