Trinidad and Tobago

Americas · Caribbean

Recreational spearfishing is legal in Trinidad and Tobago and is widely practised, especially in Tobago where parrotfish, rockfish and other reef species are taken by free divers and scuba divers. The official Institute of Marine Affairs states plainly that spearfishing in Tobago is unregulated: there is no permitting system, no gear restrictions, no size or catch limits and no open or closed seasons for the activity itself. The key legal constraint is geographic: fishing of any kind (including spearfishing) is strictly prohibited inside declared marine protected/restricted areas, most notably the Buccoo Reef Marine Park / Bon Accord Lagoon complex in Tobago, designated under the Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act (Ch. 37:02). The general Fisheries Act (Ch. 67:51) bans poison and explosives, empowers the Minister to declare prohibited areas and to restrict harpooning/taking of fish, and absolutely prohibits taking, killing or harpooning any marine turtle. Visitors generally need a fishing permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, though enforcement of permits for shore/free-dive spearfishing is light and reporting is inconsistent.

Restricted

Ma'lumot ishonchiO'rtacha ishonch

Oxirgi yangilanish Iyun 15, 2026

Boshqaruv doirasi

§Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51 (Act 39 of 1916, as amended)
§Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, Chapter 37:02 (Act 1 of 1970, as amended)
§Protection of Turtle and Turtle Eggs Regulations (GN 119/1975, as amended by 201/2011)
§Fisheries (Conservation of Marine Turtles) Regulations (LN 65/1994, as amended)

Litsenziya talab qilinadi: Talab qilinadi
Nayzabosh: Ruxsat berilgan
Skuba: Ruxsat berilgan
Chet elliklar: Xush kelibsiz

Qonun, so'zma-so'z

Huquqiy matnlar

Bu yerda suv osti ovini tartibga soluvchi qonuniy va me'yoriy qoidalar, nashr qilinganidek iqtibos keltirilgan, har bir rasmiy manba havolasi bilan.

01Section 4(c) and 4(d)Trinidad and Tobago · national

Power to declare prohibited areas and to prohibit harpooning/taking of fish

Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51

ENAsl nusxa

4. The Minister may make Regulations— ... (c) declaring any area to be a prohibited area; (d) prohibiting the killing, harpooning, taking, removing, catching or any other means of taking possession of fish or any variety thereof either absolutely or at such times and within such areas as may be prescribed;

02Section 7Trinidad and Tobago · national

Prohibition on use of poison or explosives to take fish

Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51

ENAsl nusxa

7. Any person who uses poison of any description or any explosive with intent to stupefy, poison, take or kill fish is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for three months.

03Section 8Trinidad and Tobago · national

Prohibition on taking fish in a prohibited area

Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51

ENAsl nusxa

8. (1) Except with the written permission of the Minister, no person shall take any fish in a prohibited area. (2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of two thousand dollars and to imprisonment for six months.

04Section 2Trinidad and Tobago · national

Definition of fish (includes turtle, corals and other marine fauna)

Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51

ENAsl nusxa

“fish” includes oysters, crabs, shrimps, turtle, turtle eggs, corals and any species of other marine fauna;

05Regulation 3Trinidad and Tobago · national

Absolute prohibition on killing, harpooning or taking any marine turtle

Protection of Turtle and Turtle Eggs Regulations (made under section 4 of the Fisheries Act, Ch. 67:51)

ENAsl nusxa

3. No person shall, at any time, kill, harpoon, catch or otherwise take possession of any turtle, or purchase, sell, offer or expose for sale or cause to be sold or offered or exposed for sale any turtle, turtle meat or any other part of the turtle.

06Regulation 8(2)Trinidad and Tobago · national

Recreational vessel operation permitted within two nautical miles of the coast

Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51 (subsidiary regulations, 121/1998)

ENAsl nusxa

8. ... (2) A person operating an artisanal vessel or a vessel for recreational purposes shall be permitted to do so within a distance of two nautical miles from the coast line.

07Regulation 3Tobago (Buccoo Reef Marine Park) · national

Prohibited activities within a restricted marine area (Buccoo Reef Marine Park)

Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, Chapter 37:02 (Act 1 of 1970), restricted-area regulations

ENAsl nusxa

No person may, without written ministerial permission: go in or alight upon a restricted area; operate a boat or other vessel within a restricted area or cause or allow a boat or other vessel to enter such an area; take or remove any fish or bird from a restricted area; take or remove any mangrove from a restricted area; dig, dredge, or otherwise interfere with the seabed of a restricted area. Fishing, of any kind, is strictly prohibited within the Marine Park.

Qachon sho'ng'ish mumkin

Mavsumlar va vaqt cheklovlari

Yil davomida yopiq, ochiq va cheklangan davrlar. Har doim mahalliy turga xos yopilishlarni tasdiqlang.

