Russian Federation
Europe · Eastern Europe
Recreational spearfishing (подводная охота) is legal in Russia and is treated as a method of recreational/amateur fishing (любительское рыболовство). On water bodies of common use citizens may fish freely and free of charge, without a license or permit. However, spearfishing is subject to method restrictions set by Federal Law No. 475-FZ of 25.12.2018 'On Amateur Fishing': it is PROHIBITED to spearfish (a) in places of mass public recreation, (b) using individual electronic devices for detecting aquatic biological resources underwater (e.g. fish-finders), (c) using scuba/aqualungs and other autonomous breathing apparatus, and (d) using spearfishing gear above the surface of the water. In addition, region-specific Fishing Rules (Правила рыболовства) for each of the 8 federal fishery basins impose closed seasons (e.g. underwater hunting banned on inland waters in the Azov-Black Sea basin from 15 November to 31 March), daily catch limits (e.g. 5 kg/day in the Azov-Black Sea basin), minimum legal sizes and protected-species lists. Sturgeon and Red Book species are fully protected. Foreigners may spearfish under the same general rules.
Last updated June 15, 2026
Governing framework
- §Federal Law No. 166-FZ of 20.12.2004 'On Fishery and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources' (О рыболовстве и сохранении водных биологических ресурсов)
- §Federal Law No. 475-FZ of 25.12.2018 'On Amateur Fishing and on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation' (О любительском рыболовстве), in force from 01.01.2020, as amended 29.05.2024
- §Order of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 1 of 09.01.2020 'On approval of the Fishing Rules for the Azov-Black Sea fishery basin' (and basin-specific Fishing Rules for the other 7 fishery basins)
- License required
- Not 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.
Restrictions on amateur fishing by the underwater extraction method (spearfishing)
Federal Law No. 475-FZ of 25.12.2018 'On Amateur Fishing'
запрет на осуществление любительского рыболовства способом подводной добычи водных биоресурсов (подводной охоты): а) в местах массового отдыха граждан; б) с использованием индивидуальных электронных средств обнаружения водных биоресурсов под водой; в) с использованием аквалангов и других автономных дыхательных аппаратов; г) с применением орудий добычи (вылова), используемых для подводной добычи (вылова) водных биоресурсов, над поверхностью водных объектов
Water bodies on which amateur fishing is permitted (free and without charge)
Federal Law No. 475-FZ of 25.12.2018 'On Amateur Fishing'
Любительское рыболовство осуществляется гражданами Российской Федерации свободно и бесплатно на водных объектах общего пользования, за исключением случаев, предусмотренных настоящим Федеральным законом и другими федеральными законами. На водных объектах, которые находятся в собственности граждан или юридических лиц, любительское рыболовство осуществляется в соответствии с гражданским и земельным законодательством.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
- ClosedUnderwater hunting (подводная охота) on inland water bodies of the Azov-Black Sea fishery basinNov 15 – Mar 31
In the Azov-Black Sea fishery basin, underwater hunting (подводная охота) on inland water bodies (внутренние водные объекты) is prohibited from 15 November to 31 March. Established by the Fishing Rules for the Azov-Black Sea fishery basin (Order of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 1 of 09.01.2020). Closed/spawning-season periods differ between the 8 federal fishery basins; each basin's Fishing Rules must be checked for the relevant region.
- RestrictedSpawning periods (нерестовый запрет) across fishery basins
Each of the 8 federal fishery basins sets its own spawning-season restrictions in its Fishing Rules. During declared spawning periods amateur fishing, including spearfishing, is restricted or prohibited on specified water bodies. Exact dates vary by basin and region and are updated annually by the territorial fishery basin administrations.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
- Type
- No license required for amateur fishing on public water bodies. Named single-use permits (именные разовые лицензии) apply only to certain rare/quota species and to fee-based fishing plots (рыболовные участки).
- Cost
- Free of charge on water bodies of common use. Named single-use permits for special species are priced by regional administrations of the Federal Agency for Fisheries.
- Validity
- n/a for general amateur fishing
- How to obtain
- No action required for general amateur/spearfishing on public waters. For fee-based fishing plots or special-species permits, apply to the relevant territorial administration of the Federal Agency for Fisheries (Росрыболовство) or the plot operator.
- Authority
- Federal Agency for Fisheries (Росрыболовство) and its territorial basin administrations
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Scuba gear and other autonomous breathing apparatus (акваланги и другие автономные дыхательные аппараты) are prohibited for spearfishing — breath-hold (freediving) only.
- Individual electronic devices for detecting aquatic biological resources underwater (fish-finders/echo sounders) are prohibited.
- Use of underwater extraction gear above the surface of the water is prohibited.
- Spearfishing prohibited in places of mass public recreation.
Spearguns and underwater hunting rifles (специальные подводные ружья и пистолеты) are the legal gear for подводная охота. Spearfishing is a breath-hold activity in Russia; any form of compressed-air/autonomous breathing apparatus makes it illegal (treated as poaching).
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
Set per fishery basin by the Fishing Rules. Example: in the Azov-Black Sea fishery basin the total daily catch (вылов) for all aquatic biological resources is no more than 5 kg, or 1 specimen if it weighs more than 5 kg.
Protected species — do not take
- ProtectedSturgeon species (осетровые виды рыб)
- ProtectedSpecies listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (виды, занесенные в Красную книгу Российской Федерации)
- ProtectedShemaya (шемая) - in the Azov-Black Sea basin
- ProtectedEgg-/larvae-bearing female freshwater crayfish (самки рака пресноводного, вынашивающие икру и личинок) - in the Azov-Black Sea basin
Minimum legal sizes (промысловый размер) and species-specific daily limits are defined separately in each basin's Fishing Rules and must be checked per region. Daily limits and protected-species examples here are from the Azov-Black Sea fishery basin Rules (Order of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 1 of 09.01.2020).
