Kenya
Africa · Eastern Africa
Spearfishing with a spear gun is effectively prohibited in Kenya. Spear guns were declared a prohibited fishing gear nationally by Kenya Gazette Notice No. 7565 Vol. CIII No. 69 of 9 November 2001, and the use of scuba gear or spearguns to take lobster and beche-de-mer (sea cucumber) in territorial waters is also banned. Within the four Kenya Wildlife Service marine national parks all extractive activity (including any fishing) is prohibited, and in the marine national reserves only regulated hook-and-line fishing is allowed while spear guns are not permitted. Recreational/sport fishing is legally limited to angling (hook and line, trolling, rod and reel) and fly fishing: the Fisheries (General) Regulations sport fisherman's licence entitles the holder to catch fish with only a rod and line, and the 2024 Recreational Fisheries Regulations list only angling and fly fishing as permitted methods. Spearfishing is therefore not a lawful recreational method anywhere in Kenya fishery waters, though it is still practised illegally by some artisanal fishers on the coast.
Last updated August 2, 2024
Governing framework
- §Fisheries Management and Development Act, No. 35 of 2016
- §Fisheries (General) Regulations (Subsidiary Legislation under the Fisheries Act, Cap. 378; Rev. 2012)
- §Fisheries Management and Development (Recreational Fisheries) Regulations, 2024 (Legal Notice No. 127 of 2024)
- §Kenya Gazette Notice No. 7565, Vol. CIII No. 69 of 9 November 2001 (speargun declared prohibited gear)
- §Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013 (marine national parks and reserves administered by Kenya Wildlife Service)
- License required
- Required
- Speargun
- Prohibited
- Scuba
- Prohibited
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.
Speargun declared prohibited fishing gear
Kenya Gazette Notice No. 7565, Vol. CIII No. 69 of 9 November 2001
Spearguns are banned under Kenya Gazette Notice No. 7565 Vol. CIII. No. 69 of 9th November 2001.
Sport fisherman's licence (rod and line only)
Fisheries (General) Regulations (subsidiary legislation to the Fisheries Act, Cap. 378; Rev. 2012)
12. Sport fisherman's licence (1) No person shall participate in sport fishing in Kenya fishery waters unless— (a) he is a holder of a valid sport fishing licence issued to him under this regulation and is fishing in accordance with the terms and conditions of the licence; or (b) he is a holder of a valid trout licence described in regulation 13 and is fishing in accordance with the terms and conditions of the licence. (2) A sport fisherman's licence as set out in Form DF/L2 in the First Schedule may on application to and approval by the Director be issued to the applicant by the licensing officer, on payment of the fee set out in the Second Schedule. (3) A sport fisherman's licence shall entitle the holder to catch fish with only a rod and line for his own consumption or personal trophies and not for sale. (4) A licence which shall remain in operation for two years from the date which it was issued. (5) Any person who contravenes this regulation shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.
Definition of sport fishing
Fisheries (General) Regulations (subsidiary legislation to the Fisheries Act, Cap. 378; Rev. 2012)
“sport fisherman” means any person holding and using as authority for his fishing [a sport fishing licence]; “sport fishing” means angling or fishing for recreation; “sport fishing club” means a person or institution which offer sport fishing facilities; “sport fishing facility” means vessel or fishing gear used for sport fishing.
Permitted recreational fishing methods
Fisheries Management and Development (Recreational Fisheries) Regulations, 2024 (Legal Notice No. 127 of 2024)
A person engaging in recreational fishing shall only use the following methods─(a) angling; (i) hook and line; (ii) trolling line; or (iii) rod and reel; or (b) fly fishing.
Catch-and-release and landing limit for recreational fishing
Fisheries Management and Development (Recreational Fisheries) Regulations, 2024 (Legal Notice No. 127 of 2024)
[A person engaging in recreational fishing shall] practise catch-and-release fishing to the extent possible, except where the fish are injured or killed; [and shall] not land more than three pieces, per permit, per fishing day, in case where the fish is injured or killed during recreational fishing.
Protected species may not be targeted in recreational fishing
Fisheries Management and Development (Recreational Fisheries) Regulations, 2024 (Legal Notice No. 127 of 2024)
A person shall not engage in recreational fishing of a species that has been declared a protected species by the Cabinet Secretary.
