North Korea
Asia · Eastern Asia
There is no recreational or sport spearfishing regime in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The governing instrument, the Fisheries Act (adopted 1995, amended 1999), is built entirely around state organs, enterprises and 'associates' (collectives); all marine production is conducted under national plans and there is no provision for licensing private individuals or tourists for recreational underwater fishing. The Act (Art 37) merely requires citizens to 'observe the stipulated angling regulations'. In practice the entire coastline is under military/coastal security supervision, primarily to prevent defection, so independent access to the sea by individuals (let alone with spearguns) is tightly controlled and effectively barred for the general public and foreigners. Scuba/free-diving by foreign tourists has occasionally been arranged by tour operators only with prior state permission; no spearfishing-specific rules are published. The specific list of prohibited fishing gears and methods, protected species, closed seasons and conservation areas is delegated by Art 32 to subordinate central-organ regulations that are not publicly available, so any spearfishing-specific gear rule is unknown.
Senast uppdaterad juni 14, 2026
Styrande regelverk
- §Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, adopted by decision of the Supreme People's Assembly No. 49 on 18 January 1995, amended and supplemented by decree of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly No. 383 on 4 February 1999
- §Detailed Rules on the Protection and Increase of Fishery Resources (subordinate regulations, text not publicly available)
- §Fisheries Act subsequently revised in 2022 and amended again in 2024/2025 with strengthened penalty provisions (commercial focus; text not publicly available)
- Licens krävs
- Krävs
- Utlänningar
- Inte tillåtet
Lagen, ordagrant
Lagtexter
De exakta författnings- och regleringsbestämmelser som styr harpunfiske här, citerade som de publicerats, med en länk till varje officiell källa.
Title, adoption and amendment of the Fisheries Act
Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Fisheries Act, Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Adopted by the decision of the Supreme People's assembly No.49, on 18 Jan.18 1995. Amended and supplemented by the decree of the standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly No.383, on 4 February 1999.
Purpose of the Fisheries Act
Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1995, amended 1999)
Art 1. The Fisheries Act of D P R Korea shall contribute to develop the fisheries and to enhance people's livelihood by establishing rules and regulations in formation and conservation of fisheries resources, production and processing of fish products.
Citizens must observe angling regulations and may not collect protective grasses without permission
Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1995, amended 1999)
Art 37. The organs, enterprises, associates and citizen shall never collect grasses beneficial to fish conservation without permission in and around seas, rivers, reservoirs and lakes and observe the stipulated angling regulations.
Matters arranged for fisheries resources conservation (closed seasons, sizes, prohibited gear/methods)
Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1995, amended 1999)
Art 32. The central territorial environmental guidance organ shall arrange followings in connection with fisheries resources conservation. 1. Fisheries resources conservation area 2. Species of fisheries resources to be conserved 3. Conservation season of fisheries resources by species 4. Size of fisheries resources to be caught or collected 5. Prohibited fishing gears or methods
Months of fisheries resources conservation
Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1995, amended 1999)
Art 31. The state sets every April and July as the Month of fisheries resources conservation in order to conserve marine resources. During the Month of fisheries resources conservation, the relevant organs, enterprises and associates shall strengthen education relating marine resources conservation and intensify monitoring and control.
Foreign persons may not investigate resources or produce marine products in the EEZ
Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1995, amended 1999)
Art 45. Other country or person of other country shall neither investigate fisheries resources nor produce marine products in the Exclusive Economic Zone of DPR Korea. Any agreement with our country, that agreement would be applied.
Monitoring and control over citizens to observe conservation regulations
Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1995, amended 1999)
Art 46. Monitoring and control on fisheries resources conservation shall be done by the territorial environment conservation organ and the relevant monitoring and control organ. The territorial environment conservation organ and the relevant monitoring and control organ shall strictly monitor and control the organs, enterprises, associates and citizens to observe the regulation of fisheries resources conservation.
Forfeiture for unplanned/illegal marine production and accountability of individuals
Fisheries Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1995, amended 1999)
Art 48. As for any marine production without national plan or any hindrance to formation and conservation of fisheries resources, the marine production shall be interrupted, the loss shall be compensated, and the illegal marine products and income gained from them, and the vessel, fishing gears and facilities used in the illegal acts shall be forfeited. Art 49. Any responsible personnel from organs, enterprises, associates or any individual citizen infringing the law, seriously affected to people's livelihood and fisheries resources shall be accountable to the administrative or penal responsibility according to the consequence of the act.
