Turkmenistan
Asia · Central Asia
No Turkmenistan law specifically addresses recreational spearfishing (подводная охота). Fishing is governed by the Law of Turkmenistan 'On Fisheries and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources' (adopted 21 May 2011, amended through 11 April 2026), which regulates commercial, amateur and sport fishing but whose verbatim provisions on permitted gear and methods could not be retrieved online. Turkmenistan is a strongly state-controlled country with restricted internet access and little published recreational-fishing guidance. Practical constraints make marine spearfishing on the Caspian effectively inaccessible to the public: sturgeon fishing in Turkmen Caspian waters has been banned since 1946 and a Caspian-wide commercial sturgeon moratorium runs through 2026; the country's only Caspian protected coastal area (Hazar State Nature Reserve, a strict 'zapovednik') prohibits public access and resource use; and foreign access to the Caspian coast and border-zone areas requires special permits. Recreational fishing with a line is reportedly permitted in inland lakes and rivers (Amu Darya, Murgab, Tejen), but no spearfishing-specific rules were found. Legality of spearfishing is therefore genuinely unknown and should be treated as restricted in practice.
Laatst bijgewerkt april 17, 2026
Geldend kader
- §Law of Turkmenistan 'On Fisheries and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources' (21 May 2011; amendments adopted 11 April 2026)
- §Law of Turkmenistan 'On Hunting and Protection of Hunting Treasures' (18 December 2021)
- §Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention, 2003; in force 2006)
- §Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea (2018)
- §Caspian littoral states' commercial sturgeon fishing moratorium (extended through 2026)
De wet, woordelijk
Wetteksten
De exacte wettelijke en regelgevende bepalingen die speervissen hier reguleren, geciteerd zoals gepubliceerd, met een link naar elke officiële bron.
Law on Fisheries and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources (amendment instrument)
Law of Turkmenistan 'On Amendments and Additions to the Law of Turkmenistan "On Fisheries and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources"'
Закон Туркменистана О внесении изменений и дополнения в Закон Туркменистана «О рыболовстве и сохранении водных биологических ресурсов». [Документ вносит поправки в Закон Туркменистана «О рыболовстве и сохранении водных биологических ресурсов» от 21 мая 2011 года. Подписан Президентом Туркменистана Сердаром Бердымухамедовым в Ашхабаде 11 апреля 2026 года.] Поправки уточняют терминологию и порядок добычи (вылова) водных биоресурсов, выдачи разрешений на добычу (вылов), спасения водных биоресурсов, а также промыслового, любительского и спортивного рыболовства.
Wanneer je mag duiken
Seizoenen & tijdsbeperkingen
Gesloten, open en beperkte perioden door het jaar heen. Bevestig soortspecifieke sluitingen altijd lokaal.
- GeslotenSturgeon (all species, Caspian Sea)1946 – ongoing
Commercial sturgeon fishing in Turkmen waters of the Caspian Sea has been prohibited since 1946 (limited from 1942). A Caspian-wide commercial sturgeon moratorium agreed by the five littoral states (Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan) has been repeatedly extended; catches are permitted only for scientific research and artificial reproduction. As of late 2025 the ban was extended through 2026.
Toestemming om te vissen
Vergunning
Wat je nodig hebt om het water in te mogen, wat het kost en hoe je het krijgt.
- Autoriteit
- Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan (fisheries function); state-owned operator Balkanbalyk on the Caspian
Uitrusting & techniek
Uitrustingsregels
Welke uitrusting is toegestaan, hoe die gebruikt mag worden en welke voorwaarden eraan verbonden zijn.
No retrievable Turkmenistan source specifies whether spearguns/harpoons (подводное ружье, острога) are permitted or prohibited for fishing. In neighbouring Caspian states, underwater guns are commonly restricted under fishing rules, but Turkmen rules could not be confirmed. Treat as unknown.
Wat je mag meenemen
Vangstlimieten & beschermde soorten
Dagquota, minimummaten en soorten die nooit gevangen mogen worden.
Beschermde soorten — niet meenemen
- BeschermdSturgeon (all Caspian species) — fishing banned
- BeschermdSpecies listed in the Red Book of Turkmenistan
- BeschermdCaspian seal and other reserve fauna within Hazar State Nature Reserve
Annual quotas historically limited sturgeon catch; sturgeon fishing is banned in Turkmen Caspian waters. The Hazar reserve also lists rare fish (Caspian stone eel, spike fish, Volga herring, Caspian bulltrout, white salmon). Specific recreational catch/size limits were not found.
Wie mag vissen
Bezoekers & inwoners
Hoe de regels verschillen voor buitenlandse bezoekers en lokale inwoners.