Prohibited fishing gear and methods; penalties
Fisheries Management and Development Act, No. 35 of 2016
Section 42 prohibits the use of, among other things, firearms or other electrical shock devices for the purpose of fishing including stunning, and any explosive, poison or other noxious substance for the purpose of killing, stunning [fish]. Penalty (s.42(7)): a fine not exceeding five million shillings or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years or to both in respect of industrial fishing and to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months [in respect of artisanal fishing].
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.
Apply to the licensing officer / Director of the Kenya Fisheries Service (formerly Department of Fisheries) for a sport fishing licence (Form DF/L2) or a recreational fishing permit under LN 127/2024.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · new.kenyalaw.org
- Type
- Sport fisherman's licence (rod and line only) under the Fisheries (General) Regulations; recreational fishing permit (annual/monthly/weekly/daily) under the 2024 Recreational Fisheries Regulations. No licence authorises spearfishing.
- Cost
- Recreational permit fees (LN 127/2024, Second Schedule): Annual KES 1,500; Monthly KES 600; Weekly KES 40; Daily KES 50. Sport fisherman's licence fee set in the Second Schedule of the Fisheries (General) Regulations.
- Validity
- Recreational permits: annual (to 31 December of year of issue), monthly (30 days), weekly (7 days), daily (specified day). Older sport fisherman's licence: two years from date of issue.
- How to obtain
- Apply to the licensing officer / Director of the Kenya Fisheries Service (formerly Department of Fisheries) for a sport fishing licence (Form DF/L2) or a recreational fishing permit under LN 127/2024.
- Authority
- Kenya Fisheries Service / State Department for the Blue Economy and Fisheries
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Spear guns are a nationally prohibited fishing gear (Kenya Gazette Notice No. 7565 of 9 November 2001).
- Use of scuba gear or spearguns to take lobster and beche-de-mer (sea cucumber) in Kenya territorial waters is prohibited except for experimental purposes.
- Recreational fishing methods are restricted to angling (hook and line, trolling line, rod and reel) and fly fishing (LN 127/2024, reg 15).
- A sport fisherman's licence entitles the holder to catch fish with only a rod and line (Fisheries (General) Regulations reg 12(3)).
- Spear guns are not permitted in any KWS marine national park or marine national reserve; in marine parks all fishing is prohibited.
Scuba is allowed for diving/tourism, but using scuba gear together with a speargun for fishing (notably for lobster and sea cucumber) is specifically prohibited. There is no legal pathway for recreational spearfishing in Kenya fishery waters.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
Recreational fishing: no more than three pieces of fish per permit per fishing day where fish are injured or killed; catch-and-release is required to the extent possible (LN 127/2024, reg 5).
Protected species — do not take
- ProtectedSpecies declared protected by the Cabinet Secretary may not be targeted in recreational fishing (LN 127/2024, reg 17)
- ProtectedMarine turtles, marine mammals (dolphins, whales, dugong) and other species protected under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013
These limits apply to permitted recreational methods (angling/fly fishing); they do not legalise spearfishing, which uses prohibited gear.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Special license required
Requirements
- Non-citizens engaging in sport fishing must hold a valid sport fishing licence or trout licence (Fisheries (General) Regulations).
- Recreational fishing permit under LN 127/2024 required for recreational fishing.
Restrictions
- Foreigners, like residents, may not use spear guns — the gear is nationally prohibited and no licence authorises spearfishing.
- Marine park rules (no fishing) and reserve rules (hook-and-line only) apply to everyone.
The recreational and sport-fishing regulations do not exempt foreigners from the speargun ban or marine protected area rules. Tourist sport fishing (rod and line / trolling for billfish etc.) is permitted with a licence; spearfishing is not.
Residents
Sport fisherman's licence (Form DF/L2) and/or recreational fishing permit (LN 127/2024).
Requirements
- Hold a valid sport fishing or recreational fishing licence and fish only by permitted methods (rod and line, angling, fly fishing).
- Comply with KWS marine protected area rules and the national speargun prohibition.
Artisanal/subsistence fishers on the coast still use spearguns despite the ban; enforcement is uneven, but the gear remains legally prohibited.
