Armenia
Asia · Western Asia
Armenia is a landlocked country with no sea coast, so there is no marine spearfishing; the only possible context is freshwater (Lake Sevan, reservoirs and rivers). Armenian legislation does not separately name or regulate spearfishing / underwater hunting (подводная охота / ստորջրյա որս). Both the official English and the official Russian (FAOLEX) texts of the Law on Fauna (HO-52, 2000) were verified verbatim: all taking of fish is treated as a 'use of fauna objects' that is chargeable and licensed - either as 'commercial' use (Art. 23-24) or as amateur fishing under 'social-purpose' use (Art. 25). Critically, the Law on Fauna does NOT enumerate any fishing methods or gear and contains no provision permitting or prohibiting spearguns, harpoons, electrofishing or underwater hunting. Lake Sevan, the country's principal fishery, is governed by the dedicated Law on Lake Sevan (adopted 15.05.2001): its central ecological zone is the territory of Sevan National Park (Art. 7), any activity harmful to the lake ecosystem is prohibited in the protected zones (Art. 10), and the maximum annual extraction/commercial-catch norms for the lake's fish and crayfish are fixed through the Annual Programme (Art. 13). On that basis the Government sets each year, by decision, the species, volumes, timeframes and conditions of commercial catch (e.g. for 2026 a 550-tonne whitefish commercial-catch limit for the period 6 February - 20 November 2026), while the Minister of Environment separately authorises amateur (social-purpose) fishing in Armenia's wetlands; Sevan trout (ishkhan) and crayfish are protected. Because no instrument expressly authorises or prohibits spearfishing as a method, and the dominant water body is heavily regulated, the legality of recreational spearfishing remains genuinely unclear; spearfishing_allowed is therefore kept 'unknown'.
Última atualização junho 23, 2026
Enquadramento legal
- §Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (HO-52), adopted 2000-04-03, consolidated text dated 2002-11-28; amended by ZR-432 (2002), ZR-47 (2008), HO-190-N (2018). Verified verbatim in both the FAO English text and the official FAOLEX Russian text; the Law regulates fishing generically as a chargeable, licensed 'commercial' or 'social-purpose' use of fauna objects and does NOT enumerate fishing methods or gear (no harpoon/speargun/electrofishing/underwater-hunting article exists).
- §Law of the Republic of Armenia on Lake Sevan (adopted 15.05.2001): establishes ecological zoning - the central zone is the territory of Sevan National Park (Art. 7); any activity harmful to the lake ecosystem is prohibited in the central/direct/indirect-impact zones (Art. 10); maximum annual extraction and commercial-catch norms for the lake's fish and crayfish are set through the Annual Programme (Art. 13).
- §Annual decrees/orders of the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Armenia on the permissible quantities and duration of fishing for social purposes (amateur fishing) in the wetlands of the Republic of Armenia (e.g. the order signed by Minister Hakob Simidyan), and the annual Government decision setting the volumes, timeframes and conditions of commercial catch of fish and crayfish in Lake Sevan.
- Licença obrigatória
- Obrigatória
A lei, na íntegra
Textos legais
As disposições legais e regulamentares exatas que regem a pesca submarina aqui, citadas tal como publicadas, com uma ligação a cada fonte oficial.
Types of fauna use (fishing as industrial use)
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (HO-52, 2000)
Article 23. The types of fauna use. The fauna objects in the Republic of Armenia are used: a) In agricultural purposes (selection, soil arising) b) In industrial purposes (Hunting, fishing, collection, as well as gathering and processing of animal biological activity products) c) In social, environmental and cultural purposes d) In scientific investigative and educational purposes
Use of fauna objects in industrial purposes requires a licence
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (HO-52, 2000)
Article 24. The use of fauna objects in agricultural and industrial purposes. The use of fauna objects in agricultural and industrial purposes in the Republic of Armenia is chargeable. The use is implemented due to a licensed provided by the authorized body and on the basis of a contract. The Government of the Republic of Armenia defines the procedures for providing licenses and signing contracts. State tributes will be charged for the provided licenses in accordance with defines procedures of the law of the Republic of Armenia “On State tributes”.