Mavsumiy yopilishlar qayd etilmagan — sho'ng'ishdan oldin mahalliy tekshiring.

Baliq ovlash ruxsati

Litsenziya

Suvda bo'lish uchun nima kerak, qancha turadi va qanday olish mumkin.

Litsenziya talab qilinadiMinistry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (Fisheries Division) orqali

Apply to / contact the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. In practice, no permitting system specifically governs shore-based/free-dive spearfishing in Tobago, and reports of permit requirements for visitors are inconsistent.

Litsenziyangizni oling

Rasmiy portalni ochadi · agriculture.gov.tt

Litsenziya talab qilinadi

Turi: Fishing permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (for visitors who wish to fish); recreational use is broadly permitted within 2 nautical miles of the coast.
Narxi: unknown
Amal qilish muddati: unknown
Qanday olish mumkin: Apply to / contact the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. In practice, no permitting system specifically governs shore-based/free-dive spearfishing in Tobago, and reports of permit requirements for visitors are inconsistent.
Hokimiyat: Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (Fisheries Division)

Rasmiy litsenziyalash portali · agriculture.gov.tt

Uskunalar va texnika

Asbob-uskuna qoidalari

Qanday uskunalarga ruxsat berilgan, ulardan qanday foydalanish mumkin va qanday shartlar qo'llaniladi.

NayzaboshRuxsat berilgan

SkubaRuxsat berilgan

Cheklovlar

Use of poison or explosives to take, stupefy or kill fish is prohibited (Fisheries Act s.7).
No gear restrictions specific to spearfishing exist in law (per Institute of Marine Affairs).

Parrotfish in Tobago are harvested mainly by spear-fishers using either SCUBA diving or free diving; the Institute of Marine Affairs confirms spearfishing is unregulated outside protected areas, with no gear restrictions. Spearguns are commonly used and provided on local spearfishing tours.

Nima olish mumkin

Ov limiti va muhofaza qilinadigan turlar

Kunlik kvotalar, minimal o'lchamlar va hech qachon olib bo'lmaydigan turlar.

Kunlik limit

None established for recreational spearfishing (no catch limits per Institute of Marine Affairs).

Minimal o'lchamlar

Lobster (carapace length)min 8.9 sm

Muhofaza qilinadigan turlar — olmang

Muhofaza qilinadiAll marine turtles (absolute prohibition on killing, harpooning, catching, possessing or selling under the Protection of Turtle and Turtle Eggs Regulations)
Muhofaza qilinadiCorals (included in statutory definition of 'fish'; taking restricted, especially within protected areas)

Lobster minimum legal size is reported as a carapace length of 3.5 inches (≈8.9 cm) and a minimum tail weight of 7 ounces. No spearfishing-specific size or catch limits exist (per Institute of Marine Affairs). Conservation concern exists over declining parrotfish abundance and size, but no statutory parrotfish limit has been confirmed. Size-limit figure for lobster is from a secondary aggregator source and should be verified against the official regulation before relying on it.

Kim baliq ovi qila oladi

Mehmonlar va rezidentlar

Chet el mehmoni va mahalliy rezidentlar uchun qoidalar qanday farq qiladi.

Chet el mehmonlari

Ruxsat berilgan

Maxsus litsenziya talab qilinadi

Talablar

Obtain a fishing permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries before fishing (per secondary travel sources).

Cheklovlar

Same geographic and conservation restrictions as residents: no fishing inside the Buccoo Reef Marine Park or other restricted areas; turtles fully protected; no poison/explosives.

Visitors who wish to fish are generally advised to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, though some sources state no rod licence/permit is required for casual fishing around Tobago. Requirements are inconsistently reported; confirm with the Fisheries Division before travelling.

Rezidentlar

No spearfishing-specific licence; general Fisheries Act framework applies. Artisanal/recreational vessels may operate within 2 nautical miles of the coast.

Local skin/free divers traditionally and legally spear reef fish (e.g. parrotfish, rockfish) outside protected areas; the activity is unregulated in Tobago per the Institute of Marine Affairs.

Qirg'oqning qayerida

Ruxsat berilgan va taqiqlangan zonalar

Suv osti ovi uchun ochiq yoki yopiq nomli hududlar. Interaktiv xaritada to'liq manzarani ko'ring.

