SpearfishingMap

Somalia

Africa · Eastern Africa

Recreational spearfishing is not specifically prohibited or specifically named under Somali law. The governing federal statute is the Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023 (Federal Republic of Somalia). It exempts vessels used exclusively for non-commercial recreational fishing, non-motorized vessels, and motorized vessels up to 4 m from licensing (Art. 72(3)), while commercial sport fishing requires a licence (Art. 72(1)(k)). Spear/harpoon fishing is a recognised artisanal gear in Somali waters (confirmed by NOAA's 2025 fisheries review). However, several practical restrictions apply: the Fisheries Restricted Zone (0-12 nautical miles) is reserved exclusively for artisanal fishing by Somali citizens, effectively excluding foreigners from inshore waters (Art. 4); fishing with explosives, poisons or other noxious substances is banned (Art. 30); and marine turtles, cetaceans/whales, sharks (finning) and any declared protected/endangered species are strictly protected (Arts. 19, 27, 28, 29). Governance is fragmented: the federal law applies through the Federal Member States, while Puntland (Fisheries Regulation, 2006) and Somaliland (Fisheries Law, 2018, replaced October 2025) operate their own regional fisheries regimes. Enforcement capacity is weak and large parts of the coast are affected by insecurity, so practical access for visiting spearfishers is severely limited. Classified as 'restricted' because of zone exclusivity for foreigners, protected-species rules, and the absence of a clear permissive regime, rather than an outright ban.

Restricted
DatatillförlitlighetMedelhög tillförlitlighet

Senast uppdaterad juni 15, 2026

Styrande regelverk

  • §Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023 (Federal Republic of Somalia, Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy)
  • §Fisheries Law of the Federal Republic of Somalia (Review of 2014, enacted 2016) - predecessor federal law
  • §Somali Fishery Law No. 23 of 30 November 1985 - original national fisheries law
  • §Puntland Fisheries Regulation, 2006 (regional)
  • §Somaliland Fisheries Law, 2018 (replaced by new Fisheries Law approved October 2025) (regional)
Licens krävs
Krävs inte
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.

01Article 72(3)Federal Republic of Somalia · national

Exemption of recreational and small vessels from licensing requirements

Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023

ENOriginal

(3) The following types of fishing vessels shall be exempt from licensing requirements under subsection (1) unless otherwise prescribed: (a) non-motorized vessels; (b) motorized vessels, but with a length overall of not more than 4 meters; and (c) vessels used exclusively for non-commercial recreational fishing.

02Article 72(1)(k)Federal Republic of Somalia · national

Activities requiring a licence - commercial sport fishing

Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023

ENOriginal

A licence, authorization or other permission shall be required for ... (k) commercial sport fishing; (l) alteration of a coral reef and/or trade in coral; (m) commercial collection and trade in sea shells; ...

03Article 4(1)Federal Republic of Somalia · national

Fisheries Zones - inshore zone reserved for Somali artisanal fishers

Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023

ENOriginal

(1) The following zones are established and measured seawards from the baseline from which the Somali territorial sea is measured: (a) the Fisheries Restricted Zone extends to 12 nautical miles and shall be reserved exclusively for artisanal fishing and related activities by Somali citizens and Somali vessels of up to 12 meters in length overall that are wholly owned by Somali citizens and semi-industrial and industrial vessels shall be prohibited from any fishing or related activities in the Zone ...; (b) the Fisheries Protection Zone is adjacent to the Fisheries Restricted Zone and extends to 24 nautical miles and shall be reserved exclusively for fishing and related activities by Somali citizens and Somali vessels of up to 24 meters in length overall ...; (c) the Fisheries Exclusive Economic Zone, being that part of the Exclusive Economic Zone that is adjacent to the Fisheries Protection Zone and extends seawards to 200 nautical miles wherein licensed fishing and related activities shall be permitted in accordance with this Act ...

04Article 30Federal Republic of Somalia · national

Prohibited fishing methods - explosives, poison and noxious substances

Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023

ENOriginal

(1) No person shall: (a) use, permit to be used or attempt to use any explosive, poison or other noxious substance for the purpose of killing, stunning, disabling or catching fish or in any way rendering fish more easily caught; (b) carry on board a vessel, transport or have in his or her possession or control any explosive, poison or other noxious substance for any purpose referred to in subparagraph (a); (c) land, sell receive or possess any fish or fish products, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe they were taken in contravention of subsections (a) or (b).

05Article 19Federal Republic of Somalia · national

Declaration of and prohibitions respecting protected, threatened or endangered species

Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023

ENOriginal

(2) No person shall take, land, sell, deal in, transport, receive, buy, possess, import or export any fish or fish product declared as protected or endangered in accordance with this section. (3) Any person who catches a protected, threatened or endangered species of fish shall release it and return it alive to the water.

06Article 27Federal Republic of Somalia · national

Prohibition on whaling and conservation of cetaceans

Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023

ENOriginal

(2) No person shall engage in fishing for, harm, kill or trade in cetaceans. (3) The operator of a vessel in Somali waters shall ensure that in all fishing and related activities, gear is used and disposed of in a manner that avoids entanglement or any other adverse or harmful impact on cetaceans.