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
In Kenya's marine national reserves (multiple-use buffer zones such as the reserve portions of Mombasa, Malindi, Watamu and the Kiunga and Diani-Chale reserves) regulated fishing is permitted, but only hook-and-line; spear guns are not permitted. Spearfishing is not a permitted method even where reserve fishing is otherwise allowed.
Hook and line fishing allowed; spear guns prohibited; permit/licence and KWS rules apply.
Prohibited areas
- Mombasa Marine National Parkmarine national park
Fully protected marine national park managed by Kenya Wildlife Service; all extractive activities, including fishing, are prohibited within the park core zone.
- Watamu Marine National Parkmarine national park
Fully protected marine national park managed by Kenya Wildlife Service; all fishing and extractive activities prohibited.
- Malindi Marine National Parkmarine national park
Fully protected marine national park managed by Kenya Wildlife Service; all fishing and extractive activities prohibited.
- Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Parkmarine national park
Fully protected marine national park off Shimoni, south of Wasini Island, Kwale County, near the Tanzanian border; managed by Kenya Wildlife Service. All fishing and extractive activities prohibited in the park.
- Kiunga Marine National Reservemarine national reserve
Marine national reserve off the Lamu coast near the Somali border; managed by Kenya Wildlife Service. Spear guns are prohibited; only regulated hook-and-line fishing is permitted in reserve areas.
- Kenya territorial waters – spear gun ban (lobster and sea cucumber)national prohibition (entire territorial waters)
The use of scuba diving gear or spearguns to fish for lobsters and beche-de-mer (sea cucumber) within the territorial waters of Kenya is prohibited unless for experimental purposes. Spear guns are a nationally prohibited fishing gear under Gazette Notice No. 7565 of 9 November 2001.
Conditions on the water
Live conditions
Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in Kenya, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.
Live marine & weather near Mombasa Marine National Park.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Kenya Fisheries Service (State Department for the Blue Economy and Fisheries)
fisheries authority
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)
marine protected area authority
Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)
fisheries research institute
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Fisheries Management and Development Act, No. 35 of 2016 – Kenya Law
Officialnew.kenyalaw.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [02]
Fisheries Management and Development (Recreational Fisheries) Regulations, 2024 (Legal Notice 127 of 2024) – Kenya Law
Officialnew.kenyalaw.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [03]
Fisheries (General) Regulations (Kenya, Rev. 2012) – FAOLEX
Officialfaolex.fao.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [04]
CORDIO East Africa – Policy Brief: Responsible Fisheries (Samoilys, Maina, Ater & Osuka, Oct 2011) – documents speargun ban under Gazette Notice 7565/2001
Secondarycordioea.netAccessed Jun 14 - [05]
Kenya's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Dashboard – Nairobi Convention Clearinghouse
Officialnairobiconvention.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [06]
Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve – Wikipedia (coordinates)
Secondaryen.wikipedia.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [07]
Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park – Wikipedia (coordinates, location)
Secondaryen.wikipedia.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [08]
Pollution and illegal fishing methods choking marine life along Kenyan Coast – Daily Nation (spear guns listed as illegal gear)
Secondarynation.africaAccessed Jun 14
Researcher notes
Spearfishing with a speargun is not legal in Kenya. The speargun was declared a prohibited fishing gear nationally by Kenya Gazette Notice No. 7565, Vol. CIII No. 69 of 9 November 2001 (the original gazette notice text was not retrieved directly; the ban and its citation are documented verbatim in the CORDIO East Africa policy brief by Samoilys et al. and corroborated by Kenyan press). Additionally, scuba gear and spearguns may not be used to take lobster or beche-de-mer in territorial waters. Lawful recreational/sport fishing in Kenya is restricted to angling (rod and line, trolling) and fly fishing under the Fisheries (General) Regulations (sport fisherman's licence, rod-and-line only) and the 2024 Recreational Fisheries Regulations (LN 127/2024). KWS marine national parks prohibit all fishing; marine national reserves allow only regulated hook-and-line fishing and prohibit spear guns. The full text of the 2024 Recreational Fisheries Regulations and the Fisheries (General) Regulations PDF could not be exhaustively transcribed in-session; key provisions (regs 5, 12, 15, 17, and General Reg 43) are excerpted here. Confidence is medium: the legal status (spearfishing not permitted) is well supported, but the original 2001 gazette notice and certain marine fee schedules were sourced via secondary/aggregated channels rather than the primary gazette page.
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