Curaçao
Americas · Caribbean
Recreational spearfishing with spearguns or Hawaiian slings has been prohibited throughout Curaçao's waters since 1976 under the Reef Management Ordinance (Rifbeheersverordening Curaçao, A.B. 1976 no. 48), which bans spearfishing alongside the breaking and removal of live coral. The only commonly cited legal exception in current practice is the hunting of the invasive lionfish, and only with a hand-powered pole spear (rubber-band-propelled, no trigger); divers/operators need permission for this. Trigger spearguns and Hawaiian slings remain illegal even for lionfish. Fishing of any kind, including any spearing, is additionally prohibited inside the Curaçao Marine Park (Jan Thiel to Oostpunt) and other marine protected areas. The primary statute text was not retrievable verbatim from an official gazette source; legal citations below rely on authoritative NGO/conservation-authority compilations (WIDECAST, DCNA, CARMABI).
Last updated June 15, 2026
Governing framework
- §Rifbeheersverordening Curaçao (Reef Management Ordinance), A.B. 1976 no. 48 — prohibits spearfishing and removal of live coral
- §Modification A.B. 1989 no. 21 (Reef Management Ordinance) — allows coral collection for education, scientific or societal purposes
- §Visserijlandsverordening (National Fisheries Ordinance), 1991
- §Visserijlandsbesluit (National Fisheries Decree), 1992
- §Visserijverordening Curaçao 2004 (Fishing Ordinance Curaçao 2004)
- §Eilandsbesluit bescherming zeeschildpadden (Island Decree on Sea Turtle Protection), A.B. 1996 no. 8
- §Curaçao Marine Park designation (2021) as SPAW Area 1 under the Cartagena Convention
- License required
- Required
- Speargun
- Prohibited
- Foreigners
- Not allowed
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.
Reef Management Ordinance prohibits spearfishing
Rifbeheersverordening Curaçao (Reef Management Ordinance), A.B. 1976 no. 48
The Rifbeheerverordening Curaçao (A.B. 1976 no. 48) (Curaçao Reef Management Ordinance) prohibits spearfishing and the breaking and removal of live coral. [...] The ordinance was slightly modified to allow the collection of corals for education, scientific purposes or for the general benefits of society as a whole (A.B. 1989, no. 21).
Speargun and Hawaiian sling spearfishing illegal; pole spear lionfish exception
Curaçao spearfishing regulations (as applied under the Reef Management Ordinance)
Spearfishing using a Speargun or Hawaiian Sling is illegal in Curaçao. [...] In Curaçao, the only legal method for hunting lionfish is using a pole spear. The use of Hawaiian slings or spear guns with triggers is illegal in Curaçao for lionfish hunting due to safety and conservation concerns.
Marine turtle protection issued under the Reef Management Ordinance
Eilandsbesluit bescherming zeeschildpadden (Island Decree on Sea Turtle Protection), A.B. 1996 no. 8
Eilandsbesluit bescherming zeeschildpadden (19 June 1996, A.B. 1996 Nr.8) — issued under the Reef Management Ordinance; confers complete protection on all marine turtles occurring in Curaçao.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
No seasonal closures recorded — verify locally before diving.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
For lionfish pole-spear hunting, divers typically participate through licensed dive operators / organized lionfish removal programs; permission/permits have historically been issued by the government for the use of (modified) lionfish spears. Contact CARMABI or a registered dive operator.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · carmabi.org
- Type
- Spearfishing is prohibited by default; lionfish pole-spear hunting requires permission. No general recreational spearfishing licence exists because the activity is banned.
- Cost
- unknown
- Validity
- unknown
- How to obtain
- For lionfish pole-spear hunting, divers typically participate through licensed dive operators / organized lionfish removal programs; permission/permits have historically been issued by the government for the use of (modified) lionfish spears. Contact CARMABI or a registered dive operator.
- Authority
- Government of Curaçao / CARMABI Foundation (Marine Park Department)
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Spearguns (trigger-operated) are illegal throughout Curaçao
- Hawaiian slings are illegal throughout Curaçao
- Only hand-powered pole spears (rubber-band propelled, no trigger) are permitted, and only for hunting invasive lionfish with permission
- Possession/use of prohibited spear gear inside the Curaçao Marine Park and other protected areas is prohibited
The lionfish exception is explicitly limited to pole spears; the ban on spearguns and Hawaiian slings applies even to lionfish hunting. Scuba use for lionfish hunting is generally done via organized dive operations, but no clear statutory rule on scuba-for-spearing was retrieved.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
unknown
Protected species — do not take
- ProtectedAll marine turtles (fully protected under A.B. 1996 no. 8)
- ProtectedQueen conch (Lobatus gigas) — proposed/protected
- ProtectedSpiny lobster (egg-bearing lobsters must never be kept)
- ProtectedLive coral (collection/breaking prohibited under the Reef Management Ordinance)
- ProtectedElkhorn and staghorn corals (endangered, within Marine Park)
Protected-species listings derive from the Reef Management Ordinance, the 1996 sea turtle decree, and STINAPA/CARMABI conservation proposals (turtles, spiny lobster, queen conch). Since spearfishing itself is banned, species-specific spearfishing size/bag limits are not the operative regime.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Not allowedRequirements
- Foreign visitors are subject to the same island-wide spearfishing ban as residents
- Lionfish pole-spear hunting is generally accessible to tourists only through licensed local dive operators / organized lionfish removal programs
Restrictions
- Spearguns and Hawaiian slings prohibited
- No spearfishing inside the Curaçao Marine Park or other protected areas
Tourists commonly join operator-led lionfish hunts using pole spears; independent recreational spearfishing is not legal.
