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.
Охирин навсозӣ Июн 15, 2026
Чорчӯби ҳукмрон
- §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)
- Иҷозатнома лозим аст
- Лозим нест
- Хориҷиён
- Иҷозат надорад
Қонун, айнан
Матни ҳуқуқӣ
Муқаррароти дақиқи қонунгузорӣ ва танзимотие, ки шикори зериобиро дар ин ҷо идора мекунанд, ба ҳамон шакли нашршуда, бо пайванд ба ҳар манбаи расмӣ иқтибос шудаанд.
Exemption of recreational and small vessels from licensing requirements
Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023
(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.
Activities requiring a licence - commercial sport fishing
Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023
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; ...
Fisheries Zones - inshore zone reserved for Somali artisanal fishers
Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023
(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 ...
Prohibited fishing methods - explosives, poison and noxious substances
Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023
(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).
Declaration of and prohibitions respecting protected, threatened or endangered species
Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023
(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.
Prohibition on whaling and conservation of cetaceans
Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023
(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.
Prohibitions in relation to marine turtles
Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023
(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.
Definition of artisanal fishing
Law of Fisheries Management and Development No. 008 of 2023
“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;
Кай метавон ғаввос зад
Мавсимҳо ва маҳдудиятҳои вақтӣ
Давраҳои баста, кушода ва маҳдуд дар тӯли сол. Бастаҳои хоси намудҳоро ҳамеша маҳаллӣ тасдиқ кунед.
- БастаSet 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.
Иҷозат барои моҳигирӣ
Иҷозатнома
Барои иҷозат гирифтан дар об чӣ лозим аст, нархи он ва чигунагии гирифтани он.
- Навъ
- No licence required for non-commercial recreational fishing; commercial sport fishing requires a licence from the Ministry
- Нарх
- unknown
- Эътибор
- unknown
- Чигунагии гирифтан
- 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.
- Мақомот
- Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (Federal Republic of Somalia); Federal Member State fisheries authorities for the Restricted/Protection Zones
Таҷҳизот ва техника
Қоидаҳои таҷҳизот
Кадом таҷҳизот иҷозат дорад, чӣ тавр истифода бурдан мумкин аст ва шартҳои он.
Маҳдудиятҳо
- 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.
Чиро гирифтан мумкин аст
Меъёрҳои шикор ва намудҳои ҳифзшуда
Меъёрҳои рӯзона, андозаи ҳадди ақал ва намудҳое, ки ҳеҷ гоҳ гирифтан мумкин нест.
Меъёри рӯзона
unknown
Намудҳои ҳифзшуда — нагиред
- ҲифзшудаMarine turtles (all species) - no taking, harming, killing or trade (Art. 28)
- ҲифзшудаCetaceans / whales - no fishing for, harming, killing or trade; commercial whaling banned (Art. 27)
- ҲифзшудаWhale sharks - no purse seine set around them (Art. 27)
- ҲифзшудаSharks - shark finning prohibited; fins must remain naturally attached (Art. 29)
- ҲифзшудаAny 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.
Кӣ метавонад моҳигирӣ кунад
Меҳмонон ва сокинон
Тафовути қоидаҳо барои меҳмонони хориҷӣ ва сокинони маҳаллӣ.
Меҳмонони хориҷӣ
Иҷозат надорадИҷозатномаи махсус лозим аст
Талабот
- 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)
Маҳдудиятҳо
- 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.
Сокинон
Artisanal / recreational - no licence required for non-commercial recreational or small-scale artisanal vessels
Талабот
- 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))
Имтиёзҳо
- 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.
Дар кадом қисми соҳил
Минтақаҳои иҷозатдор ва манъшуда
Минтақаҳои номнашудае, ки барои шикори зериобӣ кушода ё бастаанд. Тасвири пурраро дар харитаи интерактивӣ бинед.
Минтақаҳои манъшуда
- 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.
