Guernsey
Europe · Northern Europe
Guernsey (Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency) has no licensing scheme or explicit prohibition for recreational spearfishing; sea-fisheries licensing applies to commercial fishing vessels only. Recreational spearfishing/freediving for fish is therefore generally permitted, but it is heavily constrained by species rules under the Fishing Ordinance, 1997 and its subordinate orders: minimum landing sizes apply to all prescribed species, the prized ormer (Haliotis tuberculata, a wild abalone) must NOT be taken by diving or while wearing a wetsuit/snorkel/breathing apparatus and may only be gathered by hand on foot during a few permitted 'ormering tides' (Jan-Apr) and never between sunset and sunrise, and certain restricted/controlled inshore waters limit some gear and methods. Scuba (aqualung) spearfishing is in practice not accepted, consistent with surrounding UK/EU practice that spearfishing be done only while freediving/snorkelling. Confidence is medium: minimum-size, ormer and seasonal rules are sourced from official/legislative texts, but no Guernsey statute expressly names 'spearfishing/speargun', so the top-level legality is inferred from the absence of any prohibition and from the species/method rules that do exist.
Sist oppdatert Desember 1, 2024
Styrende rammeverk
- §The Fishing Ordinance, 1997 (Ordinance No. XXV of 1997)
- §The Fishing (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022 (P.2022/97; in force 25 November 2022)
- §The Fishing (Minimum Size and Prescribed Species) Order, 1997 (in force 1 November 1997)
- §The Restricted Fishing Areas Order, 1997 (in force 1 November 1997)
- §The Fishing (Prohibition of Importation of Ormers) Order, 1999
- §The Fishing (Licensing and Protection of Fisheries) Ordinance, 1987
- §The Sea Fish Licensing (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2012 (commercial vessel licensing)
- Lisens påkrevd
- Ikke påkrevd
- Spydgevær
- Tillatt
- Scuba
- Forbudt
- Utlendinger
- Velkommen
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.
Prohibition on taking ormers between sunset and sunrise
The Fishing (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022 (P.2022/97), amending the Fishing Ordinance, 1997
3. In section 3, immediately after subsection (3) insert the following subsection - "(3A) Notwithstanding anything in this section, a person shall not take ormers at any time between the hours of sunset and sunrise.".
Explanatory memorandum on ormer shore-gathering restrictions
The Fishing (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022 (P.2022/97) - Explanatory Memorandum
Section 3 amends the Fishing Ordinance to provide that the taking of ormers at any time between the hours of sunset and sunrise is prohibited. This was the position in legislation prior to the enactment of the Fishing Ordinance. The policy letter that led to the enactment of the Fishing Ordinance proposed that no changes should be made to the restrictions concerning the shoregathering of ormers. This amendment therefore corrects an oversight and gives effect to the States resolution of 30th October 1996.
Power to regulate taking, buying and selling of prescribed species
The Fishing (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022 (P.2022/97), amending the Fishing Ordinance, 1997
2. In section 1, immediately after subsection (3) insert the following subsection - "(4) The Committee may by order regulate the import, export, taking, buying and selling of any fish which is of a prescribed species.".
Minimum sizes of prescribed species (molluscs, crustaceans, fish)
The Fishing (Minimum Size and Prescribed Species) Order, 1997
SCHEDULE 1 - MINIMUM SIZES OF PRESCRIBED SPECIES. PART II - OTHER SPECIES. Crustaceans: Edible crab (Cancer pagurus) 140; Spider crab (Maia squinado) 120; European lobster (Homarus gammarus) 85; Crawfish (Palinurus elephas) 230; Lady crab (Macropipus puber) 50. Molluscs: Wild ormer (Haliotis tuberculata) 80; Cultivated ormer (Haliotis tuberculata) 60; Scallop (Pecten maximus) 100. Vertebrates: Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) 200; Herring (Clupea harengus) 200; Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) 150; Skate/Ray (Raja spp., Dasyatis pastinacea, Myliobatis aquila, Torpedo marmorata) 300. [Sizes in millimetres; method of measurement codes defined in Schedule 2. Part I adopts the minimum sizes in Annex II (Region 2) of EC Council Regulation 894/97 for species including bass, black sea bream, brill, cod, conger eel, dab, flounder, grey mullet, haddock, hake, lemon sole, megrim, plaice, pollack, red mullet, red sea bream, saithe, shad, sole, turbot, whiting and witch flounder.]