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
AllowedRequirements
- Follow the same Federal Law 475-FZ method restrictions and the regional Fishing Rules as Russian citizens.
Restrictions
- Access restrictions apply in border zones (пограничная зона) and on lands of defence and security; a border-zone permit may be required to fish in those areas.
- Specially protected natural territories and military zones may be off-limits.
Federal Law 475-FZ frames the free-and-without-charge right around citizens of the Russian Federation; in practice amateur fishing on public waters is open to all, but foreigners should verify border-zone (FSB pogranzona) access rules near coasts and frontier waters.
Residents
No license required for amateur fishing on public water bodies
Requirements
- Comply with Federal Law 475-FZ restrictions and the applicable basin Fishing Rules (closed seasons, daily limits, minimum sizes, protected species).
Benefits
- Fishing freely and free of charge on water bodies of common use.
Indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East have separate subsistence-fishing rules; these are outside the recreational amateur-fishing regime.
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
Amateur fishing, including spearfishing, is conducted freely and free of charge on public water bodies, subject to the method restrictions of Federal Law 475-FZ and the basin-specific Fishing Rules. Scuba/aqualung use, electronic fish-detection devices, places of mass recreation and use of gear above the water surface are excluded.
No scuba/aqualung; no electronic fish-finders underwater; not in mass-recreation areas; no use of spearfishing gear above the water surface; observe basin closed seasons, daily catch limits, minimum sizes and protected-species lists.
Prohibited areas
- Places of mass public recreation (места массового отдыха граждан)public recreation area
Spearfishing is prohibited in designated mass public recreation areas (e.g. public bathing beaches) under Federal Law 475-FZ, Article 7, Part 1, Clause 4(a).
- Lands of defence and security; specially protected natural areasmilitary / protected natural area
Amateur fishing (and therefore spearfishing) may be prohibited or restricted on water bodies located on lands of defence and security and within specially protected natural territories, per Federal Law 475-FZ, Article 6.
- Aquaculture ponds, watered quarries and ponds used for commercial aquacultureaquaculture / private water body
Amateur fishing is prohibited on water bodies used for pond aquaculture and on certain ponds/watered quarries, per Federal Law 475-FZ, Article 6.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Federal Agency for Fisheries (Федеральное агентство по рыболовству, Росрыболовство)
fisheries authority
Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation (Министерство сельского хозяйства РФ)
ministry (issues the Fishing Rules for each fishery basin)
Azov-Black Sea Territorial Administration / AzNIIRKh (VNIRO branch)
regional fishery basin administration / research institute
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Federal Law No. 475-FZ of 25.12.2018 'On Amateur Fishing' - Article 7 (Restrictions on amateur fishing) - ConsultantPlus
Officialconsultant.ruAccessed Jun 15 - [02]
Federal Law No. 475-FZ of 25.12.2018 'On Amateur Fishing' - full text (incl. Article 6) - ConsultantPlus
Officialconsultant.ruAccessed Jun 15 - [03]
Federal Law No. 475-FZ of 25.12.2018 (ed. 29.05.2024) - Kontur.Normativ
Secondarynormativ.kontur.ruAccessed Jun 15 - [04]
Federal Law No. 475-FZ of 25.12.2018 - Garant (Article 7 'Restrictions on amateur fishing')
Officialbase.garant.ruAccessed Jun 15 - [05]
Order of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 1 of 09.01.2020 'Fishing Rules for the Azov-Black Sea fishery basin' - cntd.ru
Officialdocs.cntd.ruAccessed Jun 15 - [06]
Fishing Rules for the Azov-Black Sea basin - AzNIIRKh (VNIRO) official page with PDF of Order No. 1
Officialazniirkh.vniro.ruAccessed Jun 15 - [07]
Right of Russian citizens to fish freely and free of charge on public water bodies - ConsultantPlus hotdocs
Officialconsultant.ruAccessed Jun 15 - [08]
Fishing Rules for the Azov-Black Sea fishery basin - official PDF (fish.gov.ru, Federal Agency for Fisheries)
Officialfish.gov.ruAccessed Jun 15
Researcher notes
Spearfishing in Russia is legal as breath-hold underwater hunting and is regulated as a method of amateur fishing under Federal Law 475-FZ (in force 01.01.2020). The four federal method prohibitions (Article 7 part 1 clause 4) are quoted verbatim from ConsultantPlus. Russia has 8 federal fishery basins, each with its own Fishing Rules (Правила рыболовства) issued by the Ministry of Agriculture; closed seasons, daily catch limits, minimum legal sizes and protected-species lists vary by basin and must be checked for the specific region. Concrete season/catch-limit figures captured here (Azov-Black Sea: underwater hunting banned on inland waters 15 Nov-31 Mar; 5 kg/day; sturgeon, shemaya and Red Book species protected) are sourced from the Azov-Black Sea basin Rules (Order No. 1 of 09.01.2020) and are illustrative of the basin model, not nationwide constants. The cntd.ru basin-rules page and the fish.gov.ru PDF could not be fully rendered by the fetch tool (timeout/large PDF), so the specific Azov-Black Sea dates and the 5 kg limit are corroborated via web-search summaries of those official documents rather than a verbatim fetch; size_limits[] left empty because exact per-species cm values were not retrieved verbatim. License: no license/permit is required for general amateur/spearfishing on public water bodies. data_confidence=high for the federal-law prohibitions (verbatim from official source); medium for the region-specific Azov-Black Sea figures.
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