SpearfishingMap

Madagascar

Africa · Eastern Africa

Recreational and sport fishing (which includes spearfishing/chasse sous-marine) is legal in Madagascar but regulated under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Code (Loi n° 2015-053). The Code does not name 'chasse sous-marine' explicitly, but classifies it within recreational fishing ('pêche récréative') and sport fishing ('pêche sportive'). Sport fishing requires a 'licence sportive'; all scientific, sport and recreational fishing activity must be the subject of a fishing protocol with the Ministry in charge of Fisheries, and any vessel/boat used must hold a fishing licence (Articles 41-42). Critically, Article 17 prohibits the use of any diving device allowing an immersion longer than natural breath-hold can sustain, which effectively bans spearfishing on scuba/compressed air (breath-hold/freedive spearfishing remains permitted). Explosives, toxic substances/baits and electric methods are also prohibited. Article 18 bans at all times the take of all protected and threatened species, corals, marine mammals, sea birds and sea turtles. Fishing/spearfishing is forbidden inside marine protected areas and fishing reserves (Article 89); in practice operators obtain a local Fisheries-office permit. Enforcement and implementing regulations are administered by the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (MPEB).

Restricted
Data confidenceMedium confidence

Last updated August 1, 2025

Governing framework

  • §Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture (Fisheries and Aquaculture Code), enacted 2 December 2015, published Journal officiel n° 3684, 16 May 2016
  • §Décret n° 2016-1492 du 6 décembre 2016 portant réorganisation générale des activités de pêche maritime (general reorganisation of maritime fishing activities, application of Law 2015-053)
License required
Required
Speargun
Allowed
Scuba
Prohibited
Foreigners
Welcome

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.

01Article 17Madagascar · national

Prohibited fishing methods - ban on prolonged-immersion diving devices, explosives, toxic substances and electric methods

Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture

FROriginal

Article 17: Aux termes de la présente loi, le Ministère en charge de la Pêche et de l'aquaculture prend toutes les mesures nécessaires pour minimiser les impacts des activités de pêche sur les ressources halieutiques et les écosystèmes aquatiques. A cet effet, il est interdit : - d'utiliser, dans l'exercice de la pêche, des substances ou appâts toxiques ; - de se servir de matières explosives et de techniques similaires ; - de faire usage de procédés électriques ; - d'utiliser tout dispositif de plongée permettant une immersion plus longue que celle autorisée par la seule respiration naturelle ; - d'utiliser tout engin, méthode et technique de pêche ou dispositif destructif et non sélectif ; - de détenir tout engin de pêche prohibé et substance explosive à bord d'une embarcation de pêche, sur et/ou à proximité d'un lieu de pêche ; - d'introduire ou de déverser dans le milieu aquatique de substances causant la pollution ; - de débarquer, d'immerger et/ou d'incinérer de substances nuisibles aux ressources halieutiques; - de détruire les frayères ou les zones de reproduction et de croissance ou d'alimentation des ressources halieutiques et les berges des plans d'eau ; - de commercialiser des engins de pêche non réglementaires ou prohibés.

02Article 18Madagascar · national

Protected and threatened species - permanent ban on take

Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture

FROriginal

Article 18 : Sont interdites, en tout temps et en tout lieu, conformément à la législation nationale en vigueur et aux Conventions internationales ratifiées par l'Etat malagasy, la pêche, la capture, la détention et la commercialisation de toutes espèces menacées et protégées, coraux, mammifères marins, oiseaux de mer, tortues marines et d'eau douce et/ou d'organismes aquatiques inscrites sur une liste établie par voie réglementaire et qui fait l'objet de mesures de conservation.

03Article 4 (Définitions)Madagascar · national

Definition of sport fishing - requires a sport licence

Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture

FROriginal

Pêche récréative : Activité de pêche pratiquée en amateur à des fins de loisirs et dans un but non lucratif. [...] Pêche sportive : Type de pêche pratiqué par des personnes en possession d'une licence sportive, qui a pour objectif le plaisir de la pratique dans la compétition ou non, et éventuellement la consommation de leurs prises.

04Articles 41-42Madagascar · national

Sport and recreational fishing - protocol and licence requirements

Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture

FROriginal

Article 41 : Toute activité de pêche scientifique, sportive et récréative doit faire l'objet d'un Protocole de pêche avec le Ministère en charge de la Pêche et de l'aquaculture. Article 42 : Tout navire ou embarcation de pêche scientifique, sportive et récréative doit être titulaire d'une licence de pêche délivrée par le Ministère en charge de la Pêche et de l'aquaculture. Le Ministère en charge de la Pêche et de l'aquaculture fixe les conditions et les modalités d'octroi des licences par voie réglementaire.