När du får dyka
Säsonger & tidsbegränsningar
Fredningstider, öppna och begränsade perioder över året. Bekräfta alltid artspecifika fredningar lokalt.
- BegränsatAll marine fisheries resources nationwideapr 1 – apr 30
April is designated a 'Month of fisheries resources conservation' (Art 31), during which monitoring and control are intensified. The Act does not state catch is closed, but conservation control is heightened.
- BegränsatAll marine fisheries resources nationwidejul 1 – jul 31
July is designated a 'Month of fisheries resources conservation' (Art 31), during which monitoring and control are intensified.
Tillstånd att fiska
Licens
Vad du behöver för att få vara i vattnet, vad det kostar och hur du skaffar det.
Not obtainable by private individuals or tourists; access to the sea for fishing is granted only to authorised state-organised entities and is controlled by coastal security/military authorities.
Skaffa din licensÖppnar den officiella portalen · faolex.fao.org
- Typ
- No recreational spearfishing licence exists. Lawful fishing is carried out only by state organs, enterprises and 'associates' (collectives) operating under national production plans; going to sea requires state/military permission.
- Kostnad
- unknown
- Giltighet
- unknown
- Hur du skaffar den
- Not obtainable by private individuals or tourists; access to the sea for fishing is granted only to authorised state-organised entities and is controlled by coastal security/military authorities.
- Myndighet
- Central fisheries guidance organ / Ministry of Land and Environment Protection (territorial environment conservation organ); Coastal Security Bureau
Utrustning & teknik
Utrustningsregler
Vilken utrustning som är tillåten, hur den får användas och vilka villkor som gäller.
Restriktioner
- The Fisheries Act (Art 32.5) delegates the list of 'Prohibited fishing gears or methods' to subordinate central-organ regulations, which are not publicly available; whether spearguns/harpoons are listed as prohibited gear is unknown.
- Scuba diving equipment is not available for rent anywhere in the DPRK; foreign tourist diving has been arranged only by sourcing gear externally and with prior state permission.
No published equipment rule addresses recreational spearguns or pole spears. North Korean coastal residents are reported to free-dive in traditional gear for lobster and shellfish, but this is subsistence/collective activity, not licensed recreational spearfishing.
Vad du får ta
Fångstbegränsningar & skyddade arter
Dagliga kvoter, minimimått och arter som aldrig får tas.
Daglig gräns
unknown
The Fisheries Act (Art 32) provides that protected species, minimum catch sizes and conservation seasons are set by the central territorial environmental guidance organ, but the specific species lists and size limits are issued in subordinate 'Detailed Rules on the Protection and Increase of Fishery Resources' that are not publicly available. Concrete numeric catch/size limits are therefore unknown.
Vem som får fiska
Besökare & bofasta
Hur reglerna skiljer sig för utländska besökare och lokalt bofasta.
Utländska besökare
Inte tillåtetSärskild licens krävs
Krav
- By Art 45 of the Fisheries Act, no foreign country or foreign person may investigate fisheries resources or produce marine products in the DPRK Exclusive Economic Zone except under an agreement with the DPRK.
- Any in-water activity by foreign tourists (e.g. scuba diving) must be pre-arranged through state-approved tour operators and authorised by DPRK authorities.
Restriktioner
- Recreational spearfishing by foreigners is not provided for in law and is not available in practice.
- Coastal access is controlled by military/coastal-security authorities.
Tourism is tightly state-controlled and independent travel is not permitted; there is no pathway for a foreign visitor to lawfully spearfish.
Bofasta
No individual recreational fishing/spearfishing licence regime; lawful fishing is organised through state enterprises and collectives.
Krav
- Per Art 37, citizens must observe the 'stipulated angling regulations' and may not collect conservation grasses without permission.
- Going to sea is subject to state/military permission; the Coastal Security Bureau supervises fishing areas.
Coastal residents reportedly free-dive for shellfish/lobster and young people may have simple fishing tackle for subsistence/recreational angling, but this is not a formalised licensed recreational-spearfishing right. Reports (Radio Free Asia) describe strict control of fishermen's permits and radios and detention of boats over defection fears.
Var på kusten
Tillåtna & förbjudna zoner
Namngivna områden som är öppna för eller stängda för harpunfiske. Se hela bilden på den interaktiva kartan.