Residents
No recreational spearfishing licence (activity prohibited); lionfish pole-spear permission only
Requirements
- Same island-wide spearfishing prohibition applies to residents
- Permission required for lionfish pole-spear hunting
Historically the government issued written permits to specific persons exempting their use of (modified) lionfish spears; details of the current permit process were not retrievable from an official source.
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.
Prohibited areas
Nationally protected marine park covering 21.7 km of the island's southeast coast, from Jan Thiel to the eastern tip at Oostpunt (Eastpoint), extending up to roughly 100 m seaward from the low-water mark (some sources cite the 60 m depth contour as the seaward boundary). Managed by the CARMABI Foundation Marine Park Department. Designated in 2021 as SPAW Area 1 under the Cartagena Convention. All fishing, including any spearing, is prohibited and enforced by marine patrols and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard.
- Christoffel National Park (coastal waters)national park
National park managed by CARMABI on the northwest of the island; protected area where collection/harm to wildlife is restricted.
- Shete Boka National Parknational park
Coastal national park on the north coast managed by CARMABI; a protected nature area, important sea turtle nesting coast.
- Curaçao Rif Mangrove Parkmarine/mangrove park
Protected mangrove and coastal park managed by CARMABI.
- Curaçao territorial waters (island-wide spearfishing ban)national prohibition
Spearfishing with spearguns or Hawaiian slings is prohibited throughout all of Curaçao's waters under the Reef Management Ordinance (1976). Only pole-spear hunting of invasive lionfish (with permission) is tolerated.
Conditions on the water
Live conditions
Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in Curaçao, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.
Live marine & weather near Curaçao Marine Park (Jan Thiel to Oostpunt / Eastpoint).
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
CARMABI Foundation (Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity) — Marine Park Department
marine park / research and management authority
carmabi.orginfo@carmabi.org; +599 9 462 4242Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied)
maritime enforcement authority
kustwacht.orgunknownGovernment of Curaçao — fisheries / agriculture authority (LVV)
fisheries authority
dcnanature.orgunknown
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
WIDECAST — Curaçao country profile (legislation overview: Rifbeheersverordening A.B. 1976 no. 48, A.B. 1989 no. 21, turtle decree)
Officialwidecast.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [02]
Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) — Curaçao policy & legislation list
Officialdcnanature.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [03]
CARMABI — Curaçao Marine Park
Officialcarmabi.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [04]
CARMABI — Curaçao Marine Park press kit
Officialcarmabi.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [05]
Dive Curaçao — How to hunt lionfish in Curaçao (pole spear only; spearguns/Hawaiian slings illegal)
Secondarydivecuracao.infoAccessed Jun 15 - [06]
Dive Curaçao — Curaçao Marine Park (boundaries Jan Thiel–Oostpunt, 21.7 km, SPAW 2021)
Secondarydivecuracao.infoAccessed Jun 15 - [07]
Curaçao Fishing — Fishing Regulations and Permits in Curaçao (speargun/Hawaiian sling illegal)
Secondarycuracaofishing.comAccessed Jun 15 - [08]
Curaçao Chronicle — Coastguard carries out extra checks on illegal spearfishing
Secondarycuracaochronicle.comAccessed Jun 15 - [09]
Scubaverse — Hunting Lionfish Safely and Responsibly in Curaçao (pole spear only)
Secondaryscubaverse.comAccessed Jun 15
Researcher notes
Spearfishing in Curaçao is effectively banned: the Reef Management Ordinance (Rifbeheersverordening Curaçao, A.B. 1976 no. 48) prohibits spearfishing island-wide, and spearguns and Hawaiian slings are illegal. The single practical exception is hunting the invasive lionfish using a hand-powered pole spear (no trigger), which requires permission and is usually done through licensed dive operators. All fishing/spearing is additionally banned inside the Curaçao Marine Park (Jan Thiel–Oostpunt, ~21.7 km of the SE coast, managed by CARMABI, SPAW Area 1 since 2021) and other CARMABI-managed protected areas; enforcement is by marine patrols and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard. CONFIDENCE / CAVEATS: The primary statute text (official Curaçao gazette/Afkondigingsblad) could not be fetched directly — the ELI 'Sustainable Fisheries & Coastal Zoning in Curaçao' report and the Ramsar appendix were repeatedly unreachable (HTTP 403/502). Legal citations therefore rest on authoritative conservation-authority/NGO compilations (WIDECAST, DCNA, CARMABI) plus consistent dive-industry secondary sources; exact article numbers within the ordinance were not retrieved. NOTE: A widely reported 'November 2020 harpoon tolerance policy with red zones on a map' applies to ARUBA, not Curaçao, and has been deliberately excluded from this record to avoid cross-jurisdiction error. data_confidence set to medium: the core ban and lionfish exception are well-corroborated across multiple authoritative sources, but verbatim primary-statute text and precise article references remain unverified.
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