Cuba
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Spearfishing (pesca submarina) is legal in Cuba as a sub-category of recreational fishing (pesca recreativa), but it is tightly restricted by Ley No. 129/2019 (Ley de Pesca) and its Regulation (Decreto No. 1/2019). It may only be practised on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, only in the designated maritime areas of Chapter V of the Decree, and only by free-diving (apnea) with spring/rubber, pneumatic or pneumatic-oil spearguns and harpoons, in single units. The use of artificial breathing equipment (scuba) for spearfishing is prohibited, and competitive spearfishing events are banned nationwide. A personal, non-transferable annual spearfishing licence is required (issued by the Oficina Nacional de Inspeccion Estatal of the Ministry of the Food Industry); applicants must be at least 17 years old. Catch is for personal/family consumption only, not for profit. Certain species are reserved for state commercial fishing (e.g. spiny lobster Panulirus argus, queen conch Lobatus gigas) and others are fully protected (e.g. sea turtles, manatee, black coral). Spearfishing is also prohibited inside marine protected areas / national parks such as Jardines de la Reina.
Last updated June 14, 2026
Governing framework
- §Ley No. 129/2019 "Ley de Pesca" (National Assembly, in force from 7 February 2020)
- §Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca" (Council of Ministers)
- §Resolucion 18/2020 of the Ministry of the Food Industry (procedure for granting fishing authorisations)
- §Replaced Decreto-Ley No. 164/1996 "Reglamento de Pesca"
- License required
- Required
- Speargun
- Allowed
- Scuba
- Prohibited
- Foreigners
- Welcome
- Max spears
- 1
The law, verbatim
Legal texts
The exact statutory and regulatory provisions that govern spearfishing here, quoted as published, with a link to each official source.
Definition of recreational fishing including spearfishing
Ley No. 129/2019 "Ley de Pesca"
3. La pesca recreativa es aquella mediante la que se produce la captura de organismos acuaticos con fines recreativos o de esparcimiento, incluye la pesca submarina.
Spearfishing days, allowed gear and free-diving requirement
Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca"
Articulo 16. La pesca submarina solo puede practicarse los sabados, domingos y dias feriados, en las aguas maritimas que se consignan en el Capitulo V del presente Decreto y mediante buceo a pulmon libre y con escopetas de liga o resorte, oleoneumaticas y arpon, siempre en cantidades unitarias.
Prohibition of competitive spearfishing events
Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca"
Articulo 17. Se prohibe la celebracion de cualquier tipo de evento competitivo relacionado con la pesca submarina en el territorio nacional.
Recreational/sports catch is for personal consumption, not for profit
Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca"
Articulo 18. El producto de la pesca deportiva y de la recreativa se destina, fundamentalmente, al consumo personal o familiar y no puede utilizarse con fines de lucro.
Minimum age of 17 to obtain a fishing authorisation
Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca"
Articulo 5. Para solicitar una autorizacion de pesca es requisito indispensable, en el caso de personas naturales, que el solicitante tenga cumplidos los diecisiete (17) anos de edad.
Spearfishing licence is a class of recreational fishing licence
Resolucion 18/2020 "Procedimiento para el otorgamiento de autorizaciones de Pesca"
Articulo 41. Dentro de la clasificacion de pesca recreativa se encuentra la licencia de pesca submarina.
Spearfishing licence for Cuban nationals and permanent residents - fees
Resolucion 18/2020 "Procedimiento para el otorgamiento de autorizaciones de Pesca"
Articulo 43. La licencia de pesca submarina para personas naturales cubanas y extranjeras residentes permanentes se emite anualmente conforme a las modalidades y tarifas siguientes: a) ... Licencias territoriales (provinciales) cien pesos (100.00 CUP); y b) ... Licencias nacionales doscientos pesos (200.00 CUP).
Spearfishing licence for temporary-resident foreigners - fees
Resolucion 18/2020 "Procedimiento para el otorgamiento de autorizaciones de Pesca"
Articulo 44. La licencia de pesca submarina para personas naturales extranjeras residentes temporales se emite anualmente conforme a las modalidades y tarifas siguientes: a) ... Licencias territoriales (provinciales) cien pesos (100.00 CUC); y b) ... Licencias nacionales doscientos pesos convertibles (200.00 CUC).
Spearfishing licence is personal and non-transferable
Resolucion 18/2020 "Procedimiento para el otorgamiento de autorizaciones de Pesca"
Articulo 45. La licencia de pesca submarina es de caracter personal e intransferible en todos los casos.
