Austria
Europe · Western Europe
Austria is a landlocked country with no sea coast, so there is no marine spearfishing. All fishing takes place in inland freshwater (lakes and rivers). Fishing law is not federal but is regulated separately by each of the nine federal states (Bundesländer), each with its own Landesfischereigesetz. Across the state fishing laws reviewed, spearfishing is effectively prohibited: harpoons (Harpunen) and fish spears (Fischstecher) are listed as forbidden fishing devices, the methods of spearing/stabbing (Stechen) are forbidden fishing methods, and in some states (e.g. Vienna) fishing while swimming or diving (Tauchen) is itself explicitly prohibited. Recreational angling generally requires a fishing licence (Fischerkarte) plus the permission of the waters' fishing-rights holder, but spearfishing as a method is not a permitted technique. Conclusion: recreational underwater spearfishing is not legal in Austrian waters.
Sist oppdatert Juni 14, 2026
Styrende rammeverk
- §Wiener Fischereigesetz (W-FischG), LGBl. Nr. 1/1948 (consolidated) — Vienna
- §NÖ Fischereigesetz 2001 (Niederösterreichisches Fischereigesetz) — Lower Austria
- §Salzburger Fischereigesetz 2002, LGBl. Nr. 81/2002 (consolidated) — Salzburg
- §Oö. Fischereigesetz (Oberösterreichisches Fischereigesetz) — Upper Austria
- Lisens påkrevd
- Påkrevd
- Spydgevær
- Forbudt
- Scuba
- Forbudt
- Utlendinger
- Ikke tillatt
Loven, ordrett
Lovtekster
De eksakte lovfestede og regulatoriske bestemmelsene som gjelder for spearfishing her, sitert slik de er publisert, med lenke til hver offisiell kilde.
Weidgerechte Ausübung — verbotene Vorrichtungen und Fangmethoden (Vienna)
Wiener Fischereigesetz (W-FischG), LGBl. Nr. 1/1948
(1) Der Fischfang ist weidgerecht auszuüben. Es ist verboten, zum Fischfang Vorrichtungen, Fangmittel und Methoden zu gebrauchen, die den Grundsätzen der Weidgerechtigkeit widersprechen. (2) Verbotene Vorrichtungen und Fangmittel im Sinne des Abs. 1 sind insbesondere Sprengstoffe, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Schlingen, Legschnüre (Nachtschnüre), Betäubungsmittel und Gifte sowie elektrischer Strom. (3) Verbotene Fangmethoden im Sinne des Abs. 1 sind insbesondere das Fischen beim Schwimmen oder Tauchen, das Verwenden von lebenden Wirbeltieren als Köder, das Fischen unter Zuhilfenahme künstlicher Lichtquellen, das Fischen aus Flugzeugen oder fahrenden Kraftfahrzeugen sowie das Stechen, das Anreißen, das Prellen und das Keulen.
Verbotene Vorrichtungen, Fangmittel und Fangmethoden (Lower Austria)
NÖ Fischereigesetz 2001 (Niederösterreichisches Fischereigesetz)
Insbesondere folgende Vorrichtungen und Fangmittel sind verboten: Explosivstoffe, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Betäubungsmittel, Gifte und Schlingen, elektrischer Strom, künstliche Lichtquellen und Echolot. [...] Insbesondere folgende Fangmethoden sind verboten: das Stechen, das Anreißen, das Prellen und das Keulen, das Verwenden lebender Köder, ausgenommen gesetzlich nicht geschützte wirbellose Tiere, das Verwenden von Krustentieren als Köder, Vorkehrungen zu treffen, die den Wechsel der Fische verhindern können.
Verbotene Fangmittel und Fangmethoden (Salzburg)
Salzburger Fischereigesetz 2002
[verbotene Fangmittel:] Sprengstoffen, Schusswaffen, Harpunen, Betäubungsmitteln, Giften, Fischstechern und Schlingen [...] [verbotene Fangmethoden:] bei Anwendung der Fangmethoden des Stechens, Anreißens, Prellens oder Keulens.
Når du kan dykke
Sesonger og tidsbegrensninger
Lukkede, åpne og begrensede perioder gjennom året. Bekreft alltid artsspesifikke lukkinger lokalt.
Ingen sesongstenging registrert — verifiser lokalt før du dykker.
Tillatelse til å fiske
Lisens
Hva du trenger for å ha lov til å dykke, hva det koster, og hvordan du skaffer det.
Obtain the state Fischerkarte (often after passing a fishing exam, Fischerprüfung) and a separate permit from the owner/lessee of the fishing rights for the chosen water. Spearfishing cannot be licensed as a method.
Skaff lisensen dinÅpner den offisielle portalen · oesterreich.gv.at
- Type
- Fischerkarte (state fishing licence) plus a fishing permit (Lizenz/Erlaubnisschein) from the holder of the fishing rights for the specific water; issued per federal state. Note: this licence is for line angling only — spearfishing is not a permitted method.
- Kostnad
- unknown
- Gyldighet
- Varies by state; typically annual or multi-year.