Amateur fishing as social-purpose use of fauna
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (HO-52, 2000)
Article 25. The use of fauna objects in social purposes. The use of fauna objects in social purposes in the Republic of Armenia (Amateur fishing and fishing, hunt of animals that are not subject to hunt) is chargeable. The procedures for signing use contracts are defined by the Government of the Republic of Armenia.
Protection of fauna - prohibited acts (no specific spearfishing/method ban in this article)
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (HO-52, 2000)
Article 19. The protection of the fauna. In order to provide for the protection of fauna objects: a) The illegal import of animal species into the Republic of Armenia, transfer into a different habitat, acclimatization and selective use, b) Non-regulated use of fertilizers and toxic substances, c) Use of new, modified organisms created through biological technologies, d) Cruel treatment and torture of animals are prohibited.
Types of fauna use (Russian text - confirms fishing is a 'commercial/promysel' use, with no enumerated methods)
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (HO-52, 2000) - official Russian text (FAOLEX)
Статья 23. Виды пользования животным миром. В Республике Армения объекты животного мира используются: а) для сельскохозяйственных целей (селекция, почвообразование); б) для промысловых целей (охота, рыболовство, сбор, в том числе сбор и заготовка продуктов жизнедеятельности животных); в) в социальных, природоохранных и эстетических целях; г) в научно-исследовательских и образовательных целях. [Use of fauna objects: a) agricultural; b) commercial/'promysel' (hunting, fishing, gathering); c) social, environmental and aesthetic; d) scientific-research and educational. The Law nowhere enumerates fishing methods/gear and does not name spearfishing/underwater hunting.]
Amateur fishing is a chargeable social-purpose use of fauna (Russian text)
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (HO-52, 2000) - official Russian text (FAOLEX)
Статья 25. Пользование объектами животного мира в социальных целях. В Республике Армения пользование объектами животного мира в социальных целях (любительская охота и рыболовство, добыча животных, не отнесенных к объектам охоты и рыболовства) является платным. Порядок заключения договоров пользования устанавливает Правительство Республики Армения. [Use of fauna objects for social purposes (amateur hunting and fishing, taking of animals not classed as game/fishing objects) is chargeable; the procedure for use contracts is set by the Government.]
Lake Sevan central ecological zone is the territory of Sevan National Park
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Lake Sevan (adopted 15.05.2001)
Статья 7. Центральная зона. 1. Центральная зона – это территория национального парка ,,Севан", целью разграничения которой является восстановление и охрана естественного состояния экосистемы озера Севан, то есть качества воды, естественных и искусственных ландшафтов, прибрежных сухопутных территорий и биологического разнообразия озера. 2. Территория центральной зоны – это охраняемый соответствующим режимом объект специального регулирования ограниченной хозяйственной и градостроительной деятельности. [The central zone is the territory of 'Sevan' National Park, delimited to restore and protect the natural state of the lake's ecosystem - water quality, landscapes, shoreline and biodiversity; it is a protected object of special regulation with limited economic/development activity.]
Prohibition of any activity harmful to the Lake Sevan ecosystem in the protected zones
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Lake Sevan (adopted 15.05.2001)
Статья 10. Осуществление деятельности в центральной зоне, в зонах прямого и косвенного воздействия. 1. В центральной зоне, зонах прямого и косвенного воздействия запрещается любой вид деятельности, оказывающий вредное воздействие на экосистему озера Севан. [In the central zone and in the zones of direct and indirect impact, any type of activity that harms the Lake Sevan ecosystem is prohibited.]