07Article 28Federal Republic of Somalia · national

Prohibitions in relation to marine turtles

Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023

ENOriginal

(1) No person shall engage in fishing for, harm, kill or trade in marine turtles. (2) The operator of a vessel in Somali waters shall ensure that in all fishing and related activities, gear is used and disposed of in a manner that avoids entanglement or any other adverse or harmful impact on marine turtles.

08Article 2 (Interpretation)Federal Republic of Somalia · national

Definition of artisanal fishing

Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023

ENOriginal

“artisanal fishing” means traditional fishing by individual Somali citizens using wholly owned and operated Somali artisanal fishing vessels in the waters where they are entitled to fish where: (a) the owner is directly involved in the day-to-day running of the enterprise; (b) the fish are taken in a manner that, having regard to the vessel, the equipment and the method used, is small-scale and individually operated; and (c) the fish are taken primarily for household consumption, barter or local market trade;

När du får dyka

Säsonger & tidsbegränsningar

Fredningstider, öppna och begränsade perioder över året. Bekräfta alltid artspecifika fredningar lokalt.

  • FredningstidSet by Ministerial fishery management plans, not by a fixed statutory dateunknown – unknown

    The 2023 federal law does not set a fixed national closed season. Conservation and management measures, including seasonal closures and closed areas, may be established by the Minister through fishery management plans and regulations (Arts. 13, 17, 20). The original 1985 Fishery Law (Art. 6) provided for a 'Seasonal Closing Period' to be declared by the Ministry. No specific dates applicable to recreational spearfishing were retrievable.

Tillstånd att fiska

Licens

Vad du behöver för att få vara i vattnet, vad det kostar och hur du skaffar det.

Ingen licens krävsvia Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (Federal Republic of Somalia); Federal Member State fisheries authorities for the Restricted/Protection Zones
Ingen licens krävs
Typ
No licence required for non-commercial recreational fishing; commercial sport fishing requires a licence from the Ministry
Kostnad
unknown
Giltighet
unknown
Hur du skaffar den
Vessels used exclusively for non-commercial recreational fishing, non-motorized vessels, and motorized vessels up to 4 m are exempt from licensing (Art. 72(3)). Commercial sport fishing operators must obtain a licence/authorization from the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (Art. 72(1)(k)). Foreign operators must hold an entry permit from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
Myndighet
Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (Federal Republic of Somalia); Federal Member State fisheries authorities for the Restricted/Protection Zones

Utrustning & teknik

Utrustningsregler

Vilken utrustning som är tillåten, hur den får användas och vilka villkor som gäller.

Restriktioner

  • Explosives, poisons and other noxious substances are prohibited for catching fish (Art. 30)
  • Trawling and large-scale driftnets are prohibited (Arts. 31, 33)
  • Possession, use, import, purchase or sale of prohibited gear is an offence (Art. 37)

The federal Fisheries Law No. 008 of 2023 contains no provision specifically permitting or prohibiting spearguns, harpoons or scuba diving for recreational spearfishing. Spears are listed by NOAA (2025) as an active artisanal gear type used in Somali waters (e.g. for groupers, snappers, jacks, lobsters), indicating spear fishing is a customary practice rather than a regulated or banned method. No statutory limit on number of spears.

Vad du får ta

Fångstbegränsningar & skyddade arter

Dagliga kvoter, minimimått och arter som aldrig får tas.

Daglig gräns

unknown

Skyddade arter — får inte tas

  • SkyddadMarine turtles (all species) - no taking, harming, killing or trade (Art. 28)
  • SkyddadCetaceans / whales - no fishing for, harming, killing or trade; commercial whaling banned (Art. 27)
  • SkyddadWhale sharks - no purse seine set around them (Art. 27)
  • SkyddadSharks - shark finning prohibited; fins must remain naturally attached (Art. 29)
  • SkyddadAny species declared protected, threatened or endangered by the Minister (Art. 19); coral and certain sea shells require licence/protection (Art. 72)

The 2023 law delegates specific catch and size limits to ministerial regulations and fishery management plans rather than fixing them in the statute. No recreational daily bag limit or species-specific minimum sizes for spearfishing were retrievable. Protected-species prohibitions apply to all persons, including recreational fishers.

Vem som får fiska

Besökare & bofasta

Hur reglerna skiljer sig för utländska besökare och lokalt bofasta.

Utländska besökare

Inte tillåtet

Särskild licens krävs

Krav

  • Foreign operators seeking to fish in Somali waters must hold an entry permit issued by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (per NOAA 2025 summary of Somali law)
  • Foreign and non-citizen vessels are barred from the Fisheries Restricted Zone (0-12 nm) and the Fisheries Protection Zone (12-24 nm), which are reserved for Somali citizens (Art. 4)

Restriktioner

  • Inshore waters (0-24 nm) are reserved exclusively for Somali citizens, excluding foreign recreational spearfishers from typical shallow-water spearfishing grounds
  • Practical access is further constrained by widespread insecurity, piracy history and limited enforcement along the Somali coast

There is no recreational-spearfishing-specific foreigner permit regime. The combination of the citizens-only inshore zones, the requirement for foreign operators to obtain ministry entry permits, and severe security/logistical barriers makes foreign recreational spearfishing effectively impractical and largely not provided for in law.

