Canada
Americas · Northern America
Spearfishing is legal in Canada but heavily restricted and governed by a layered system of federal regulations made under the Fisheries Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-14). Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) manages tidal (saltwater) recreational fishing nationwide and most freshwater fisheries via province-specific federal regulations, while several provinces co-manage freshwater rules. Rules vary sharply by region and species. In tidal waters of the Pacific (BC) region, spears may NOT be used for salmon, trout, char, sturgeon, octopus or shellfish other than shrimp, and all fishing is prohibited inside Rockfish Conservation Areas (additional area closures may apply in some Marine Protected Areas). In the Maritimes (NB/NS/PEI), spearing is permitted in tidal waters only for eels, smelt and tomcod (NOT Atlantic cod), and is prohibited for all species in inland waters. In Ontario, spear guns are prohibited outright; only certain species may be taken with a hand spear under the Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007. In Quebec, spearfishing while snorkelling or diving is permitted in most zones but banned for Atlantic salmon, striped bass, landlocked salmon, muskellunge, lake trout, sturgeon and walleye, and forbidden in several zones and salmon rivers. A valid recreational fishing licence (federal tidal or provincial freshwater) is generally required.
Sist oppdatert Juni 16, 2026
Styrende rammeverk
- §Fisheries Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-14)
- §Fishery (General) Regulations (SOR/93-53)
- §Pacific Fishery Regulations, 1993 (SOR/93-54)
- §Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (SOR/93-55)
- §Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 (SOR/2007-237)
- §Newfoundland and Labrador Fishery Regulations (SOR/78-443)
- Lisens påkrevd
- Påkrevd
- Scuba
- Tillatt
- Utlendinger
- Velkommen
- Maks spyd
- 1
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.
Spear gun prohibited; spear possession restricted (Ontario)
Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 (SOR/2007-237)
9(1) No person shall fish with ... a spear gun. 10(1) No person shall possess a snagger, spear gun or spring gaff in any waters or within 30 m of any water's edge. 10(2) Except when spear fishing in accordance with these Regulations, no person shall possess a spear for the purpose of fishing in any waters or within 30 m of any water's edge. 14 No person shall sport fish other than by angling or by means of a spear, dip net, baitfish trap, seine net, or bow and arrow.
Possession of a spear within 15 m of inland waters prohibited (Maritimes)
Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (SOR/93-55)
23 (1) No person shall possess in inland waters or within 15 m of inland waters a jigging device or spear.
Eels may be taken by spear; smelt and tomcod may be taken by spear (Maritimes)
Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (SOR/93-55)
36 No person shall fish for eels except by angling or with an eel pot, eel trap, dip net, longline, set line or spear. 83 No person shall fish for smelt except by angling or with a bag net, box net, dip net, gill net or spear. 99 No person shall fish for tomcod except by angling or with a bag net, box net, dip net, gill net or spear.
Daily catch limits for smelt and eel (Maritimes)
Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (SOR/93-55)
87 No person engaged in recreational fishing for smelt with a dip net, by angling, or with a spear shall catch and retain more than 60 smelt in any day. 38 No person engaged in recreational fishing for eels by any method in the waters set out in column I of the table to this section shall catch and retain, in any day, more eels than the fishing quota set out in column II.
DFO guidance: spearing permitted only for eels, smelt and tomcod in tidal waters; prohibited in inland waters (Maritimes)
DFO Maritimes Region Recreational Fisheries guidance (derived from Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations, SOR/93-55)
Spearing is permitted in tidal waters for the following species only, subject to seasons, daily bag and possession limits and minimum size limits: Eels, Smelt, Tomcod (not Atlantic Cod). Spearing for any species is not permitted in inland waters.
DFO guidance: smelt and eel spearing seasons, daily limits and eel minimum size (Maritimes)
DFO Maritimes Region - Tidal and freshwater (Diadromous) recreational fishery guidance (not statute text)
Smelt Spears: Open all year (tidal waters); Closed all year (inland waters). The daily smelt bag and possession limit for angling and spearing is 60. Eels: Fishing with spears is open from November 16 - August 31 and closed from September 1 - November 15 in tidal waters in New Brunswick. Fishing with spears is open year-round in tidal waters in Nova Scotia, but closed year-round in all inland waters in the Maritimes Region. The daily eel bag and possession limit is 10. The minimum eel size that may be retained is 35cm.
