Mexico
Americas · Central America
Recreational spearfishing (pesca deportivo-recreativa subacuatica) is legal in Mexican federal waters but tightly regulated. A federal sport-fishing permit issued by CONAPESCA is mandatory for every spearfisher, including foreigners. Underwater fishing is allowed only by free-diving (breath-hold / buceo a pulmon); the use of scuba/compressed air or autonomous diving gear (escafandra autonoma) is not permitted for the activity. Only a single rubber- or spring-powered speargun (arpon de hule o resorte) is allowed per fisher, and hooks (ganchos) and tridents/gigs (fisgas) are prohibited. Spearfishing may target only fish (peces), not crustaceans or mollusks (squid excepted), and is capped at five specimens per fisher per day. The activity is prohibited inside no-take marine protected areas (e.g. Cabo Pulmo National Park, Revillagigedo National Park), in/around closed-season (veda) zones, within 250 m of swimming beaches, and within 250 m of commercial fishing vessels. Sale of the catch is forbidden under the sport permit.
Sist oppdatert Juni 14, 2026
Styrende rammeverk
- §Ley General de Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentables (LGPAS), 2007 (as amended)
- §NOM-017-PESC-1994, Para regular las actividades de pesca deportivo-recreativa en las aguas de jurisdiccion federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (DOF 09/05/1995)
- §Carta Nacional Pesquera (CONAPESCA, species-specific management and vedas)
- Lisens påkrevd
- Påkrevd
- Spydgevær
- Tillatt
- Scuba
- Forbudt
- 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.
Recreational fishing limited to fish species only
NOM-017-PESC-1994
La pesca deportivo recreativa, solo podra practicarse sobre peces.
Underwater (spear) fishing only while breath-hold (free) diving
NOM-017-PESC-1994
La practica de la pesca deportiva subacuatica unicamente se permitira buceando a pulmon.
Single rubber/spring speargun per fisher; hooks and gigs prohibited
NOM-017-PESC-1994
La pesca subacuatica solo podra practicarse con un solo arpon de liga o resorte por pescador deportivo, quedando prohibido el empleo de ganchos y fisgas.
General daily catch limit and per-species composition
NOM-017-PESC-1994
Diez ejemplares diarios por pescador, con la siguiente composicion por especie: No mas de cinco de una misma especie. Cuando se trate de marlin, pez vela, pez espada y tiburon, el limite maximo por pescador y dia sera de un solo ejemplar [...] el limite maximo sera de dos ejemplares de cualquiera de tales especies (dorado, sabalo, pez gallo).
Spearfishing-specific daily catch limit
NOM-017-PESC-1994
La pesca subacuatica tendra como limite maximo de captura cinco ejemplares de cualquier especie de peces marinos o de agua dulce por pescador y dia.
Prohibited zones and situations for fishing (250 m rule)
NOM-017-PESC-1994
Queda prohibido practicar la pesca deportivo-recreativa: En zonas y temporadas de veda; A menos de 250 metros de embarcaciones dedicadas a la pesca comercial; A menos de 250 metros de la orilla de playas frecuentadas por banistas.
Når du kan dykke
Sesonger og tidsbegrensninger
Lukkede, åpne og begrensede perioder gjennom året. Bekreft alltid artsspesifikke lukkinger lokalt.
- LukketMero / Grouper (Epinephelus spp.)Feb 1 – Mar 31
Closed season (veda) for grouper; minimum size around 50 cm. Spearfishing of the species is prohibited during the veda.
- LukketLobster / LangostaMar 1 – Jun 30
Closed season for spiny lobster (commonly cited). Note: lobster is a crustacean and may not be taken by spearfishing at all under NOM-017-PESC-1994 (fish only).
- LukketOctopus / PulpoDes 16 – Jul 31
Closed season for octopus (commonly cited). Octopus is a mollusk and not a permitted spearfishing target under NOM-017-PESC-1994.
- LukketNassau grouper / Cherna criollaJan 1 – Des 31
Indefinite closed season (closed until further notice) reported for Nassau grouper.
Tillatelse til å fiske
Lisens
Hva du trenger for å ha lov til å dykke, hva det koster, og hvordan du skaffer det.
Apply online via the CONAPESCA e5cinco portal (https://e5cinco.conapesca.gob.mx/) or at CONAPESCA offices/subdelegations, or through authorized vendors/charter operators. Required for every individual fisher.
Skaff lisensen dinÅpner den offisielle portalen · gob.mx
- Type
- Permiso de Pesca Deportivo-Recreativa (CONAPESCA-01-016), individual, non-transferable
- Kostnad
- Approx. (MXN): daily $127, weekly $318, monthly $476, annual $635, excursion $904 (rates per CONAPESCA-01-016; adjusted annually)
- Gyldighet
- Daily, weekly, monthly, annual or per-excursion options
- Hvordan du får det
- Apply online via the CONAPESCA e5cinco portal (https://e5cinco.conapesca.gob.mx/) or at CONAPESCA offices/subdelegations, or through authorized vendors/charter operators. Required for every individual fisher.