05Article 89Madagascar · national

Penalty for fishing in parks/reserves where fishing is prohibited

Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture

FROriginal

Article 89 : Quiconque exerce la pêche dans les parcs ou réserves de pêche où les activités halieutiques sont interdites est puni d'une amende de 5.000 $ à 10.000 $ et/ou d'une peine d'emprisonnement de trois (3) à six (6) mois. Il est procédé d'office à la saisie des produits de pêche collectés et vendus.

06Article 95Madagascar · national

Penalties for unlicensed fishing, prohibited gear and prohibited methods (small-scale/artisanal)

Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture

FROriginal

Article 95 : Est punie d'une amende de 250 $ à 2.500 $ et/ou d'une peine d'emprisonnement de trois (3) mois à six (6) mois avec saisie des captures et embarcation utilisée ainsi que la destruction des engins prohibés toute personne qui : a) exerce la pêche sans être autorisée ; b) fait usage ou détient des engins de pêche prohibés ou non réglementaires, des dispositifs altérant la sélectivité des engins de pêche ; c) utilise des méthodes de pêches interdites ; d) exerce la pêche dans une zone interdite à la pêche ou pendant la période de fermeture de la pêche; e) exerce la pêche, le débarquement, la détention, la vente, l'achat, le transport, le traitement et la transformation des espèces de ressources halieutiques : - dont la capture est prohibée ; - de taille non réglementaire ; - pendant les périodes de fermeture ; [...]

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.

License requiredvia Ministère de la Pêche et de l'Economie Bleue (Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy, MPEB)

Sport/recreational fishing must be covered by a fishing protocol with the Ministry in charge of Fisheries, and the vessel/boat used must hold a fishing licence (Loi 2015-053 Art. 41-42); conditions set by regulation. In practice, operators/divers obtain a spearfishing permit from the local Fisheries office (often arranged by charter operators).

Get your license

Opens the official portal · dcn-pac.mg

License required
Type
Sport fishing licence ('licence sportive') and/or recreational fishing protocol; in practice a local Fisheries-office permit
Cost
unknown
Validity
unknown
How to obtain
Sport/recreational fishing must be covered by a fishing protocol with the Ministry in charge of Fisheries, and the vessel/boat used must hold a fishing licence (Loi 2015-053 Art. 41-42); conditions set by regulation. In practice, operators/divers obtain a spearfishing permit from the local Fisheries office (often arranged by charter operators).
Authority
Ministère de la Pêche et de l'Economie Bleue (Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy, MPEB)

Gear & technique

Equipment rules

What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.

SpeargunAllowed
ScubaProhibited

Restrictions

  • Use of any diving device allowing immersion longer than natural breath-hold is prohibited (Loi 2015-053 Art. 17) - this bans spearfishing on scuba/compressed air; only breath-hold (freedive/apnea) spearfishing is permitted
  • Explosives and similar techniques are prohibited (Art. 17)
  • Toxic substances and toxic baits are prohibited (Art. 17)
  • Electric fishing methods/devices are prohibited (Art. 17)
  • Any destructive or non-selective gear, method or device is prohibited (Art. 17)

The Code does not specify a maximum number of spears for a speargun. Spearguns/harpoons are not named explicitly but fall under permitted fishing gear for breath-hold sport/recreational fishing, subject to the prohibited-methods list of Article 17.

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 threatened and protected species (per regulatory list) - Art. 18
  • ProtectedCorals
  • ProtectedMarine mammals
  • ProtectedSea birds
  • ProtectedSea turtles (marine and freshwater)

Article 18 of Loi 2015-053 bans, at all times and in all places, the fishing, capture, possession and sale of all threatened and protected species, corals, marine mammals, sea birds and turtles, plus aquatic organisms on a list set by regulation. Take of undersized fish or fish during closed periods is also penalised (Art. 95). Specific minimum sizes and daily bag limits are set by separate regulation and were not retrievable from a verified source.

Who may fish

Visitors & residents

How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.

Foreign visitors

Allowed

Special license required

Requirements

  • Sport/recreational fishing protocol with the Ministry in charge of Fisheries and a fishing licence for the vessel/boat used (Loi 2015-053 Art. 41-42)
  • In practice a spearfishing licence obtained from the local Fisheries office, frequently arranged by the dive/spearfishing charter operator

Restrictions

  • No spearfishing on scuba/compressed air - breath-hold only (Art. 17)
  • No spearfishing inside marine protected areas / national parks (e.g. Nosy Tanikely, Nosy Hara) (Art. 89)
  • No take of protected species, corals, turtles, marine mammals (Art. 18)
  • Commercial fishing is reserved to Malagasy-flagged vessels and Malagasy persons/entities; foreign vessels need fishing agreements/licences (Art. 25-26)

Recreational/sport spearfishing by foreign tourists is practised legally, typically through licensed charter operators who arrange the local Fisheries-office permit. There is no verified blanket ban on foreigners for recreational spearfishing, but the commercial fishing regime is nationality-restricted.

