Solomon Islands
Oceania · Melanesia
Breath-hold (free-diving) spearfishing is permitted in the Solomon Islands and is a common subsistence and small-scale commercial fishing method nationwide. However, the use of any underwater breathing equipment (SCUBA / hookah / compressor) to harvest marine resources is a criminal offence under Regulation 25 of the Fisheries Management Regulations 2017 (made under the Fisheries Management Act 2015, No. 2 of 2015). A SCUBA-for-harvesting ban has been in force since January 2004 and was carried forward into the 2017 Regulations. Spearfishers must also observe the protected-species, size and seasonal limits in the Fisheries Management (Prohibited Activities) Regulations 2018 (e.g. minimum 65 cm for bumphead parrotfish and Maori/humphead wrasse; turtles, dugong, and certain shells fully protected). Provincial governments and community-based management (customary tabu/no-take areas) impose additional local bans, and harvesting is prohibited in protected areas such as the Arnavon Community Marine Park. A recreational 'Sports Fishing' licence category exists in the 2017 fee schedule. Enforcement is generally weak, especially at the local level.
Laatst bijgewerkt juni 15, 2026
Geldend kader
- §Fisheries Management Act 2015 (No. 2 of 2015)
- §Fisheries Management Regulations 2017 (Legal Notice No. 2 of 2017)
- §Fisheries Management (Prohibited Activities) Regulations 2018 (L.N. No. 61 of 2018)
- Harpoengeweer
- Toegestaan
- Duikfles
- Verboden
De wet, woordelijk
Wetteksten
De exacte wettelijke en regelgevende bepalingen die speervissen hier reguleren, geciteerd zoals gepubliceerd, met een link naar elke officiële bron.
Underwater breathing equipment (SCUBA) prohibition for harvesting fisheries resources
Fisheries Management Regulations 2017 (Legal Notice No. 2 of 2017), made under the Fisheries Management Act 2015 (No. 2 of 2015)
25. (1) Unless authorised by the Director under sub-regulation (3), a person commits an offence if the person uses or has in his or her possession underwater breathing equipment for the purpose of harvesting any fisheries resource. Maximum penalty: 50,000 penalty units or 6 months imprisonment, or both. (2) In this regulation, “underwater breathing equipment” includes all equipment the use of which will enable a person to descend and remain underwater whilst breathing. (3) The Director may authorise a person to use underwater breathing equipment to harvest a fisheries resource or carry underwater breathing equipment on board a registered fishing vessel: (a) if the equipment is not used for commercial fishing; (b) to retrieve lost fishing gear; or (c) for emergencies involving the preservation of life or the safety of the vessel or other vessels.
Commission of underwater-breathing-equipment offence by body corporate
Fisheries Management Regulations 2017 (Legal Notice No. 2 of 2017)
26. A body corporate convicted under regulation 25 is liable to a maximum fine of 500,000 penalty units where an offence is committed by its employees, servants or agents.
Protected species and minimum sizes relevant to spearfishing (Schedule)
Fisheries Management (Prohibited Activities) Regulations 2018 (L.N. No. 61 of 2018)
A person who engages in conduct specified in the Schedule, column 1, in relation to fish or gear specified opposite in column 2, commits an offence carrying the penalty in column 3. Schedule (extract): 3. fish for, sell or buy — (iv) any maori wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) less than 65cm in total length when measured from the furthermost point of the snout to the end of the tail; (v) any bumphead parrotfish (Balbometopon muricatum) less than 65cm in total length when measured from the furthermost point of the snout to the end of the tail — 30 000 penalty units or 3 months imprisonment or both. 4. fish for and retain, be in possession of, sell, buy or export — (i) any nesting turtle; (ii) any leatherback turtle of the species Dermochelys coriacea; or (iii) any dugong (Dugong dugong) — 40 000 penalty units or 4 months imprisonment or both. 2. fish for and retain, be in possession of, sell or buy — (i) any coconut crab of the species Birgus latro ... (2) during the breeding season from June to October in a calendar year ... — 40 000 penalty units or 4 months imprisonment or both.
Historical SCUBA-for-harvesting prohibition in force from January 2004 (predecessor of Reg 25)
Regulation made under the Fisheries Act 1998, in force January 2004 (Regulation 29), as documented by FAO/FishCode Review No.19
Any person using under-water breathing apparatus for the purpose of harvesting any marine resource shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or six months imprisonment or both such fine and imprisonment.
Wanneer je mag duiken
Seizoenen & tijdsbeperkingen
Gesloten, open en beperkte perioden door het jaar heen. Bevestig soortspecifieke sluitingen altijd lokaal.
- GeslotenCoconut crab (Birgus latro)jun 1 – okt 31
Coconut crab may not be fished for, possessed, sold or bought during the breeding season from June to October in any calendar year, nor if under 9cm carapace length or carrying/stripped of eggs. Relevant where coconut crab is taken incidentally; not a marine spearfishing target but part of the protected-species regime.
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 Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), Honiara.