Annual Programme sets maximum extraction/commercial-catch norms for Lake Sevan fish and crayfish
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Lake Sevan (adopted 15.05.2001)
Статья 13. [...] 3. Годовая программа включает также: [...] г) максимальные годовые нормы добычи и промыслового вылова биоресурсов (в том числе рыбы и рака) озера Севан и его водосборного бассейна и характеристики промыслового качества в месячном разрезе. [The Annual (Yearly) Programme for Lake Sevan also includes: the maximum annual norms of extraction and commercial catch of bioresources (including fish and crayfish) of Lake Sevan and its catchment basin, with monthly quality breakdowns - this is the legal mechanism by which annual fishing quotas are set.]
Quando pode mergulhar
Épocas e restrições temporais
Períodos de defeso, abertos e restritos ao longo do ano. Confirme sempre localmente os defesos específicos por espécie.
- DefesoWhitefish (sig) in Lake Sevan and inflowing rivers - spawning closureNov 25 – Jan 20
Whitefish fishing is banned in Lake Sevan during the spawning period; reported as from 25 November to 20 January. Dates are set/updated by Government/Ministry of Environment decisions each year.
- DefesoSevan trout (ishkhan), whitefish and crayfish during spawningunknown – unknown
Whitefish, trout and crayfish fishing is banned in Lake Sevan and the rivers flowing into it during the spawning season. Trout (ishkhan) fishing is generally prohibited; crayfish catching from Lake Sevan is forbidden, including during its breeding season.
- AbertoWhitefish (sig) commercial catch in Lake Sevan - 2026 seasonFev 6 – Nov 20
For 2026 the Armenian Government set the commercial (industrial) catch of whitefish in Lake Sevan at a maximum of 550 tonnes for the period 6 February to 20 November 2026, with a permit fee of 200 drams per kilogram (a second research phase was planned for summer 2026 to set any additional autumn limits). These dates and volumes are commercial-catch limits set annually by Government decision; they are not a recreational-spearfishing authorisation.
Autorização para pescar
Licença
O que precisa para estar autorizado na água, quanto custa e como a obter.
Apply to the authorized body / Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia; amateur fishing is permitted only with a licence/permit and within the permissible quantities and season duration set by the Minister of Environment's annual order on 'permissible quantities and the duration of fishing for social purposes in the wetlands of the Republic of Armenia'.
Obtenha a sua licençaAbre o portal oficial · env.am
- Tipo
- Amateur (social-purpose) fishing permit / licence issued under the Law on Fauna; for Lake Sevan, fishing permits issued by the Ministry of Environment
- Custo
- unknown (chargeable; state duty set under the Law 'On State tributes' and annual decrees)
- Validade
- Set per fishing season by annual ministerial decree
- Como obter
- Apply to the authorized body / Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia; amateur fishing is permitted only with a licence/permit and within the permissible quantities and season duration set by the Minister of Environment's annual order on 'permissible quantities and the duration of fishing for social purposes in the wetlands of the Republic of Armenia'.
- Autoridade
- Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia (env.am; the former mnp.am domain is no longer in service)
Equipamento e técnica
Regras de equipamento
Que equipamento é permitido, como pode ser usado e as condições associadas.
No Armenian legal source addresses spearguns, harpoons, spearfishing or underwater hunting. This was confirmed against the official Russian text of the Law on Fauna (FAOLEX arm_50257R.pdf): the Law regulates fishing generically as a chargeable, licensed 'commercial' or 'social-purpose' use of fauna objects (Art. 23-25) and contains NO article enumerating fishing methods or prohibited gear (no equivalent of an explosives/electricity/harpoon/underwater-hunting ban exists in the statute). Method/gear conditions for amateur fishing are instead set by the Minister of Environment's annual order; its full gear text was not retrievable, so the status of spearfishing gear remains unknown. (Generic 'harpoon rifles permitted' rules returned by web search are from foreign Russian/Ukrainian spearfishing guides, not Armenian law, and were deliberately excluded.)
O que pode capturar
Limites de captura e espécies protegidas
Quotas diárias, tamanhos mínimos e espécies que nunca podem ser capturadas.
Limite diário
Per-person permissible quantities are set annually by Ministry of Environment decree for social-purpose (amateur) fishing in Armenia's wetlands; exact figures not retrieved.