Spearfishing-related fishing violation (illegal days, zones, gear, scuba)
Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca"
16. Practicar la pesca submarina en dias y en zonas no autorizados, asi como utilizar equipos de respiracion artificial o escopetas que no sean las permitidas.
Species reserved exclusively for state commercial fishing (cannot be speared)
Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca"
3. Capturar, extraer, desembarcar, transportar, procesar o comercializar, sin la correspondiente autorizacion del Ministerio de la Industria Alimentaria, especies destinadas exclusivamente a la pesca comercial estatal tales como: a) langosta (Panulirus argus); b) cangrejo moro (Menippe mercenaria); ... i) cobo (Lobatus gigas).
Protected / threatened species that may not be captured
Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca"
2. Capturar, extraer, desembarcar, transportar, procesar y comercializar ... especies hidrobiologicas en regimen especial de proteccion, amenazadas o en peligro de extincion tales como: a) Manati (Trichechus manatus); b) delfin (Turciops truncatus); ... f) carey (Erectmochelys imbricata); g) tortuga verde (Chelonia mydas); h) caguama (Caretta caretta); i) tinglado (Dermochelys coriacea); j) coral negro (Antipatharia sp.) ...
Maritime areas given preference to sports/recreational fishing (spearfishing zones), with coordinates
Decreto No. 1/2019 "Reglamento de la Ley 129 Ley de Pesca"
Articulo 31. Se otorga preferencia a las pescas deportiva, la recreativa y a la comercial de autoconsumo social, en las areas citadas en el Anexo 2 del presente, constituidas por las aguas maritimas, comprendidas entre los siguientes tramos del litoral: 1. Desde Punta Gobernadora (Latitud 23 00'08,12" y Longitud 83 13'20,49") hasta la Punta de la Peninsula de Hicacos (Latitud 23 08'30,36" y Longitud 81 19'02,19"); 2. Desde la Punta de Practicos (Latitud 21 37'08,32" y Longitud 77 05'12,10") hasta la Punta de Maisi; 3. Desde la Punta de Maisi hasta Cabo Cruz; 4. Desde el Cabo de San Antonio hasta el Cabo Frances; 5. Desde Playa Giron hasta la Punta de Maria Aguilar.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
- RestrictedAll spearfishing (pesca submarina) nationwide
Spearfishing may be practised ONLY on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (sabados, domingos y dias feriados), per Article 16 of Decreto No. 1/2019. On all other days it is prohibited.
- ClosedSpecies under temporary closed seasons (epoca de veda) set by ministerial resolution
The Ley de Pesca (Art. 32.8 of the Reglamento) prohibits capturing any species during its closed season (epoca de veda). Specific veda dates per species are fixed by separate resolutions of the Ministry of the Food Industry and are not enumerated in the Ley/Reglamento text; exact dates were not retrieved from a primary source.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
Apply to the Oficina Nacional de Inspeccion Estatal of the Ministry of the Food Industry providing identity data and home address (Art. 42). Applicant must be at least 17 years old (Art. 5) and have no fishing-regime violations in the previous 5 years (Art. 21).
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · gacetaoficial.gob.cu
- Type
- Licencia de pesca submarina (spearfishing licence), a class of recreational fishing licence; personal and non-transferable; territorial (provincial) or national.
- Cost
- Cuban nationals & permanent residents: 100 CUP (provincial) / 200 CUP (national). Temporary-resident foreigners: 100 CUC (provincial) / 200 CUC (national). Per Arts. 43-44 of Resolucion 18/2020.
- Validity
- One calendar year (January to December); issued annually.
- How to obtain
- Apply to the Oficina Nacional de Inspeccion Estatal of the Ministry of the Food Industry providing identity data and home address (Art. 42). Applicant must be at least 17 years old (Art. 5) and have no fishing-regime violations in the previous 5 years (Art. 21).
- Authority
- Oficina Nacional de Inspeccion Estatal (ONIE), Ministerio de la Industria Alimentaria (MINAL)
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Only free-diving (buceo a pulmon libre / apnea) is permitted; artificial breathing equipment (scuba / escafandra) is prohibited for spearfishing (Reglamento Art. 16; violation under Art. 32.16).
- Permitted weapons: rubber/spring-band spearguns (escopetas de liga o resorte), pneumatic / pneumatic-oil spearguns (oleoneumaticas) and harpoons (arpon), always in single units (cantidades unitarias).