Ruxsat berilgan hududlar

Tobago coastal waters (outside marine protected areas)
Spearfishing is widely and legally practised along most of Tobago's coast by free divers and scuba divers, targeting parrotfish, rockfish and other reef species. The Institute of Marine Affairs states the activity is unregulated outside protected areas (no permits, gear, size, catch limits or seasons).
Must not enter the Buccoo Reef Marine Park or any other declared restricted/prohibited area; turtles are fully protected nationwide; poison and explosives prohibited.
ima.gov.tt
Trinidad coastal waters (outside prohibited areas)
Spearfishing is generally permitted in Trinidad's coastal waters outside any declared prohibited area, subject to the general Fisheries Act prohibitions.
No taking of fish in declared prohibited areas without written ministerial permission; turtles fully protected; no poison/explosives.
veronikasadventure.com

Taqiqlangan hududlar

Buccoo Reef Marine Park / Bon Accord Lagoon Complexmarine park / no-take marine protected area
Tobago's principal and oldest marine protected area, designated a no-take marine park in 1973 under the Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act (Ch. 37:02). Fishing of any kind, including spearfishing, is strictly prohibited; access requires a valid Access/Transit Permit from the Division.
tha.gov.tt

Xaritada ko'rish

Suvdagi sharoitlar

Jonli sharoitlar

Open-Meteo'dan Trinidad and Tobago dagi qirg'oq ma'lumot nuqtasi yaqinida jonli dengiz va ob-havo ko'rinishi. Sharoitlar qirg'oq bo'ylab farq qiladi — yo'naltiruvchi sifatida qabul qiling.

Buccoo Reef Marine Park / Bon Accord Lagoon Complex yaqinida jonli dengiz va ob-havo.

Sharoitlar

Kimdan so'rash

Hokimiyatlar

Baliqchilik va litsenziyalash uchun mas'ul rasmiy organlar.

Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries – Fisheries Division
fisheries authority
agriculture.gov.ttunknown
Tobago House of Assembly – Division of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development
regional environment/fisheries authority (Tobago)
tha.gov.ttunknown
Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA)
marine research institute
ima.gov.ttunknown

Bu qayerdan keladi

Manbalar

Bu sahifadagi har bir da'vo ushbu ma'lumotnomalarga tayanadi.

[01]
Fisheries Act, Chapter 67:51 (unofficial consolidated version updated to 31 Dec 2015) – Ministry of Agriculture
Rasmiy
agriculture.gov.ttIyn 15 da kirish qilingan
[02]
Prohibited Use of the Buccoo Reef Marine Protected Area – Tobago House of Assembly
Rasmiy
tha.gov.ttIyn 15 da kirish qilingan
[03]
Parrotfish – Eating and 'pooping' their way to healthy reefs! – Institute of Marine Affairs
Rasmiy
ima.gov.ttIyn 15 da kirish qilingan
[04]
Snorkel, Freedive or Spearfish in Trinidad and Tobago – Veronika's Adventure
Ikkilamchi
veronikasadventure.comIyn 15 da kirish qilingan
[05]
Caribbean Fishing – Laws and Regulations – Yacht Cruising Lifestyle
Ikkilamchi
hashtagboatlife.comIyn 15 da kirish qilingan
[06]
Fishing Conservation – Trinidad and Tobago (Buccoo Reef Marine Park 1973; bottom trawling ban 2013)
Ikkilamchi
fishingtnt.comIyn 15 da kirish qilingan

Tadqiqotchi izohlari

Spearfishing is legal and commonly practised in Trinidad and Tobago, particularly in Tobago, and is explicitly described as unregulated outside protected areas by the Institute of Marine Affairs (no permits, gear, size/catch limits or seasons specific to the activity). The binding legal constraints are: (1) a strict no-fishing rule inside declared marine protected/restricted areas, above all the Buccoo Reef Marine Park / Bon Accord Lagoon complex (Marine Areas (Preservation and Enhancement) Act, Ch. 37:02); (2) a nationwide absolute prohibition on taking, killing or harpooning marine turtles; and (3) the Fisheries Act ban on poison and explosives. The Fisheries Act (Ch. 67:51) verbatim text was retrieved from the official Ministry of Agriculture PDF and extracted with pdftotext. The Marine Areas Act restricted-area prohibitions were taken from the official Tobago House of Assembly page (which paraphrases Regulation 3); the verbatim wording of the underlying statutory instrument was not independently retrieved, so that entry is a faithful close paraphrase from an official source rather than a guaranteed exact transcription. Lobster size/tail-weight figures and the visitor-permit requirement come from secondary travel/aggregator sources and should be verified against official regulations. A modernising Fisheries Management Bill (2020) was before Parliament but is not confirmed as enacted; the 1916 Fisheries Act remains the governing statute. Coordinates for Buccoo Reef are approximate centroid values. No closed seasons relevant to spearfishing were found. Confidence: medium – strong official primary sourcing for the Fisheries Act, turtle protection and Buccoo Reef prohibition; weaker (secondary) sourcing for licensing details and lobster size limits.

Yangiliqlardan xabardor bo'lingErta kirish