Tamanhos mínimos
- Whitefish (sig), Lake Sevan - minimum harvest weightmín 0 cm
Espécies protegidas — não capturar
- ProtegidaSevan trout / ishkhan (Salmo ischchan) - fishing generally prohibited
- ProtegidaCrayfish in Lake Sevan - catching forbidden
- ProtegidaSpecies listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Armenia
Reported Lake Sevan rule sets a minimum harvest weight of 500 grams for whitefish (a weight, not a length, so min_size_cm is not applicable and is recorded as 0). Harvesting of all Lake Sevan fish species except whitefish has been banned. The maximum annual commercial-catch volumes are fixed via the Annual Programme (Law on Lake Sevan, Art. 13) and a yearly Government decision: for 2026 the whitefish commercial-catch limit is 550 tonnes for 6 Feb - 20 Nov 2026, permit fee 200 drams/kg. These are commercial limits; per-person amateur (social-purpose) quantities are set separately by the Minister of Environment's annual order and the exact recreational figures were not retrieved.
Quem pode pescar
Visitantes e residentes
Como as regras diferem para visitantes estrangeiros e residentes locais.
Visitantes estrangeiros
No source found addressing foreigners specifically. The Law on Fauna allows legal and physical entities to be users of fauna objects without an express nationality restriction, but amateur fishing requires a licence/permit; rules for foreign anglers (including any spearfishing) are unknown.
Residentes
Amateur (social-purpose) fishing permit under the Law on Fauna and annual ministerial decrees
Requisitos
- Obtain an amateur fishing licence/permit from the authorized body / Ministry of Environment
- Observe the permissible quantities and season duration set by decree
- Comply with Lake Sevan species bans (trout, crayfish) and whitefish closed seasons
Same licensing framework applies to residents; no resident-specific spearfishing provision found.
Onde na costa
Zonas permitidas e proibidas
Áreas designadas abertas ou fechadas à pesca submarina. Veja o panorama completo no mapa interativo.
Áreas proibidas
- Lake Sevanregulated lake / restored ecosystem under special law (Law on Lake Sevan)
Largest freshwater lake of Armenia and the Caucasus. Fishing is heavily restricted: harvesting of all fish species except whitefish has been banned, trout (ishkhan) and crayfish are protected, a 500 g minimum harvest weight and a 500 m distance from the shoreline have been imposed, and seasonal closures and quotas apply. No instrument authorises spearfishing/underwater hunting here.
- Sevan National Parknational park / central ecological zone (Law on Lake Sevan, Art. 7)
Specially protected natural area surrounding Lake Sevan. Under the Law on Lake Sevan (Art. 7) the territory of 'Sevan' National Park constitutes the central ecological zone of the lake, and under Art. 10 any activity harmful to the lake ecosystem is prohibited in the central and impact zones. Use of fauna in specially protected areas is further restricted under the Law on Specially Protected Natural Areas and the Law on Fauna.
Condições na água
Condições em tempo real
Instantâneo marinho e meteorológico em tempo real perto de um ponto de referência costeiro em Armenia, da Open-Meteo. As condições variam ao longo da costa — encare como indicativo.
Condições marinhas e meteorológicas em tempo real perto de Lake Sevan.
A quem perguntar
Autoridades
Os organismos oficiais responsáveis pelas pescas e pelo licenciamento.
Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia
environment ministry / fisheries and fauna authority
env.amGovernment Building 3, Republic Square, Yerevan; hotline +374 11 818555; minenv@env.amGovernment of the Republic of Armenia
national government (sets licensing procedures, Lake Sevan programmes and quotas)
De onde vem isto
Fontes
Cada afirmação nesta página remete para uma destas referências.