- Aibat, Saad ad-Din and Saba Wanak Marine Protected Area (Zeila Archipelago)marine reserve / MPA
PERSGA-designated marine protected area near Zeila (Saylac), Somaliland/NW Somalia, covering Aibat and Saad ad-Din (Zeila Archipelago) islands plus the adjacent Saba Wanak coastline. About 300 km2; contains the largest coral-reef area in the Gulf of Aden, extensive mangroves/salt-marsh, major seabird colonies and turtle nesting. Selected for PERSGA's regional MPA network under the Dec 2005 Protocol; IUCN and local authorities established protection and monitored fishers here after the 2004 tsunami. Coral collection and turtle/shark exploitation are flagged threats the MPA aims to control.
- Lag Badana-Bushbush National Park (coastal/marine section)national park (coastal, with coral reefs and mangroves)
Somalia's first national park (established 1989), Lower Juba, on the far-southern Indian Ocean coast near Ras Kamboni and the Kenyan border. ~3,300-3,350 km2 protecting mangroves, coral reefs and coastal ecosystems alongside terrestrial habitat. As a protected national park its marine/coastal coral-reef zone is a conservation area where extractive fishing including spearfishing would be restricted.
Шароит дар об
Шароити зинда
Тасвири зиндаи баҳрӣ ва ҳавоӣ дар наздикии нуқтаи марҷаи соҳилии Somalia, аз Open-Meteo. Шароит дар тӯли соҳил фарқ мекунад — ба сифати нишондиҳанда қабул кунед.
Шароити зиндаи баҳрӣ ва ҳавоӣ дар наздикии Aibat, Saad ad-Din and Saba Wanak Marine Protected Area (Zeila Archipelago).
Аз кӣ бояд пурсид
Мақомот
Органҳои расмии масъул барои моҳигирӣ ва иҷозатнома.
Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (Federal Republic of Somalia)
fisheries authority
moefbe.gov.soMogadishu, SomaliaMinistry of Fisheries, Ports and Marine Transport, Puntland State of Somalia
regional fisheries authority
Garowe, PuntlandMinistry of Fishery, Somaliland
regional fisheries authority
en.wikipedia.orgHargeisa, Somaliland
Аз куҷо гирифта шуда
Манбаъҳо
Ҳар иддао дар ин саҳифа ба яке аз ин манобеъ бармегардад.
- [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)
Расмӣimcsnet.orgДастрасӣ Июн 15 - [02]
Federal Republic of Somalia, Law of Fisheries Management and Development - IMCS Network resource page
Иловагӣimcsnet.orgДастрасӣ Июн 15 - [03]
Fisheries law of the Federal Republic of Somalia (Review of 2014) - FAOLEX / ECOLEX
Расмӣecolex.orgДастрасӣ Июн 15 - [04]
Somali Fishery Law No. 23 of 30 November 1985 - FAOLEX
Расмӣfao.orgДастрасӣ Июн 15 - [05]
Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Provisions - Comparability Finding Application Final Report: Somalia (NOAA NMFS, 2025)
Расмӣfisheries.noaa.govДастрасӣ Июн 15 - [06]
Law of Fisheries Management - Somalia - The Outlaw Ocean Project, Global Fishing Legislative Database
Иловагӣtheoutlawocean.comДастрасӣ Июн 15 - [07]
Puntland Fisheries Regulation Gives Government Free Rein - Puntland Post (2022)
Иловагӣpuntlandpost.netДастрасӣ Июн 15 - [08]
Somaliland Cabinet Approves New Fisheries Law (October 2025) - Dawan Africa
Иловагӣdawan.africaДастрасӣ Июн 15
Эзоҳоти муҳаққиқ
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.
Маро огоҳ кун, вақте қоидаҳои Somalia тағйир меёбад
Вақте мавсимҳо ё қоиданомаҳои Somalia дар маълумоти мо навсозӣ шавад, ба шумо почта мефиристем.