- Myndighet
- Comision Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (CONAPESCA), Direccion General de Ordenamiento Pesquero y Acuicola
Utstyr og teknikk
Utstyrsregler
Hvilket utstyr som er tillatt, hvordan det kan brukes, og hvilke betingelser som gjelder.
Begrensninger
- Only rubber- or spring-powered spearguns (arpon de hule/liga o resorte) allowed
- Only one speargun per fisher (un solo arpon por pescador deportivo)
- Hooks (ganchos) and gigs/tridents (fisgas) prohibited for underwater fishing
- Underwater fishing only while free-diving / breath-hold (buceando a pulmon); scuba, compressed air and autonomous diving gear not permitted for the activity
- Light/attraction devices not permitted for underwater fishing
Per NOM-017-PESC-1994 clauses 4.5 and 4.6.3. Scuba spearfishing is not authorized; the norm permits underwater sport fishing only by breath-hold diving.
Hva du kan ta
Fangstbegrensninger og vernede arter
Daglige kvoter, minimumsstørrelser og arter som aldri må tas.
Daglig grense
General sport fishing: 10 fish/day per fisher (max 5 of one species). Underwater/spear fishing specifically: max 5 fish/day per fisher. Sub-limits: 1/day for marlin, sailfish, swordfish, shark; 2/day for dorado, tarpon (sabalo), roosterfish (pez gallo). Freshwater: 5/day.
Minimumsstørrelser
- Mero / Grouper (Epinephelus spp.)min 50 cm
Vernede arter — skal ikke tas
- VernetTotoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) - protected, prohibited
- VernetAbalon / Abalone - reserved for commercial cooperatives, not sport/spear
- VernetVaquita-related closures (Upper Gulf of California)
- VernetMarine mammals, sea turtles and corals - protected
Spearfishing may target only fish (peces); crustaceans (e.g. lobster) and mollusks may not be taken by speargun, with squid being the noted exception. Multi-day accumulation is capped at the equivalent of three days of fishing (NOM-017-PESC-1994 clause 4.8). Sale or commercial use of the catch under a sport permit is prohibited. Species-specific limits and vedas are detailed in the Carta Nacional Pesquera and may change.
Hvem kan fiske
Besøkende og innbyggere
Hvordan reglene er forskjellige for utenlandske besøkende og lokale innbyggere.
Utenlandske besøkende
TillattSpesiell lisens påkrevd
Krav
- Obtain an individual CONAPESCA sport-fishing permit (same permit applies to nationals and foreigners)
- Carry the permit while fishing/diving
- Comply with all NOM-017-PESC-1994 rules (free-diving only, one speargun, catch and zone limits)
Begrensninger
- No commercial sale or monetary gain from the catch
- No fishing in protected areas or veda zones
Sport-recreational permits are issued to nationals and foreigners alike; they are individual, non-extendable and non-transferable. Foreign visitors typically obtain the permit online or via charter/dive operators.
Innbyggere
Permiso de Pesca Deportivo-Recreativa (same federal permit as non-residents)
Krav
- Individual CONAPESCA sport-fishing permit
- Compliance with NOM-017-PESC-1994 and applicable vedas
Mexico does not provide a distinct resident spearfishing license category for recreational sport fishing; the same federal permit applies. Coastal fishing-community members may hold separate commercial/cooperative permits, which are outside the recreational scope.
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
Recreational free-diving spearfishing with a rubber/spring speargun is generally permitted in Mexican federal waters with a valid CONAPESCA sport-fishing permit, outside protected areas, veda zones and the 250 m beach/commercial-vessel buffers.
Free-diving only; one speargun; fish only; max 5 fish/day by spearfishing; no scuba/compressed air; keep 250 m from swimming beaches and commercial fishing vessels.
Forbudte områder
- Cabo Pulmo National Parknational park / no-take marine reserve
No-take marine national park in the Gulf of California, Baja California Sur. All fishing and spearfishing prohibited (100% no-take since community-driven expansion).
- Revillagigedo National Parknational park / no-take marine reserve
Largest fully-protected marine reserve in North America (148,087 km2), declared 24 Nov 2017, ~390 km southwest of Baja California Sur. Free from fishing and all extractive activities; spearfishing prohibited.
- Veda (closed-season) zonesseasonal closure zone
Any area and period under a fishing closure (veda) declared by CONAPESCA / Carta Nacional Pesquera. Recreational and spear fishing prohibited there during the veda.
- Within 250 m of swimming beaches and commercial fishing vesselssafety buffer / regulatory exclusion
NOM-017-PESC-1994 clause 4.12 prohibits recreational fishing within 250 m of beaches frequented by bathers and within 250 m of commercial fishing vessels.