Restriction on export of ormers and sandeels
The Fishing (Minimum Size and Prescribed Species) Order, 1997
2. (1) Subject to subsection (2), for the purposes of section 2(2) of the 1997 Ordinance, the Committee shall not grant an export licence in respect of - (a) ormers (Haliotis tuberculata), other than cultivated ormers; or (b) sandeels (Ammodytidae: Linnaeus 1758) taken from within territorial waters or the foreshore.
Restriction on trawling and dredging in controlled waters; crawfish net ban
The Restricted Fishing Areas Order, 1997
1. (1) A person shall not use or cause or permit any other person to use a boat within any part of the controlled waters - (a) during the period commencing on the 1st April in each year and ending on the 30th day of September next following, both dates inclusive, for the purpose of fishing by any method of trawling whatsoever; or (b) at any time for the purpose of fishing by any means of dredging whatsoever. (2) A person shall not use or cause or permit any other person to use a boat carrying a beam trawl or more than one beam trawls, the length or aggregate length of which, as the case may be, is greater than eight metres, within territorial waters for the purpose of fishing for any species of fish. 2. (1) A person shall not use or cause or permit any other person to use in territorial waters any net for the purpose of fishing for crawfish. (2) Any crawfish caught in contravention of subsection (1) shall be returned to the sea forthwith.
Prohibition on importation of ormers
The Fishing (Prohibition of Importation of Ormers) Order, 1999 (1999 No. 33)
1. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), no person shall import - (a) any ormers of the species Haliotis tuberculata (commonly known as ormers), whether dead or alive; or (b) any eggs or larvae of such ormers. (2) This section does not apply to preserved ormers.
Når du kan dykke
Sesonger og tidsbegrensninger
Lukkede, åpne og begrensede perioder gjennom året. Bekreft alltid artsspesifikke lukkinger lokalt.
- ÅpenOrmer (Haliotis tuberculata) - shore gatheringJan 1 – Apr 30
Ormers may only be gathered between 1 January and 30 April, and only on permitted 'ormering tides' - the day of each new moon and each full moon and the two days following. Gathering is by hand on foot at low tide only; diving for ormers and use of a wetsuit, snorkel/goggles or any breathing apparatus is not permitted. Taking ormers between sunset and sunrise is prohibited (Fishing (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022).
- LukketOrmer (Haliotis tuberculata)Mai 1 – Des 31
Outside 1 January - 30 April, and on any day that is not a permitted ormering tide, the taking of ormers is not allowed.
- LukketControlled waters around Guernsey (trawling)Apr 1 – Sep 30
Trawling by any method is prohibited within the defined controlled waters from 1 April to 30 September inclusive each year. Dredging within controlled waters is prohibited at all times. (Not specific to spearfishing but defines a restricted inshore zone.)
Tillatelse til å fiske
Lisens
Hva du trenger for å ha lov til å dykke, hva det koster, og hvordan du skaffer det.
- Type
- No recreational licence
- Kostnad
- n/a
- Gyldighet
- n/a
- Hvordan du får det
- No licence is required for recreational sea fishing, shore gathering or spearfishing in Guernsey. The Bailiwick of Guernsey licensing scheme administered by Sea Fisheries applies to commercial fishing vessels only.
- Myndighet
- States of Guernsey - Sea Fisheries (Committee for Economic Development)
Utstyr og teknikk
Utstyrsregler
Hvilket utstyr som er tillatt, hvordan det kan brukes, og hvilke betingelser som gjelder.
Begrensninger
- No Guernsey statute expressly names spearguns; recreational spearfishing is treated as permitted while freediving/snorkelling, consistent with surrounding UK/EU practice that spearfishing be done without underwater breathing apparatus.
- Diving for ormers is not permitted; ormers must be gathered by hand on foot at low tide and not while wearing a wetsuit, snorkel/goggles or breathing apparatus.
- Use of any net to fish for crawfish in territorial waters is prohibited.
- All minimum landing sizes under the Fishing (Minimum Size and Prescribed Species) Order, 1997 apply to anything taken, including by spear.
scuba_allowed is marked false on the basis that scuba (aqualung) spearfishing is not an accepted method and ormer-taking by diving is expressly prohibited; no Guernsey provision was found that explicitly permits scuba spearfishing. Treat speargun_allowed=true as an inference (no prohibition found), not as an express statutory authorisation.