- Spearguns other than those permitted are illegal (Art. 32.16).
- Mass fishing gear (nasas, palangres, gillnets, chinchorros), chemical substances and explosives are prohibited (Reglamento Art. 15.2 of the Ley; Art. 32.5).
Spearfishing is by definition free-dive only in Cuba. 'Cantidades unitarias' means a single speargun/harpoon per diver.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
Not specified as a numeric daily bag limit in the Ley/Reglamento; the Minister of the Food Industry sets permissible species and quantities by resolution (Reglamento Art. 19). Catch is restricted to personal/family consumption, no commercial use (Art. 18).
Protected species — do not take
- ProtectedManati (Trichechus manatus)
- ProtectedDelfin (Tursiops truncatus)
- ProtectedCocodrilo (Crocodylus sp.)
- ProtectedCaiman (Caiman crocodylus)
- ProtectedCarey / hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- ProtectedTortuga verde / green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- ProtectedCaguama / loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- ProtectedTinglado / leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- ProtectedCoral negro / black coral (Antipatharia sp.)
- ProtectedManjuari (Atractosteus tristoechus)
- ProtectedCobo / queen conch (Lobatus gigas) - reserved for state commercial fishing
- ProtectedLangosta / spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) - reserved for state commercial fishing
- ProtectedCangrejo moro / stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) - reserved for state commercial fishing
Species in Art. 32.2 are fully protected (cannot be taken at all). Species in Art. 32.3 (notably spiny lobster and queen conch) are reserved exclusively for state commercial fishing and may not be taken by recreational spearfishers without specific authorisation. Capturing undersize/oversize specimens is a violation (Art. 32.21).
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
AllowedSpecial license required
Requirements
- Be at least 17 years old (Reglamento Art. 5).
- Obtain an annual spearfishing licence (licencia de pesca submarina): temporary-resident foreigners pay 100 CUC (provincial) or 200 CUC (national) per Resolucion 18/2020 Art. 44; permanent-resident foreigners are charged in CUP like Cuban nationals (Art. 43).
- Provide identity data and home address (Art. 42).
- No fishing-regime violations in the previous 5 years (Art. 21).
Restrictions
- Same day/zone/gear restrictions as nationals: Sat/Sun/holidays only, designated maritime areas only, free-diving only, no scuba.
- Catch for personal/family consumption only, no commercial use.
- Cannot target species reserved for state commercial fishing (lobster, conch, etc.) or protected species.
Foreign tourists in practice usually spearfish/dive through licensed Cuban operators; tourist diving in marine parks (e.g. Jardines de la Reina) is non-extractive. Currency note: Cuba formally unified its currency (eliminating CUC) in 2021; fee figures here are the verbatim 2020 regulation values and may now be applied in CUP/equivalent.
Residents
Licencia de pesca submarina (provincial 100 CUP or national 200 CUP), annual, personal and non-transferable.
Requirements
- At least 17 years old.
- Identity data and home address.
- No fishing-regime violations in the prior 5 years.
Benefits
- Lower CUP-denominated fees than the CUC fees historically charged to temporary-resident foreigners.
- National licence allows spearfishing in the designated maritime areas of any province; provincial licence is limited to the issuing province.
Cuban nationals and permanent-resident foreigners are treated alike for spearfishing licence fees (Art. 43).
Where on the coast
Allowed & prohibited zones
Named areas that are open to or closed for spearfishing. See the full picture on the interactive map.
Allowed areas
Maritime area given preference to sports, recreational and self-consumption fishing under Art. 31.1 of Decreto No. 1/2019; spearfishing permitted here on authorised days.
Free-diving only; spearguns/harpoons in single units; Sat/Sun/holidays only; valid spearfishing licence required.
Maritime area given preference to sports, recreational and self-consumption fishing under Art. 31.2 of Decreto No. 1/2019.
Free-diving only; spearguns/harpoons in single units; Sat/Sun/holidays only; valid spearfishing licence required.
Maritime area given preference to sports, recreational and self-consumption fishing under Art. 31.3 of Decreto No. 1/2019.
Free-diving only; spearguns/harpoons in single units; Sat/Sun/holidays only; valid spearfishing licence required.
Maritime area given preference to sports, recreational and self-consumption fishing under Art. 31.4 of Decreto No. 1/2019.
Free-diving only; spearguns/harpoons in single units; Sat/Sun/holidays only; valid spearfishing licence required.
Maritime area given preference to sports, recreational and self-consumption fishing under Art. 31.5 of Decreto No. 1/2019.