Residents

Sport fishing licence ('licence sportive') / recreational fishing protocol (Loi 2015-053 Art. 41-42, 46)

Requirements

  • Same protocol and licence requirements as for non-residents for sport/recreational fishing
  • Subsistence and small-scale ('petite pêche') fishing by Malagasy persons is governed by separate, lighter provisions

Subsistence fishing ('pêche de subsistance') and small-scale fishing ('petite pêche', motors under 15 CV, non-motorised boats or on foot) are distinct categories with their own access rules under the Code.

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

  • Marine national park (341 ha) off Nosy Be, NW Madagascar, established by decree on 6 September 2011. Fishing, harpooning (spearfishing) and net fishing have been forbidden here since 2010. Managed by Madagascar National Parks (MNP).

  • Nosy Hara National Park (Parc National de Nosy Hara)marine national park / protected area

    Marine and terrestrial protected area off the northwest coast (Diana Region), designated a marine protected area in 2007. Part of Madagascar's System of Protected Areas; fishing activities are restricted within the protected marine zone under Law 2015-053 Art. 89 governing parks and reserves.

  • Velondriake Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA)locally managed marine area / community reserve

    Community-managed marine area (~64,000 ha) in southwest Madagascar established 2006, including five permanent coral-reef reserves, two permanent mangrove reserves and periodic fisheries closures. Permanent reserves are no-take; spearfishing in these reserves is prohibited under local dina (community by-laws) and Law 2015-053 Art. 89.

Conditions on the water

Live conditions

Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in Madagascar, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.

Live marine & weather near Nosy Tanikely Marine National Park (Parc National Marin de Nosy Tanikely).

Conditions

Who to ask

Authorities

The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.

  • Ministère de la Pêche et de l'Economie Bleue (Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy, MPEB)

    fisheries authority

  • Madagascar National Parks (MNP)

    protected area authority

  • Centre de Surveillance des Pêches (CSP) / Direction des pêches

    fisheries surveillance / enforcement authority

    dcn-pac.mgunknown

Where this comes from

Sources

Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.

  1. [01]

    Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture (full text PDF, official Malagasy fisheries portal dcn-pac.mg)

    Official
    dcn-pac.mgAccessed Jun 14
  2. [02]

    Loi n° 2015-053 portant Code de la pêche et de l'aquaculture (FAOLEX record)

    Official
    faolex.fao.orgAccessed Jun 14
  3. [03]

    NOAA Fisheries - Madagascar comparability findings (Marine Mammal Protection Act import provisions), references Law No. 2015-053 Articles 18, 37, 38

    Official
    fisheries.noaa.govAccessed Jun 14
  4. [04]

    Résumé du décret n°2016-1492 et de la Loi 2015-053 (mg2.mofcom.gov.cn policy note)

    Secondary
    mg2.mofcom.gov.cnAccessed Jun 14
  5. [05]

    Nosy Tanikely National Park - fishing, harpooning and net fishing forbidden since 2010 (MADAMAGAZINE)

    Secondary
    madamagazine.comAccessed Jun 14
  6. [06]

    Nosy Tanikely National Park (Wikipedia) - establishment, area, coordinates, MNP management

    Secondary
    en.wikipedia.orgAccessed Jun 14
  7. [07]

    Nosy Hara National Park (Wikipedia) - MPA since 2007, coordinates

    Secondary
    en.wikipedia.orgAccessed Jun 14
  8. [08]

    Velondriake LMMA (Wikipedia) - community-managed marine reserves, no-take zones

    Secondary
    en.wikipedia.orgAccessed Jun 14
  9. [09]

    Spearfishing Legality East Africa - Madagascar (Extreme Blue Water Spearfishing)

    community

Researcher notes

Spearfishing in Madagascar is legal but restricted, classified within recreational ('pêche récréative') and sport ('pêche sportive') fishing under Loi n° 2015-053 (Fisheries and Aquaculture Code). The Code never names 'chasse sous-marine' explicitly. The single most spearfishing-relevant rule is Article 17, which prohibits 'tout dispositif de plongée permettant une immersion plus longue que celle autorisée par la seule respiration naturelle' - i.e. spearfishing on scuba/compressed air is banned; only breath-hold (freedive) spearfishing is allowed. Sport fishing requires a 'licence sportive'; Articles 41-42 require a fishing protocol with the Ministry and a fishing licence for the vessel used. Articles 18 (protected species) and 89/95 (penalties, including for fishing in parks/reserves) apply. Marine protected areas are no-go: Nosy Tanikely explicitly forbids harpooning since 2010. Verbatim law text was extracted from the official dcn-pac.mg PDF of Loi 2015-053 (text-layer extraction via pdftotext) and cross-checked against the NOAA 2025 report and the MOFCOM policy summary. Specific daily bag limits, minimum sizes and licence fees are set by separate implementing regulations and could not be retrieved from a verified primary source, hence confidence is 'medium' rather than 'high'. Date 2025-08-01 reflects the most recent verified source (NOAA report, Aug 2025).

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