Hva du kan ta
Fangstbegrensninger og vernede arter
Daglige kvoter, minimumsstørrelser og arter som aldri må tas.
Daglig grense
No general recreational daily bag limit found in Guernsey legislation for fish taken by spear; species-specific UK/EU recreational limits (e.g. sea bass) may apply to anglers but were not confirmed as Guernsey statute.
Minimumsstørrelser
- European lobster (Homarus gammarus)min 8.5 cm
- Edible crab (Cancer pagurus)min 14 cm
- Spider crab (Maia squinado)min 12 cm
- Crawfish (Palinurus elephas)min 23 cm
- Lady crab (Macropipus puber)min 5 cm
- Wild ormer (Haliotis tuberculata)min 8 cm
- Cultivated ormer (Haliotis tuberculata)min 6 cm
- Scallop (Pecten maximus)min 10 cm
- Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)min 20 cm
- Herring (Clupea harengus)min 20 cm
- Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus)min 15 cm
- Skate/Ray (Raja spp. and others)min 30 cm
Vernede arter — skal ikke tas
- VernetWild ormer (Haliotis tuberculata) - taking restricted to permitted ormering tides Jan-Apr, by hand on foot only, no diving, min size 80mm, export and import prohibited
Minimum sizes are taken from Schedule 1 Part II of the Fishing (Minimum Size and Prescribed Species) Order, 1997, where values are stated in millimetres (converted to cm here). Part I additionally adopts the EC Council Regulation 894/97 (Region 2) minimum sizes for finfish such as bass, bream, cod, mullet, pollack, plaice, sole and turbot; those numeric values were not legible in the retrieved table and are not reproduced here to avoid fabrication.
Hvem kan fiske
Besøkende og innbyggere
Hvordan reglene er forskjellige for utenlandske besøkende og lokale innbyggere.
Utenlandske besøkende
TillattBegrensninger
- Visitors are subject to the same rules as residents: minimum landing sizes, ormer gathering restrictions and method/zone rules apply equally.
- Ormers gathered may not be exported (only cultivated ormers may be exported under licence), and importation of ormers is prohibited.
No licence or residency requirement applies to recreational sea fishing or spearfishing for visitors; the same species and method rules apply to everyone.
Innbyggere
None (no recreational licence scheme)
Ormering is a traditional Guernsey shore-gathering activity open to the public during permitted tides; no permit is issued. Same minimum-size and method rules apply to residents and visitors alike.
Hvor langs kysten
Tillatte og forbudte soner
Navngitte områder som er åpne eller lukkede for spearfishing. Se hele bildet på det interaktive kartet.
Forbudte områder
- Controlled waters - North Guernsey (Fort Le Marchant to Fort Pembroke / Chouet to Rousse)restricted fishing area
Inshore controlled waters bounded by the foreshore of Guernsey and lines drawn from the most northern point of Fort Le Marchant to the most northern point of Fort Pembroke (Vale), and from No. 10 Martello Tower at Chouet to No. 11 Martello Tower at Rousse (Vale). Trawling prohibited 1 Apr - 30 Sep; dredging prohibited at all times.
- Controlled waters - West Guernsey (Grande Rocque / Fort Hommet / Fort le Crocq / Fort Saumarez / Pezeries)restricted fishing area
Inshore controlled waters bounded by the foreshore and lines drawn between the most western points of Grande Rocque (Castel), Fort Hommet (Castel), Fort le Crocq headland (Saint Saviour), Fort Saumarez (Saint Pierre du Bois) and Pezeries Point (Torteval). Trawling prohibited 1 Apr - 30 Sep; dredging prohibited at all times.
- Controlled waters - South/East Guernsey (Pointe de la Moye / Icart / Jerbourg / Bec du Nez / Fermain / Les Terres Point)restricted fishing area
Inshore controlled waters bounded by the foreshore and lines drawn between the most southern points of Pointe de la Moye (Forest), Icart Point and Jerbourg Point (Saint Martin), and the most eastern points of Bec du Nez (Saint Martin), Fermain Point and Les Terres Point (Saint Peter Port). Trawling prohibited 1 Apr - 30 Sep; dredging prohibited at all times.