Vraag je vergunning aanOpent het officiële portaal · fisheries.gov.sb
- Type
- Sports Fishing licence (Recreational or Commercial sub-categories) listed in the Fisheries Management Regulations 2017 fee schedule. It is not clearly established that an individual breath-hold subsistence spearfisher requires a personal licence; customary/subsistence fishing is largely outside the commercial licensing regime.
- Kosten
- Sports Fishing – Recreational: SBD 6,000; Sports Fishing – Commercial: SBD 10,000; plus Administration/Licence Fee SBD 3,000 (per the 2017 Regulations fee schedule).
- Geldigheid
- unknown
- Hoe te verkrijgen
- Apply to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), Honiara.
- Autoriteit
- Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR)
Uitrusting & techniek
Uitrustingsregels
Welke uitrusting is toegestaan, hoe die gebruikt mag worden en welke voorwaarden eraan verbonden zijn.
Beperkingen
- Use or possession of underwater breathing equipment (SCUBA, hookah, compressor) for the purpose of harvesting any fisheries resource is a criminal offence (Reg 25, FMR 2017); the Director may grant limited authorisations (non-commercial use, retrieving lost gear, or emergencies).
- Breath-hold (free-dive) spearfishing with sling spears, hand spears and rubber-powered/homemade spear guns is the customary and lawful method.
- Underwater flashlights/torches for night spearfishing are widely used; night spearfishing is frequently restricted or banned at the community level due to impacts on parrotfish and grouper spawning aggregations.
- Explosives, poison and other noxious substances for taking fish are prohibited (long-standing prohibition; the 1972 Fisheries Act s.8 prohibited explosives/poison).
The defining national rule is the SCUBA/underwater-breathing-apparatus harvesting ban (in force since January 2004 and re-enacted as Reg 25 of the 2017 Regulations). Spearfishing per se is legal when done on breath-hold; it is not a separately licensed gear at the subsistence level.
Wat je mag meenemen
Vangstlimieten & beschermde soorten
Dagquota, minimummaten en soorten die nooit gevangen mogen worden.
Daglimiet
unknown
Minimummaten
- Bumphead (humphead) parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum)min 65 cm
- Maori / humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)min 65 cm
- Mud crab (Scylla serrata)min 12 cm
- Crayfish / spiny lobster (Panulirus spp.) carapacemin 8 cm
- Coconut crab (Birgus latro) carapacemin 9 cm
Beschermde soorten — niet meenemen
- BeschermdAll sea turtles (including nesting turtles and leatherback Dermochelys coriacea) – no take/possession/sale/export
- BeschermdDugong (Dugong dugon)
- BeschermdCrocodile (export of crocodile/parts/products prohibited)
- BeschermdGolden cowrie (Callistocypraea aurantium)
- BeschermdGlory-of-the-sea cone shell (Conus gloriamaris)
- BeschermdGreen snail (Turbo marmoratus)
- BeschermdTriton shell (Charonia spp.)
- BeschermdGiant clams (Tridacna and Hippopus) not under a management plan – sale/buy/export prohibited
- BeschermdProtected sharks (shark finning prohibited; certain shark species protected with safe-release requirement)
- BeschermdCertain corals (Acropora humilis, Euphyllia glabrescens, Fungia fungites; live/dead corals and live rock not under a management plan)
Size and species limits come from the Fisheries Management (Prohibited Activities) Regulations 2018 Schedule and apply to all fishing methods including spearfishing. Female/egg-bearing crabs are protected; oyster shell (Pinctada) minimum 10cm shell width. No general per-person daily bag limit for finfish was found in the national instruments reviewed.
Wie mag vissen
Bezoekers & inwoners
Hoe de regels verschillen voor buitenlandse bezoekers en lokale inwoners.
Buitenlandse bezoekers
Vereisten
- Tourist/sport spearfishing is generally conducted through licensed dive/charter operators; a recreational 'Sports Fishing' licence category exists in the 2017 fee schedule (SBD 6,000).
- The SCUBA-for-harvesting ban (Reg 25) applies to everyone, including tourists – spearfishing on SCUBA is illegal.
Beperkingen
- Customary marine tenure: reef and inshore areas are typically owned/controlled by local communities; permission from customary owners is generally required to fish, including spearfishing.
- Local community no-take and night-spearfishing bans apply to visitors.
Specific national rules expressly addressing foreign recreational spearfishers were not found; in practice access is governed by customary owners, dive-operator arrangements, and the general prohibited-activities and SCUBA-harvesting rules. Confirm locally before fishing.
Inwoners
Customary/subsistence fishing largely falls outside the commercial licensing regime; the Act and regulations generally do not apply to non-commercial customary fishing unless specified.
Vereisten
- Comply with the SCUBA-for-harvesting ban (Reg 25, FMR 2017).
- Comply with protected-species, size and seasonal limits (Prohibited Activities Regulations 2018).
- Observe provincial ordinances and customary/community closures.
Voordelen
- Subsistence and customary spearfishing is recognised and is an important, low-cost food source nationwide (responsible for roughly 5-15% of national inshore production, and 50-80% in some remote areas such as the Reef Islands and Ontong Java).
Provincial governments are devolved responsibility for management of reef, inshore and freshwater fisheries within provincial waters, so local rules vary by province and community.