DFO guidance: spears prohibited for most finfish and shellfish (Pacific / British Columbia)
DFO Pacific Region - Unlawful/illegal fishing guidance (made under the Fisheries Act and Pacific Fishery Regulations, 1993, SOR/93-54)
You must fish only in allowed areas. It is illegal to: ... use spears to fish for salmon, trout, char, sturgeon, octopus or shellfish other than shrimp; ... fish in a Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA).
Quebec guidance: spearfishing permitted by snorkel/dive; prohibited species and zones (Quebec)
Gouvernement du Quebec - Sport fishing: Other types of fishing (official guidance page, not statute text)
This type of fishing is permitted in most fishing zones. You may spearfish while snorkelling or diving (with or without diving apparatus). The use of a spear or a harpoon is allowed to fish for American eel (without swimming) in the waters of iles de la Madeleine all year long. Spearfishing is banned for atlantic salmon, striped bass, landlocked salmon, muskellunge, lake trout, sturgeon, and walleye (except in waters without length limits). These methods are forbidden in zones 17 and 22-24, fly-fishing-only waters, salmon rivers, and within 500 metres downstream from salmon river mouths in specific zones.
Når du kan dykke
Sesonger og tidsbegrensninger
Lukkede, åpne og begrensede perioder gjennom året. Bekreft alltid artsspesifikke lukkinger lokalt.
- ÅpenSmelt (spearing) - tidal waters, New Brunswick & Nova ScotiaJan 1 – Des 31
Spearing for smelt is open all year in tidal waters; closed all year in inland waters.
- ÅpenEel (spearing) - tidal waters, New BrunswickNov 16 – Aug 31
Spearing for eels is open Nov 16 - Aug 31 and closed Sep 1 - Nov 15 in tidal waters in New Brunswick. Closed year-round in all inland waters.
- LukketEel (spearing) - inland waters, MaritimesJan 1 – Des 31
Spearing for eels is closed year-round in all inland waters in the Maritimes region.
- ÅpenAmerican eel (spear/harpoon) - iles de la Madeleine, QuebecJan 1 – Des 31
Use of a spear or harpoon to fish for American eel (without swimming) is allowed all year long in the waters of iles de la Madeleine.
Tillatelse til å fiske
Lisens
Hva du trenger for å ha lov til å dykke, hva det koster, og hvordan du skaffer det.
Tidal licences via DFO National Recreational Licensing System or authorized access providers; freshwater licences via the relevant provincial agency.
Skaff lisensen dinÅpner den offisielle portalen · pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
- Type
- Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence (federal/DFO) for saltwater; provincial Freshwater/Non-Tidal fishing licence for inland waters
- Kostnad
- BC adult annual tidal licence approx. CAD $25.86 for Canadian residents and CAD $124.41 for non-residents (before GST); freshwater licence fees set provincially.
- Gyldighet
- Annual (and shorter-term options available); must be in possession while fishing or transporting catch.
- Hvordan du får det
- Tidal licences via DFO National Recreational Licensing System or authorized access providers; freshwater licences via the relevant provincial agency.
- Myndighet
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (tidal); provincial fish/wildlife agencies (freshwater)
Utstyr og teknikk
Utstyrsregler
Hvilket utstyr som er tillatt, hvordan det kan brukes, og hvilke betingelser som gjelder.
Begrensninger
- Ontario: spear guns are prohibited entirely (Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 s.9(1)(e)); only a hand spear may be used and only in accordance with the regulations.
- Ontario: no person shall possess a spear for fishing in any waters or within 30 m of any water's edge except when spear fishing in accordance with the regulations (s.10(2)).
- British Columbia: spears may not be used for salmon, trout, char, sturgeon, octopus or shellfish other than shrimp.