Förbjudna områden
- Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve (Chongchon River estuary)protected wetland / Ramsar site / migratory bird reserve
Nationally protected coastal wetland at the mouth of the Chongchon River on the west coast, on the border of South Phyongan and North Phyongan provinces. Designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance (DPRK acceded to the Ramsar Convention in May 2018). Hosts more than 50,000 waterbirds per migration season; extractive activity is restricted.
- Rason Migratory Bird Reserve (Tumen River estuary)protected wetland / Ramsar site / migratory bird reserve
Coastal/estuarine reserve at the mouth of the Tumen River in the far northeast, near the Russia/China border. Designated a Ramsar site; a productive river-sea mixing zone with lakes, bays and islands hosting 250+ bird species. Protected; extractive activity restricted.
- Entire national coastline (military/coastal security control)military / restricted security zone
The whole DPRK coast is under military and coastal-security supervision. Fishing is conducted under military oversight to prevent defections, the Coastal Security Bureau polices fishing areas, and going to sea requires permission. Independent or recreational access to the sea by individuals or foreigners is effectively prohibited without explicit state authorisation.
Förhållanden på vattnet
Liveförhållanden
Ögonblicksbild i realtid av marina förhållanden och väder nära en kustreferenspunkt i North Korea, från Open-Meteo. Förhållandena varierar längs kusten — betrakta som vägledande.
Marina förhållanden & väder i realtid nära Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve (Chongchon River estuary).
Vem du ska fråga
Myndigheter
De officiella organ som ansvarar för fiske och licensiering.
Ministry of Land and Environment Protection (territorial environment conservation organ)
environment ministry / fisheries resources conservation authority
faolex.fao.orgunknownCentral fisheries guidance organ (DPRK Ministry of Fisheries)
fisheries authority
faolex.fao.orgunknownCoastal Security Bureau
maritime / coastal security authority
en.wikipedia.orgunknown
Var detta kommer från
Källor
Varje påstående på denna sida går att spåra tillbaka till en av dessa referenser.
- [01]
Fisheries Act, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (FAO FAOLEX, English translation; adopted 1995, amended 1999)
Officiellfaolex.fao.orgHämtad jun 14 - [02]
Act of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Fisheries (InforMEA / FAOLEX record)
Officiellinformea.orgHämtad jun 14 - [03]
Compendium of North Korean Law (English Translation) - Columbia Law School, Center for Korean Legal Studies
Sekundärkls.law.columbia.eduHämtad jun 14 - [04]
North Korea dramatically increases fisheries law penalties to combat illegal exports (Daily NK, 2025)
Sekundärdailynk.comHämtad jun 14 - [05]
Fishing industry in North Korea (Wikipedia)
Sekundären.wikipedia.orgHämtad jun 14 - [06]
New North Korean Fishing Regulations Cause Economic Hardship for Fishermen (Radio Free Asia)
Sekundärrfa.orgHämtad jun 14 - [07]
DPRK to become the 170th Contracting Party to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) - Mundok & Rason reserves
Officiellramsar.orgHämtad jun 14 - [08]
Diving in North Korea (Young Pioneer Tours)
communityyoungpioneertours.comHämtad jun 14
Forskaranteckningar
North Korea (DPRK) has NO recreational or sport spearfishing regime. The primary verbatim legal text used here is the Fisheries Act (adopted 18 Jan 1995 by SPA decision No. 49; amended 4 Feb 1999 by decree No. 383), retrieved as an official English translation from FAO FAOLEX. That Act regulates only state-organised fisheries (organs, enterprises and 'associates'/collectives) under national production plans; it contains no concept of an individual recreational spearfishing licence. The only individual-facing clause (Art 37) tells citizens to 'observe the stipulated angling regulations' without defining them. Detailed rules on protected species, minimum sizes, closed seasons and prohibited gear/methods are delegated by Art 32 to subordinate central-organ regulations ('Detailed Rules on the Protection and Increase of Fishery Resources') that are not publicly retrievable, so spearfishing-specific gear rules, species lists and numeric limits are UNKNOWN. In practice the entire coast is under military/coastal-security supervision (to prevent defection), going to sea requires permission, foreigners are barred from producing marine products in the EEZ (Art 45), and there is no pathway for a tourist to lawfully spearfish. Status is therefore set to 'restricted' and data_confidence to 'low' because, although the governing statute is an authoritative primary source, it simply does not address recreational spearfishing and the operative subordinate detail is not publicly available. April and July are statutory 'conservation months' (Art 31). Two Ramsar-designated coastal reserves (Mundok and Rason) are protected zones; their coordinates are approximate (estuary locations), not from a precise legal boundary.
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