Defined harbour area of St Peter Port (extending west of a line drawn between the eastern extremity of the Castle Breakwater and the south-eastern extremity of the White Rock Pier, including the QEII Marina). Swimming and diving within Guernsey Harbours is prohibited without the express permission of the Harbourmaster; only authorised commercial divers may dive within the harbour, so recreational spearfishing/freediving is not permitted here.
Defined harbour area of St Sampson (extending west of a line running from the northern extremity of Longue Hougue Basin to the south-eastern extremity of the North Pier, including the basin). Swimming and diving within Guernsey Harbours is prohibited without the express permission of the Harbourmaster; only authorised commercial divers may dive within the harbour, so recreational spearfishing/freediving is not permitted here.
Betingelser på vannet
Sanntidsbetingelser
Sanntids marin- og væroversikt nær et kystnært referansepunkt i Guernsey, fra Open-Meteo. Betingelsene varierer langs kysten — behandle dette som veiledende.
Live marin- og værdata nær Controlled waters - North Guernsey (Fort Le Marchant to Fort Pembroke / Chouet to Rousse).
Hvem du skal spørre
Myndigheter
De offisielle organene ansvarlige for fiskeri og lisensiering.
Sea Fisheries (States of Guernsey, Committee for Economic Development)
fisheries authority
gov.ggTel: +44 (0)1481 221161Guernsey Harbours
maritime authority
Hvor dette kommer fra
Kilder
Hvert påstand på denne siden kan spores tilbake til en av disse referansene.
- [01]
The Fishing (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022 (P.2022/97) - States of Guernsey
Offisiellgov.ggÅpnet Jun 15 - [02]
The Fishing (Minimum Size and Prescribed Species) Order, 1997 - FAOLEX (FAO)
Offisiellfaolex.fao.orgÅpnet Jun 15 - [03]
The Restricted Fishing Areas Order, 1997 - FAOLEX (FAO)
Offisiellfaolex.fao.orgÅpnet Jun 15 - [04]
The Fishing (Restrictions on the Use of Trot Line and Set Net) Order, 1997 - FAOLEX (FAO)
Offisiellfaolex.fao.orgÅpnet Jun 15 - [05]
The Fishing (Prohibition of Importation of Ormers) Order, 1999 - FAOLEX (FAO)
Offisiellfaolex.fao.orgÅpnet Jun 15 - [06]
Fishing and Aquaculture - States of Guernsey
Offisiellgov.ggÅpnet Jun 15 - [07]
Sea Fish Licensing (Guernsey) Ordinance, 2003 - Guernsey Legal Resources
Offisiellguernseylegalresources.ggÅpnet Jun 15 - [08]
Ormering: Your guide to the 2024 season - Bailiwick Express
Sekundærbailiwickexpress.comÅpnet Jun 15 - [09]
Ormering reminder as tides are right for picking - Bailiwick Express
Sekundærbailiwickexpress.comÅpnet Jun 15
Forskernotater
Guernsey is the main island of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency with its own fisheries legislation (separate from the UK and from Jersey). No Guernsey law expressly mentions 'spearfishing' or 'speargun', and there is no recreational fishing licence; the Bailiwick licensing scheme (Sea Fish Licensing Law 2012 / Sea Fish Licensing Ordinance 2003) covers commercial vessels only. Recreational spearfishing while freediving/snorkelling is therefore treated as permitted, subject to the species and method rules captured here. The single most important constraint for divers/spearos is the ormer regime: ormers (wild abalone) may NOT be taken by diving or while wearing a wetsuit/snorkel/breathing apparatus, only by hand on foot at low water on permitted 'ormering tides' between 1 January and 30 April, never between sunset and sunrise, minimum 80mm. Minimum landing sizes apply to all prescribed species (Schedule 1 of the 1997 Order). The EC Council Regulation 894/97 finfish minimum sizes referenced in Part I of that Order were not legible in the retrieved PDF and are intentionally omitted rather than guessed. Coordinates given for the three restricted/controlled-water zones are approximate centroids for the parish-line boundaries described verbatim in the Restricted Fishing Areas Order, 1997, not surveyed coordinates from the legal text (which describes boundaries by named forts/towers/points). Data confidence: medium - ormer, minimum-size and zone rules are well sourced from legislation; the top-level spearfishing legality and the speargun/scuba positions are reasoned inferences from the absence of any prohibition, so should be confirmed with Sea Fisheries before relying on them operationally.
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