- Maritimes: no person shall possess a jigging device or spear in inland waters or within 15 m of inland waters (Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations, SOR/93-55, s.23(1)); spearing of any species is not allowed in inland waters.
- Quebec: spearfishing permitted while snorkelling or diving (with or without diving apparatus) in most zones.
- Equipment and method rules differ by province and management area; verify the local DFO/provincial guide before fishing.
Rules on spears and spear guns are province/region specific. Spear guns are explicitly prohibited in Ontario; the Pacific and Maritimes regions allow hand spearing only for limited species. The number of spears permitted in Ontario is 1 per licence holder for eligible species.
Hva du kan ta
Fangstbegrensninger og vernede arter
Daglige kvoter, minimumsstørrelser og arter som aldri må tas.
Daglig grense
Region/species specific. Maritimes (statute, SOR/93-55): smelt daily limit 60 when taken with a dip net, by angling, or with a spear (s.87); eel daily quota 10 per day (s.38). BC: lingcod/rockfish limits are area-specific and set in the annual DFO tidal guide; figures below are representative, not a single fixed cited limit. Verify the current area limits before fishing.
Minimumsstørrelser
- Eel (Maritimes, per DFO guidance)min 35 cm
- Lingcod (BC, representative; verify current area limit)min 65 cm
Vernede arter — skal ikke tas
- VernetAtlantic salmon (no spearing; Quebec ban, BC spear prohibition for salmon)
- VernetTrout (BC - no spearing)
- VernetChar (BC - no spearing)
- VernetSturgeon (BC and Quebec - no spearing)
- VernetOctopus (BC - no spearing)
- VernetStriped bass (Quebec - no spearing)
- VernetLandlocked salmon (Quebec - no spearing)
- VernetMuskellunge (Quebec - no spearing)
- VernetLake trout (Quebec - no spearing)
- VernetWalleye (Quebec - no spearing except waters without length limits)
- VernetAtlantic cod (Maritimes - tomcod spearing allowed but NOT Atlantic cod)
Catch and size limits are set per province/management area and per species. The Maritimes smelt (60) and eel (10) daily limits are taken verbatim from the Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (SOR/93-55, ss.87 and 38). The eel 35 cm minimum size comes from DFO Maritimes guidance, not the regulation text (the regulation tables list other minimum lengths by water; verify the applicable area). BC lingcod/rockfish figures are representative of the annual tidal guide and are not a single fixed cited limit. Always consult the current DFO tidal guide or provincial freshwater regulations for the specific area before fishing.
Hvem kan fiske
Besøkende og innbyggere
Hvordan reglene er forskjellige for utenlandske besøkende og lokale innbyggere.
Utenlandske besøkende
TillattKrav
- Obtain the appropriate licence: a federal Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence for saltwater and/or the relevant provincial freshwater licence.
- Non-residents pay higher licence fees (e.g. BC tidal non-resident approx. CAD $124.41 before GST).
Begrensninger
- Subject to the same species, gear, zone and season restrictions as residents.
- Spear gun prohibitions (Ontario) and species spearing bans (BC, Quebec, Maritimes) apply equally to non-residents.
Foreign visitors may spearfish where it is legal provided they hold the correct recreational fishing licence; non-resident licence fees are higher than for Canadian residents.
Innbyggere
Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence (federal) and/or provincial Freshwater/Non-Tidal Fishing Licence
Krav
- Hold a valid recreational fishing licence appropriate to the water (tidal vs freshwater) and carry it while fishing or transporting catch.
- Comply with province/region specific spearing rules, species lists, seasons and limits.
Fordeler
- Lower licence fees than non-residents (e.g. BC tidal adult annual approx. CAD $25.86 vs $124.41 for non-residents).
- Some provinces allow residents to fish certain species without a licence (e.g. trout in Newfoundland and Labrador for residents).
Indigenous peoples may have distinct food, social and ceremonial fishing rights not covered here. Licence requirements and exemptions vary by province.
Hvor langs kysten
Tillatte og forbudte soner
Navngitte områder som er åpne eller lukkede for spearfishing. Se hele bildet på det interaktive kartet.