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
- Arnavon Community Marine Park (Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area)community marine conservation area / marine park
Community-managed marine protected area between Isabel and Choiseul provinces, ~169 km2 (upgraded from the 152 km2 conservation area established 1995). Commercial fishing and collecting are banned; the largest hawksbill turtle rookery in the South Pacific. No-take core area where spearfishing/harvesting is prohibited.
- Ulawa area (Makira-Ulawa Province) one-mile protected radiusprovincial protected area (ordinance)
Under the Makira Province Preservation of Culture and Wildlife Ordinance, the killing of any fish by means of diving with a spear or a spear gun within a one-mile radius of the Ulawa area has been banned. Example of a provincial-government ordinance directly prohibiting spearfishing.
- Customary tabu / community no-take areas (nationwide)customary / community-based managed area
Many coastal communities apply customary marine tenure and community-based management to close reefs to fishing. Night spearfishing is commonly one of the first activities banned at community level. Example: Luaniua Village on Ontong Java bans spearfishing inside the lagoon. These customary closures are recognised under the fisheries legal framework.
Condities op het water
Live condities
Live mariene en weersmomentopname nabij een kustreferentiepunt in Solomon Islands, van Open-Meteo. Condities variëren langs de kust — beschouw als indicatief.
Live mariene & weerscondities nabij Arnavon Community Marine Park (Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area).
Wie je moet vragen
Autoriteiten
De officiële instanties die verantwoordelijk zijn voor visserij en vergunningen.
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR)
fisheries authority
fisheries.gov.sbKukum Highway, P.O. Box G2, Honiara, Solomon Islands; Tel (677) 39143; Fax (677) 38730Provincial Governments (e.g. Makira-Ulawa, Western, Isabel, Choiseul, Malaita Provinces)
sub-national / provincial fisheries and conservation authority
fisheries.gov.sbProvincial assemblies make ordinances regulating inshore fishing within provincial waters.Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area Management Committee
community marine protected area management
equatorinitiative.orgRepresentatives of Kia, Katupika and Waghena communities.
Waar dit vandaan komt
Bronnen
Elke bewering op deze pagina is terug te voeren op een van deze referenties.
- [01]
Fisheries Management Regulations 2017 (Legal Notice No. 2 of 2017), full text – Regulation 25 Underwater breathing equipment
Officieelfaolex.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [02]
Fisheries Management (Prohibited Activities) Regulations 2018 (L.N. No. 61 of 2018), full text – protected species and size limits Schedule
Officieelfaolex.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [03]
Fisheries Management (Prohibited Activities) Regulations 2018 – ECOLEX record
Officieelecolex.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [04]
Fisheries Management Act (No. 2 of 2015) – NATLEX/ILO record
Officieelnatlex.ilo.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [05]
Solomon Islands National Fisheries Policy 2019-2029 (FAOLEX)
Officieelfaolex.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [06]
Gillett, R. & Moy, W. (2006) Spearfishing in the Pacific Islands: Current Status and Management Issues, FAO/FishCode Review No.19 – Section 2.5 Solomon Islands (documents the January 2004 SCUBA ban / Regulation 29 and provincial Ulawa spear ban)
Secundairfao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [07]
Solomon Islands – The Fisheries Act 1972 (reprint to 1981), Part V Prohibited Fishing Methods (explosives/poison) – FAOLEX
Officieelfaolex.fao.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [08]
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (Solomon Islands) – official website / contact
Officieelfisheries.gov.sbGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [09]
Arnarvon Islands / Arnavon Community Marine Park – coordinates and no-take status
Secundairen.wikipedia.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15
Notities van de onderzoeker
Key point for spearfishers: breath-hold (free-dive) spearfishing is legal and customary in the Solomon Islands, but spearfishing while using SCUBA, hookah or any underwater breathing equipment to harvest marine resources is a criminal offence under Regulation 25 of the Fisheries Management Regulations 2017 (50,000 penalty units / 6 months / both), with limited Director-granted exceptions. This SCUBA-harvesting ban has applied since January 2004 (formerly Regulation 29 under the Fisheries Act 1998). Spearfishers must respect protected species and minimum sizes in the Prohibited Activities Regulations 2018 (notably bumphead parrotfish and humphead/Maori wrasse min 65 cm; turtles, dugong, certain shells and corals fully protected). Most reefs are under customary marine tenure; permission from customary owners is generally needed, and many communities ban night spearfishing and impose no-take tabu areas. Harvesting is prohibited in the Arnavon Community Marine Park and within a one-mile radius of Ulawa (Makira Province). A 'Sports Fishing – Recreational' licence category (SBD 6,000) exists in the 2017 fee schedule, but it is not clearly established that individual subsistence/recreational breath-hold spearfishers must hold a personal licence. The exact monetary value of a 'penalty unit' was not located. Enforcement is generally weak, especially at the local/inshore level. Confidence is high for the verbatim SCUBA and protected-species provisions (drawn from official gazetted regulation texts on FAOLEX); lower for personal-licensing and foreigner-specific procedures, which are not clearly codified at national level.
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