- Arrecifes de Cozumel National Parkmarine national park / coral reef MPA
Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, a CONANP marine national park off the west coast of Cozumel island (Quintana Roo), established 19 July 1996. It protects the coral reef system; the management plan regulates and restricts fishing, diving, navigation and anchoring, and recreational fishing/spearfishing is not permitted within the reef park.
- Costa Occidental de Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun y Punta Nizuc National Parkmarine national park / coral reef MPA
Parque Nacional Costa Occidental de Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun y Punta Nizuc, a CONANP marine national park in NE Quintana Roo, comprising three marine polygons off Cancun/Isla Mujeres in the Mesoamerican Reef System. Extractive activities including recreational spearfishing are prohibited.
- Bahia de Loreto National Parkmarine national park / no-take core zones
Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto, a CONANP marine national park in the central Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), Baja California Sur, established 19 July 1996, ~206,581 ha. Fishing of all modalities (including spearfishing) is prohibited in the marine preservation subzones / no-fishing core zones.
- Arrecife de Puerto Morelos National Parkmarine national park / coral reef MPA
Parque Nacional Arrecife de Puerto Morelos, a CONANP marine national park on the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Recreational spearfishing is not permitted in the protected reef; the park is a mixed-use MPA managed for coral-reef conservation with a regulated concessioned-fishing subzone.
- Isla Contoy National Parkmarine national park / island reserve
Parque Nacional Isla Contoy, a CONANP national park ~30 km north of Isla Mujeres (Quintana Roo), established February 1998, covering the island and ~4,900 ha of surrounding sea. Access is tightly controlled (CONANP-authorized tours only, capped visitor numbers) and recreational spearfishing is not permitted in the protected area.
- Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reservebiosphere reserve / atoll reef with fishing refuge
Reserva de la Biosfera Banco Chinchorro, a CONANP atoll-reef biosphere reserve off the SE coast of Quintana Roo near Belize. Recreational spearfishing is not permitted in the reserve's protected/refuge zones; a fishing refuge (zona de refugio pesquero) was established at Banco Chinchorro and Punta Herrero.
Betingelser på vannet
Sanntidsbetingelser
Sanntids marin- og væroversikt nær et kystnært referansepunkt i Mexico, fra Open-Meteo. Betingelsene varierer langs kysten — behandle dette som veiledende.
Live marin- og værdata nær Cabo Pulmo National Park.
Hvem du skal spørre
Myndigheter
De offisielle organene ansvarlige for fiskeri og lisensiering.
Comision Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca (CONAPESCA)
fisheries authority
gob.mxOnline permit portal: https://e5cinco.conapesca.gob.mx/Secretaria de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER)
agriculture and rural development ministry (parent of CONAPESCA)
Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP)
protected natural areas authority
Hvor dette kommer fra
Kilder
Hvert påstand på denne siden kan spores tilbake til en av disse referansene.
- [01]
NOM-017-PESC-1994 (full text) - FONMAR
Offisiellfonmar.gob.mxÅpnet Jun 14 - [02]
CONAPESCA-01-016 Permiso para Pesca Deportivo-Recreativa - gob.mx
Offisiellgob.mxÅpnet Jun 14 - [03]
CONAPESCA - Permiso de Pesca Deportiva
Offisiellconapesca.gob.mxÅpnet Jun 14 - [04]
Ley General de Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentables (LGPAS) - Camara de Diputados
Offisielldiputados.gob.mxÅpnet Jun 14 - [05]
Mexican Fishing Laws - SpearfishingCaribe
Sekundærspearfishingcaribe.comÅpnet Jun 14 - [06]
Cabo Pulmo National Park - Wikipedia
Sekundæren.wikipedia.orgÅpnet Jun 14
Forskernotater
Confidence is high for the federal regulatory framework: NOM-017-PESC-1994 verbatim clauses were retrieved from the official FONMAR reproduction and permit costs/catch limits from the official gob.mx CONAPESCA document. The DOF source page (codigo=5323155) and the live CONAPESCA portal could not be fetched directly (TLS/timeout), so those URLs are cited but verbatim text was taken from the FONMAR and gob.mx mirrors. Note an internal nuance in NOM-017: general sport fishing allows 10 fish/day (clause 4.7), but underwater/spear fishing is specifically capped at 5 fish/day (clause 4.9). Permit fees are indicative and adjusted annually (figures shown reflect the CONAPESCA-01-016 schedule retrieved). Closed-season (veda) dates for grouper/lobster/octopus come from a secondary source and should be re-verified against the current Carta Nacional Pesquera and DOF veda decrees, as they change. Revillagigedo coordinates are approximate (centroid near Socorro Island). Spearfishing is prohibited inside no-take ANPs (Cabo Pulmo, Revillagigedo) and other protected areas managed by CONANP.
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