Free-diving only; spearguns/harpoons in single units; Sat/Sun/holidays only; valid spearfishing licence required.
Prohibited areas
- Areas preferentially reserved for state commercial fishing (Art. 30 / Anexo 1)state commercial fishing zone (restricted)
Four large coastal stretches over the submarine platform to the 200 m isobath where state commercial fishing is given preference: Cabo Frances-Playa Giron; Punta de Maria Aguilar-Cabo Cruz; Punta de Practicos-Punta de Hicacos; Cabo de San Antonio-Punta Gobernadora. Recreational/spearfishing here requires specific authorisation in the licence; fishing in these zones without it is a violation (Art. 32.12).
- Parque Nacional Jardines de la Reinanational park / marine reserve (no-take)
Large no-take marine reserve / national park off Cuba's south-eastern coast (protected since 1996); fishing including spearfishing is prohibited. Catch-and-release fly-fishing and diving are managed by concession.
- Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes (Peninsula de Guanahacabibes)national park / biosphere reserve
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and national park at Cuba's western tip protecting staghorn coral and reef habitat; a managed marine protected area where extractive fishing such as spearfishing is restricted/prohibited inside park boundaries.
- Defence / environmental restriction areas (Art. 19 of Ley de Pesca)military / environmental exclusion zone
Within fishing zones, the Ministry may delimit areas where fishing is limited or prohibited for reasons of national defence or environmental protection, agreed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the environment ministry (CITMA).
Conditions on the water
Live conditions
Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in Cuba, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.
Live marine & weather near Punta Gobernadora to Punta de la Peninsula de Hicacos (north-west coast).
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Ministerio de la Industria Alimentaria (MINAL)
fisheries authority (governing ministry for fishing activity)
Oficina Nacional de Inspeccion Estatal (ONIE)
fisheries inspection / licensing authority (subordinate to MINAL)
Tropas Guardafronteras (Border Guard, Ministry of the Interior)
maritime enforcement authority
Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnologia y Medio Ambiente (CITMA)
environment ministry (marine protected areas)
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Gaceta Oficial No. 11 Ordinaria (7 Feb 2020): Ley No. 129/2019 Ley de Pesca, Decreto No. 1/2019 Reglamento, and Resolucion 18/2020
Officialgacetaoficial.gob.cuAccessed Jun 14 - [02]
Ley de Pesca (PDF) - Parlamento Cubano
Officialparlamentocubano.gob.cuAccessed Jun 14 - [03]
Ley No. 129/2019 - Ley de Pesca (ECOLEX / FAO legal database)
Officialecolex.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [04]
Dan a conocer las prohibiciones de la Ley de Pesca de Cuba (CiberCuba)
Secondarycibercuba.comAccessed Jun 14 - [05]
Asamblea Nacional aprueba primera Ley de Pesca de la Republica (Cubadebate)
Secondarycubadebate.cuAccessed Jun 14 - [06]
Marine protected areas in Cuba (Environmental Defense Fund)
Secondaryedf.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [07]
Jardines de la Reina National Park (Marine Conservation Institute - Blue Parks)
Secondarymarine-conservation.orgAccessed Jun 14
Researcher notes
Primary legal source is Cuba's official Gaceta Oficial No. 11 of 7 February 2020, which publishes Ley No. 129/2019 (Ley de Pesca), Decreto No. 1/2019 (its Reglamento) and Resolucion 18/2020 (licensing procedure). All verbatim law_texts were extracted from that PDF (pdftotext); Spanish accents/diacritics were normalised to ASCII for storage but otherwise the wording is exact. Key takeaways for spearfishers: (1) spearfishing is legal but only on Saturdays/Sundays/public holidays; (2) free-diving only - scuba/artificial breathing apparatus is banned; (3) only single-unit spring, pneumatic or harpoon spearguns allowed; (4) an annual personal licence (min age 17) is required; (5) catch is for personal/family use only - no sale and no competitions; (6) spiny lobster and queen conch are reserved for state fishing and may not be taken; sea turtles, manatee, black coral etc. are fully protected; (7) marine national parks such as Jardines de la Reina and Guanahacabibes are no-take/restricted. Species-specific closed-season (veda) dates and any numeric bag limits are set by separate MINAL resolutions and were not retrieved verbatim, so seasons[] for species and catch_limits.daily_limit are left general; confidence high overall for the framework, medium for exact current fees (currency was unified in 2021, replacing CUC).
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