Tillatte områder
Spearfishing by freediving or scuba is permitted in BC tidal waters for permitted species such as lingcod and rockfish (subject to area limits and size restrictions), but NOT for salmon, trout, char, sturgeon, octopus or shellfish other than shrimp. A federal Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence is required.
No spearing of salmon, trout, char, sturgeon, octopus or non-shrimp shellfish; prohibited inside Rockfish Conservation Areas and many MPAs.
Spearing permitted in tidal waters only for eels, smelt and tomcod (not Atlantic cod), subject to seasons and bag/size limits.
Only eels, smelt, tomcod; subject to seasons, daily bag/possession limits and minimum sizes; no spearing in inland waters.
Spearfishing while snorkelling or diving is permitted in most Quebec fishing zones, excluding banned species and excluded zones.
Banned for Atlantic salmon, striped bass, landlocked salmon, muskellunge, lake trout, sturgeon and walleye; forbidden in zones 17 and 22-24, fly-fishing-only waters and salmon rivers.
Forbudte områder
- Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs), British Columbiamarine conservation area
It is illegal to fish in a Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA); the DFO Pacific Region guidance lists fishing in an RCA among prohibited activities, which includes spearfishing for finfish.
- Maritimes inland watersinland waters
Spearing for any species is not permitted in inland waters of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
- Quebec zones 17 and 22-24, salmon rivers and fly-fishing-only watersrestricted fishing zones / salmon rivers
Spearfishing methods are forbidden in zones 17 and 22-24, fly-fishing-only waters, salmon rivers, and within 500 metres downstream from salmon river mouths in specific zones.
- Eastport Marine Protected Area – Duck Islandsmarine reserve (no-take MPA)
No-take Oceans Act MPA around the Duck Islands in Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland. Federal regulations (SOR/2005-294 s.4(1)) prohibit disturbing, damaging, destroying or removing any living marine organism or its habitat, which prohibits spearfishing. Only Aboriginal fishing and public-safety/defence operations are excepted.
- Eastport Marine Protected Area – Round Islandmarine reserve (no-take MPA)
No-take Oceans Act MPA extending 198.12 m (650 ft) from Round Island's low-water line, Eastport Peninsula, Newfoundland. SOR/2005-294 s.4(1) prohibits removing any living marine organism, prohibiting spearfishing. Closed to lobster fishing since 1997, designated MPA in 2005.
- Gilbert Bay Marine Protected Areamarine protected area
Oceans Act MPA on the southeast coast of Labrador protecting a genetically distinct ('golden') Atlantic cod population. Regulations (SOR/2005-295) prohibit disturbing/removing living marine organisms in the most protected zone, and recreational groundfish fishing is not permitted; spearfishing for cod is prohibited.
- Basin Head Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (lagoon)
Oceans Act MPA — a shallow coastal lagoon near Souris, eastern Prince Edward Island, protecting a unique giant strain of Irish moss. SOR/2005-293 prohibits activities that disturb, damage, destroy or remove living marine organisms or their habitat, prohibiting spearfishing.
- Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (estuary)
Oceans Act MPA in the Bay of Fundy, ~20 km southwest of Saint John, New Brunswick. Regulations (SOR/2006-354) prohibit disturbing, damaging, destroying or removing living marine organisms or their habitat in the protected zone, prohibiting spearfishing.
- Porteau Cove no-take areano-take marine area / rockfish conservation closure
Porteau Cove Provincial Park on the eastern shore of Howe Sound, BC — a popular dive site within the network of Howe Sound no-fishing protections (rockfish conservation areas and glass-sponge closures). Fishing, shellfish harvesting and removal of marine life are not allowed, prohibiting spearfishing.
- SGaan Kinghlas–Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Areamarine protected area (seamount)
Offshore Oceans Act MPA ~180 km west of Haida Gwaii (Pacific), centred on the Bowie Seamount. Designated to conserve the seamount ecosystem with no-take protections in its core; bottom-contact fishing is prohibited. Deep offshore — not a practical spearfishing site but a legally protected no-take area.