- [01]
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (English text, FAOLEX/FAO)
Oficialfaolex.fao.orgConsultado em Jun 14 - [02]
Law on Fauna - FAOLEX/ECOLEX record (number, dates, amendments)
Oficialecolex.orgConsultado em Jun 14 - [03]
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Specially Protected Natural Areas (FAOLEX)
Oficialfaolex.fao.orgConsultado em Jun 14 - [04]
Amateur Fishing Season Launched in Armenia (Ministry of Environment decree details)
Secundáriaecolur.orgConsultado em Jun 14 - [05]
The season of amateur fishing has started in Armenia (Ministry of Environment)
Oficialmnp.amConsultado em Jun 14 - [06]
Starting from November 25, Whitefish Fishing Banned in Lake Sevan (Ecolur)
Secundáriaecolur.orgConsultado em Jun 14 - [07]
Armenia Restricts Fishing in Lake Sevan (CivilNet) - 500 g min weight, 500 m from shore, species ban
Secundáriacivilnet.amConsultado em Jun 14 - [08]
Armenian Government Tightens Lake Sevan Fishing Regulations (Hetq)
Secundáriahetq.amConsultado em Jun 14 - [09]
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Lake Sevan, adopted 15.05.2001 (official Russian text, National Assembly of RA)
Oficialparliament.amConsultado em Jun 23 - [10]
Law of the Republic of Armenia on Fauna (HO-52, 2000) - official Russian text (FAOLEX/FAO)
Oficialfaolex.fao.orgConsultado em Jun 23 - [11]
Armenian Government Sets Limits and Timeframes For Commercial Fishing From Lake Sevan For 2026 (ARKA, 5 Feb 2026): 550 t whitefish, 6 Feb-20 Nov 2026, 200 dram/kg
Secundáriaarka.amConsultado em Jun 23 - [12]
Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia (current official site, env.am)
Oficialenv.amConsultado em Jun 23
Notas do investigador
Armenia is landlocked (coastline: false); there is no marine/sea spearfishing. Research therefore focused on freshwater rules. CRITICAL: No Armenian legal text expressly authorises or prohibits spearfishing / underwater hunting (подводная охота / ստորջրյա որս) as a method, so legal_status.spearfishing_allowed is kept 'unknown'. 2026-06-23 deepening (primary sources): the governing framework is the Law on Fauna (HO-52, 2000) - verified verbatim in BOTH the FAO English text (Arts. 19, 23, 24, 25) and the official FAOLEX Russian text (arm_50257R.pdf, Arts. 23 and 25) - under which all fishing, including amateur fishing, is a chargeable, licensed use of fauna objects, and which crucially contains NO article enumerating fishing methods or prohibited gear. The Law on Lake Sevan (adopted 15.05.2001, National Assembly text) was fetched in full and verbatim provisions added: Art. 7 (central zone = territory of Sevan National Park), Art. 10 (prohibition of any activity harmful to the lake ecosystem in the protected zones) and Art. 13 (the Annual Programme fixes the maximum extraction/commercial-catch norms for the lake's fish and crayfish). On that statutory basis the Government sets each year, by decision, the commercial catch (for 2026: 550 t whitefish, 6 Feb-20 Nov 2026, permit 200 dram/kg - ARKA, 5 Feb 2026), while the Minister of Environment separately authorises amateur (social-purpose) fishing in Armenia's wetlands. Sevan trout (ishkhan) and crayfish are protected. data_confidence raised low -> medium on the strength of the verified primary law texts; status stays 'unknown' because spearfishing as a method is genuinely unaddressed in Armenian law. Note: the Ministry of Environment domain moved from mnp.am (now offline) to env.am - URLs updated accordingly. Could NOT verify: any Armenia-specific spearfishing/gear rule (none exists); the exact per-person amateur quotas/gear text of the current ministerial order; and several pages (ARMENPRESS, CivilNet, radar.am, FAOLEX HTML detail pages) returned 403 to automated fetching. Generic 'harpoon-rifle permitted' results from foreign Russian/Ukrainian spearfishing guides were excluded as non-authoritative for Armenia (anti-fabrication).
Notifiquem-me quando as regras de Armenia mudarem
Enviamos-lhe um e-mail quando as épocas ou regulamentação de Armenia forem atualizadas no nosso conjunto de dados.