Buitenlandse bezoekers
Beperkingen
- Turkmenistan is highly restrictive for foreign travellers; most independent travel requires a guide and registered tour, and many areas need special permits.
- The Caspian coast and border zones typically require additional access permits.
- No published pathway for foreigners to conduct recreational spearfishing was found.
No source confirms any legal route for foreigners to spearfish in Turkmenistan. In practice this should be treated as not available without official authorisation.
Inwoners
No spearfishing-specific resident rules were found. Recreational line fishing is reportedly tolerated/permitted on some inland waters, but gear/method rules for residents are not documented in retrievable sources.
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
Recreational fishing is reported to be permitted in several small lakes and rivers, notably the Amu Darya, Murgab and Tejen Rivers. No spearfishing-specific rules were found; permitted gear is not documented in retrievable sources.
Gear and method rules unknown; no published spearfishing authorisation.
Verboden gebieden
- Hazar State Nature Reserve (incl. Ogurjaly Sanctuary)strict nature reserve (zapovednik) / Ramsar wetland
Strict state nature reserve (zapovednik) on the south-east coast of the Caspian Sea in Balkan Province, area 2,690 km2. Ramsar wetland of international importance (listed 2009). As a zapovednik it carries Turkmenistan's highest protection regime; public access and resource use (including fishing/hunting) are restricted/prohibited.
- Caspian Sea (Turkmen waters) — sturgeonspecies-protection / regulated marine zone
Sturgeon fishing in Turkmen Caspian waters is prohibited (since 1946); a Caspian-wide commercial sturgeon moratorium runs through 2026. Targeting sturgeon by any method, including spearing, is not permitted.
Condities op het water
Live condities
Live mariene en weersmomentopname nabij een kustreferentiepunt in Turkmenistan, van Open-Meteo. Condities variëren langs de kust — beschouw als indicatief.
Live mariene & weerscondities nabij Hazar State Nature Reserve (incl. Ogurjaly Sanctuary).
Wie je moet vragen
Autoriteiten
De officiële instanties die verantwoordelijk zijn voor visserij en vergunningen.
Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan
environment / agriculture ministry (fisheries and nature protection functions)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
government ministry (Caspian inter-state fisheries cooperation, anti-IUU protocol)
Balkanbalyk (state-owned fishing enterprise)
state fisheries operator (Caspian Sea)
Waar dit vandaan komt
Bronnen
Elke bewering op deze pagina is terug te voeren op een van deze referenties.
- [01]
Law of Turkmenistan on amendments to the Law 'On Fisheries and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources' (official government portal)
Officieelturkmenistan.gov.tmGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [02]
Ban on commercial sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea extended until 2026 (Turkmenportal)
Secundairturkmenportal.comGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [03]
Fishing industry in Turkmenistan (Wikipedia)
Secundairen.wikipedia.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [04]
Hazar State Nature Reserve (Wikipedia)
Secundairen.wikipedia.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [05]
Protected areas of Turkmenistan (Wikipedia)
Secundairen.wikipedia.orgGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [06]
Environmental legislation improved in Turkmenistan — Law on Hunting and Protection of Hunting Treasures, 2021 (News Central Asia)
Secundairnewscentralasia.netGeraadpleegd jun 15 - [07]
Caspian states agree on fishing zones, protection for sturgeon (SeafoodSource)
Secundairseafoodsource.comGeraadpleegd jun 15
Notities van de onderzoeker
Turkmenistan has a Caspian Sea coastline (~610 km / often cited up to ~1,200 km incl. indentations) and inland fisheries, but there is NO publicly retrievable law that specifically permits or prohibits recreational spearfishing. The governing statute is the Law 'On Fisheries and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources' (2011, amended 2026); its full verbatim articles on gear/methods could not be obtained online, so law_texts contains only the cited amendment instrument from the official government portal. Per the anti-fabrication rule, no article numbers or gear prohibitions were invented. Key practical constraints: sturgeon ban since 1946 plus Caspian-wide commercial moratorium through 2026; the only Caspian coastal protected area (Hazar zapovednik) prohibits public access; and Turkmenistan's tightly controlled travel regime (guides/permits required, restricted border and coastal zones) makes recreational marine spearfishing effectively inaccessible. spearfishing_allowed is set to 'unknown' and data_confidence to 'low' to reflect genuine uncertainty. Recommended follow-up: obtain the full Russian/Turkmen text of the 2011 law and any 'Правила любительского и спортивного рыболовства' (amateur/sport fishing rules) from FAOLEX or the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection to confirm gear-method provisions.
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