Bofasta

Artisanal / recreational - no licence required for non-commercial recreational or small-scale artisanal vessels

Krav

  • Must be a Somali citizen and use a Somali-owned vessel to fish in the Restricted (0-12 nm) and Protection (12-24 nm) Zones (Art. 4)
  • Non-commercial recreational fishing, non-motorized vessels and motorized vessels up to 4 m are exempt from licensing (Art. 72(3))

Förmåner

  • Exclusive access to inshore artisanal fishing zones (0-12 nm and 12-24 nm) reserved for Somali citizens
  • Federal Member State authorities manage and may issue licences for these inshore zones

Somali citizens enjoy preferential and exclusive access to the inshore fishing zones. Regional authorities in Puntland and Somaliland administer their own resident fishing/licensing regimes under separate regional laws.

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

  • Fisheries Restricted Zone (0-12 nautical miles)restricted fishing zone (citizens-only artisanal zone)

    Inshore band from the baseline out to 12 nautical miles, reserved exclusively for artisanal fishing by Somali citizens and Somali-owned vessels up to 12 m; semi-industrial and industrial vessels are prohibited. Foreign/non-citizen recreational spearfishers are effectively excluded from this inshore zone where shore-based spearfishing would normally occur (Art. 4(1)(a)).

  • Cetacean and marine turtle breeding zonesspecies breeding/conservation zone

    Areas proclaimed under the Act as breeding zones for cetaceans or marine turtles, where settling, fishing operations or construction are prohibited without ministerial authorization (Arts. 27(6), 28(5)). Specific coordinates are not defined in the statute.

Vem du ska fråga

Myndigheter

De officiella organ som ansvarar för fiske och licensiering.

  • Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (Federal Republic of Somalia)

    fisheries authority

    moefbe.gov.soMogadishu, Somalia
  • Ministry of Fisheries, Ports and Marine Transport, Puntland State of Somalia

    regional fisheries authority

    Garowe, Puntland
  • Ministry of Fishery, Somaliland

    regional fisheries authority

    en.wikipedia.orgHargeisa, Somaliland

Var detta kommer från

Källor

Varje påstående på denna sida går att spåra tillbaka till en av dessa referenser.

  1. [01]

    Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008/2023 - Federal Republic of Somalia, Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (Official English version, April 2023)

    Officiell
    imcsnet.orgHämtad jun 15
  2. [02]

    Federal Republic of Somalia, Law of Fisheries Management and Development - IMCS Network resource page

    Sekundär
    imcsnet.orgHämtad jun 15
  3. [03]

    Fisheries law of the Federal Republic of Somalia (Review of 2014) - FAOLEX / ECOLEX

    Officiell
    ecolex.orgHämtad jun 15
  4. [04]

    Somali Fishery Law No. 23 of 30 November 1985 - FAOLEX

    Officiell
    fao.orgHämtad jun 15
  5. [05]

    Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Provisions - Comparability Finding Application Final Report: Somalia (NOAA NMFS, 2025)

    Officiell
    fisheries.noaa.govHämtad jun 15
  6. [06]

    Law of Fisheries Management - Somalia - The Outlaw Ocean Project, Global Fishing Legislative Database

    Sekundär
    theoutlawocean.comHämtad jun 15
  7. [07]

    Puntland Fisheries Regulation Gives Government Free Rein - Puntland Post (2022)

    Sekundär
    puntlandpost.netHämtad jun 15
  8. [08]

    Somaliland Cabinet Approves New Fisheries Law (October 2025) - Dawan Africa

    Sekundär
    dawan.africaHämtad jun 15

Forskaranteckningar

Primary legal source is the official English text of the Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008/2023 (Federal Republic of Somalia), retrieved as a PDF from the IMCS Network and parsed in full; all verbatim law_texts are quoted directly from that document. The law neither names nor specifically regulates recreational spearfishing: recreational fishing is exempt from licensing, and spear/harpoon fishing is a customary artisanal method (corroborated by NOAA's 2025 fisheries gear inventory listing 'Spears'). It is classified 'restricted' rather than 'yes' because (1) inshore zones 0-24 nm are reserved exclusively for Somali citizens, effectively barring foreign recreational spearfishers; (2) strict protected-species rules (turtles, cetaceans, sharks, declared species) apply to all fishers; and (3) governance is fragmented across the Federal Government, Puntland and Somaliland with weak enforcement. Gaps: no retrievable recreational daily bag limits, size limits, statutory closed-season dates, licence fees, or named marine protected areas with coordinates; specific Puntland (2006) and Somaliland (2018/2025) regional regulation texts could not be retrieved (Somaliland regulations PDF host refused connection). Confidence set to 'medium' - the national legal framework is captured verbatim from an official source, but recreational-specific detail and sub-national texts remain partial.

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