Betingelser på vannet
Sanntidsbetingelser
Sanntids marin- og væroversikt nær et kystnært referansepunkt i Canada, fra Open-Meteo. Betingelsene varierer langs kysten — behandle dette som veiledende.
Live marin- og værdata nær Eastport Marine Protected Area – Duck Islands.
Hvem du skal spørre
Myndigheter
De offisielle organene ansvarlige for fiskeri og lisensiering.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) / Peches et Oceans Canada
federal fisheries authority
dfo-mpo.gc.cahttps://www.dfo-mpo.gc.caFisheries and Oceans Canada - Pacific Region (recreational fishing, BC tidal)
regional fisheries authority
pac.dfo-mpo.gc.cahttps://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.caGovernment of Quebec - Ministere responsable de la faune (sport fishing)
provincial fisheries/wildlife authority
quebec.cahttps://www.quebec.caGovernment of Ontario - Ontario Fishing Regulations
provincial fisheries authority
ontario.cahttps://www.ontario.caProvince of British Columbia - Recreational fishing
provincial fisheries authority (freshwater)
www2.gov.bc.cahttps://www2.gov.bc.ca
Hvor dette kommer fra
Kilder
Hvert påstand på denne siden kan spores tilbake til en av disse referansene.
- [01]
Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 (SOR/2007-237) - Justice Laws Website
Offisielllaws-lois.justice.gc.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [02]
DFO Maritimes Region Recreational Fisheries - Spearing rules
Offisielldfo-mpo.gc.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [03]
DFO Maritimes Region - Tidal and freshwater (Diadromous) species seasons and limits
Offisielldfo-mpo.gc.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [04]
DFO Pacific Region - Unlawful fishing (spear prohibitions)
Offisiellpac.dfo-mpo.gc.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [05]
Gouvernement du Quebec - Other types of fishing (spearfishing)
Offisiellquebec.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [06]
Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (SOR/93-55) - Justice Laws Website
Offisielllaws-lois.justice.gc.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [07]
Pacific Fishery Regulations, 1993 (SOR/93-54) - Justice Laws Website
Offisielllaws-lois.justice.gc.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [08]
Fisheries Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-14) - Justice Laws Website
Offisielllaws.justice.gc.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [09]
DFO Pacific Region - Learn about and apply for a recreational fishing licence
Offisiellpac.dfo-mpo.gc.caÅpnet Jun 14 - [10]
Province of British Columbia - Recreational fishing (sport fishing) jurisdiction
Offisiellwww2.gov.bc.caÅpnet Jun 14
Forskernotater
Canada is a federation: recreational fishing is constitutionally a federal matter under the Fisheries Act, administered by DFO, but freshwater management is delegated to or co-managed with provinces, so spearfishing rules differ substantially between provinces/regions. Verbatim statute text was retrieved from the federal Justice Laws Website: Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 (SOR/2007-237, ss.9(1)(e), 10(1), 10(2), 14, incl. the 30 m rule) and Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (SOR/93-55, s.23(1) 15 m spear-possession rule, ss.36/83/99 spear-as-permitted-gear for eel/smelt/tomcod, ss.87/38 daily limits). The 15 m Maritimes spear-possession figure is sourced to SOR/93-55 s.23(1). Entries explicitly labelled 'DFO guidance' or 'Quebec guidance' in law_texts are exact excerpts of official government guidance pages, not statute, and are marked as such; the BC spear-species prohibition is set out via DFO Pacific Region 'illegal fishing' guidance (the Pacific Fishery Regulations, 1993 page fetched did not contain that operative wording). The eel 35 cm minimum size comes from DFO guidance, not the regulation. 'max_spears' = 1 reflects the Ontario hand-spear rule; spear guns are prohibited in Ontario. Indigenous food/social/ceremonial fishing rights are out of scope. Data confidence is medium: all sources are official and the core statute is verbatim, but several operative species/season/limit details rest on DFO guidance pages rather than quoted statute, and BC catch limits are area-specific and not fixed-cited. Users MUST consult the current local DFO tidal guide and the applicable provincial freshwater regulations for the specific management area and year before spearfishing, as species lists, seasons and limits change annually.
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