Rwanda · Spearfishing zone
Lake Kivu (Kivu Region fishing zone)
What this zone is
Overview
How spearfishing is treated at Lake Kivu (Kivu Region fishing zone).
Largest fishable lake; comprises Rusizi, Nyamasheke, Karongi, Rutsiro and Rubavu Districts. Fishing is permitted only with authorised net/hook gears, only during night hours (5 p.m.-7 a.m.), only beyond set distances from shore (200 m for limnothrissa, 50 m for tilapia/clarias, 30 m for haplochromis), and never in bays. No spearfishing-specific authorisation exists.
What applies here
Restrictions
Specific rules and limits that apply within this area.
Licence required; only authorised net/long-line-hook gears (Art. 18); night-only hours (Art. 21); minimum distance from shore; fishing in bays prohibited; speargun/harpoon not a recognised legal method.
When it applies
Seasons
Time-of-year periods that affect spearfishing in this zone.
Subject to annual biological break (min. 2 months, dates set per lake) under Article 25.
On the coast
Location
Approximate reference point for this zone. See the full picture on the interactive map.
2.0500°S, 29.2500°E
View on the mapSource
This zone is documented in the official source below.
Before you dive
License for Rwanda
Whether you need a license to spearfish here, and how to get one.
Apply to the authority in charge of aquaculture and fisheries development (Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board, RAB). Under Law 58/2008 Art. 16, fishing licences are issued via the District (based on the Mayor's report). Sport licences may be issued to individuals, hotels or guest houses.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · rwandalii.org