- Hvordan du får det
- Obtain the state Fischerkarte (often after passing a fishing exam, Fischerprüfung) and a separate permit from the owner/lessee of the fishing rights for the chosen water. Spearfishing cannot be licensed as a method.
- Myndighet
- Respective state government (Landesregierung) / state fishing association (Landesfischereiverband)
Utstyr og teknikk
Utstyrsregler
Hvilket utstyr som er tillatt, hvordan det kan brukes, og hvilke betingelser som gjelder.
Begrensninger
- Harpoons (Harpunen) are listed as prohibited fishing devices in state fishing laws (e.g. Vienna § 49 Abs. 2; Lower Austria § 12 Abs. 5; Salzburg § 23 Abs. 3).
- Fish spears (Fischstecher) are explicitly prohibited as a fishing means in Salzburg (§ 23 Abs. 3 Z 1 lit. a).
- Spearing/stabbing (Stechen) is a prohibited fishing method in all reviewed state laws.
- In Vienna, fishing while swimming or diving (das Fischen beim Schwimmen oder Tauchen) is an explicitly prohibited fishing method (§ 49 Abs. 3).
Spearguns/harpoons cannot be used for fishing in Austrian inland waters. Possession of a speargun is governed by general law, but it cannot be lawfully used to take fish.
Hva du kan ta
Fangstbegrensninger og vernede arter
Daglige kvoter, minimumsstørrelser og arter som aldri må tas.
Daglig grense
unknown
Minimum sizes (Brittelmaße), closed seasons (Schonzeiten) and bag limits exist for angling and are set per federal state, but they are not relevant to spearfishing because spearfishing is a prohibited method. Not enumerated here.
Hvem kan fiske
Besøkende og innbyggere
Hvordan reglene er forskjellige for utenlandske besøkende og lokale innbyggere.
Utenlandske besøkende
Ikke tillattBegrensninger
- Spearfishing is prohibited for everyone regardless of nationality; foreigners cannot spearfish either.
- Foreign visitors may angle (rod-and-line) where they hold a valid state Fischerkarte plus a water permit, but not by spearfishing.
The prohibition on harpoons/spearfishing applies to residents and non-residents alike.
Innbyggere
State Fischerkarte for angling only (no spearfishing category exists).
Krav
- Pass the state fishing exam (Fischerprüfung) where required, obtain the Fischerkarte, and secure a permit from the fishing-rights holder.
Residents are equally barred from spearfishing; the licence covers line angling only.
Hvem du skal spørre
Myndigheter
De offisielle organene ansvarlige for fiskeri og lisensiering.
Republik Österreich / oesterreich.gv.at (official government portal — Fischen in Österreich)
government information portal
Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (RIS) — official consolidated legislation portal
legislation portal
NÖ Landesfischereiverband (Lower Austria State Fishing Association)
fisheries authority / association
Land Oberösterreich — Fischereirecht (Upper Austria fisheries authority)
fisheries authority
Hvor dette kommer fra
Kilder
Hvert påstand på denne siden kan spores tilbake til en av disse referansene.
- [01]
RIS — Wiener Fischereigesetz § 49 (Landesrecht konsolidiert Wien)
Offisiellris.bka.gv.atÅpnet Jun 14 - [02]
JUSLINE — § 49 W-FischG (Wiener Fischereigesetz), full text
Sekundærjusline.atÅpnet Jun 14 - [03]
NÖ Landesfischereiverband — Das NÖ Fischereigesetz (§ 12 verbotene Fangmittel/Fangmethoden)
Offisiellnoe-lfv.atÅpnet Jun 14 - [04]
RIS — Salzburger Fischereigesetz (Geltende Fassung), § 23
Offisiellris.bka.gv.atÅpnet Jun 14 - [05]
Land Oberösterreich — Verbotene Fangmittel und Fangmethoden
Offisiellland-oberoesterreich.gv.atÅpnet Jun 14 - [06]
oesterreich.gv.at — Fischen in Österreich (official government portal)
Offisielloesterreich.gv.atÅpnet Jun 14
Forskernotater
Austria is landlocked (no sea coastline), so there is no marine spearfishing — only inland freshwater fishing exists. Fishing legislation is a competence of the nine federal states (Bundesländer); there is no single national fishing act. Three state laws were verified with verbatim primary-source text (Vienna W-FischG § 49, Lower Austria NÖ FischG § 12, Salzburg Sbg. FischG § 23) and all list harpoons (Harpunen) — and in Salzburg also fish spears (Fischstecher) — as prohibited fishing devices, plus spearing/stabbing (Stechen) as a prohibited method; Vienna additionally bans fishing while swimming or diving (Tauchen). Upper Austria's official portal likewise lists Stechen among prohibited methods. The remaining states (Burgenland, Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg) were not individually fetched, but the pattern of harpoon/diving prohibition is consistent across Austrian fishing law and reflects the shared 'Weidgerechtigkeit' (fair-chase) principle; spearfishing should be treated as prohibited nationwide. Seasons, zones and catch limits are left empty because they pertain to permitted angling and are not relevant to the prohibited spearfishing method. Cost/validity left as unknown rather than guessed, as they vary per state and were not retrieved verbatim.
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