El Salvador
Americas · Central America
El Salvador has no statute that names 'pesca submarina' (spearfishing) or 'arpon' (speargun) specifically. Recreational underwater fishing falls under 'pesca deportiva' (sport fishing), classified as a non-commercial extraction activity ('extraccion no comercial') under the Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura (Decree 637, 2001). Art. 39 states such activity 'shall be promoted' but must comply with minimum sizes, fishing gear, specific zones, catch limits and other rules set by regulation, and requires an authorization/license from the competent authority. Use of poisons and explosives is banned (Art. 31); a harpoon/speargun is a selective method and is not among the banned gear, but only methods authorized by the competent authority are lawful. Spearfishing is prohibited or tightly restricted inside the declared aquatic reserve areas (Art. 28), within 1 nautical mile of the lowest-tide line along the entire Salvadoran coast, and inside marine protected areas such as Complejo Los Cobanos and the Golfo de Fonseca (Art. 29), which fall under a special regime and (for Los Cobanos) under MARN authorization. As of 2026 the regulatory authority is the Autoridad Salvadorena de Economia Azul (ASEA), which replaced and liquidated CENDEPESCA. Spearfishing-specific provisions (license fee for an individual diver without a vessel, exact catch/size limits for sport divers) are not published as a distinct regime, hence confidence is medium.
Last updated May 1, 2026
Governing framework
- §Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637 (2001, with reforms marked (1))
- §Ley de Creacion de la Autoridad Salvadorena de Economia Azul - ASEA (2026), which liquidated CENDEPESCA and assumed its competencies
- License required
- Required
- 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.
Definition of sport fishing (pesca deportiva)
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
28) PESCA DEPORTIVA: Actividad de extraccion de recursos hidrobiologicos que se realiza para la recreacion, turismo y ejercicio fisico o competencia;
Classification of extraction into commercial and non-commercial (sport fishing is non-commercial)
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
Art. 25.- La extraccion se divide en comercial y no comercial. La extraccion comercial se subdivide en: industrial y artesanal. La extraccion no comercial se subdivide en: de investigacion, didactica, deportiva y de subsistencia.
Aquatic reserve areas and ban on non-selective / non-authorized methods
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
Art. 28.- LOS METODOS DE PESCA POR ARRASTRE Y AQUELLOS QUE NO SEAN SELECTIVOS O AUTORIZADOS POR LA AUTORIDAD COMPETENTE, QUEDAN PROHIBIDOS EN LAS AREAS DE RESERVA ACUATICA. PARA LOS EFECTOS DE ESTA LEY SE DECLARAN AREAS DE RESERVA ACUATICA LAS SIGUIENTES: LAS BOCANAS DE GARITA PALMERA, BARRA DE SANTIAGO, CORDONCILLO, DESEMBOCADURA DEL RIO LEMPA Y LA BAHIA DE JIQUILISCO QUE COMPRENDE LAS BOCANAS DE EL BAJON Y LA CHEPONA; CON UN AREA DE PROTECCION DE DOS MILLAS A PARTIR DE CADA EXTREMO DE LA BOCANA Y CINCO MILLAS MAR ADENTRO. DE IGUAL MANERA SE DECLARA AREA DE RESERVA ACUATICA LA DISTANCIA DE UNA MILLA MARINA CONTADA A PARTIR DE LA LINEA DE MAS BAJA MAREA EN TODA LA COSTA SALVADORENA.
Special regime for Los Cobanos and the Gulf of Fonseca
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
Art. 29.- Las areas de Los Cobanos y El Golfo de Fonseca estaran regulados por un regimen especial que determinara CENDEPESCA.
Prohibited extraction methods (poisons, explosives, non-authorized gear)
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
Art. 31.- Se prohibe el ejercicio de la extraccion usando venenos, explosivos u otros de similar efecto destructivo; asi como, cualquier metodo, sistemas, equipos, arte de pesca o cultivo no autorizado. Tambien se prohibe el uso de trasmallos en las bocanas y en los arrecifes naturales.
Ban on industrial fishing within 3 nautical miles; only artisanal, small-scale or non-commercial fishing allowed there
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
Art. 31-A.- SE PROHIBE LA PESCA INDUSTRIAL DENTRO DE LAS TRES MILLAS MARINAS CONTADAS DESDE LA LINEA DE MAS BAJA MAREA. DENTRO DE DICHA ZONA Y DESPUES DEL AREA DE RESERVA ACUATICA, UNICAMENTE PODRA AUTORIZARSE LA PESCA ARTESANAL, DE PEQUENA ESCALA O LA NO COMERCIAL.
Closed-season (veda) species may not be extracted
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
Art. 32.- Las especies declaradas en veda no podran ser objeto de extraccion en el periodo de veda establecido, a excepcion de los volumenes autorizados por CENDEPESCA para fines de evaluacion e investigacion.
Sport/recreational extraction must follow minimum sizes, gear, zones and catch limits
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
Art. 39.- La extraccion realizada por personas naturales o juridicas con fines deportivos o de esparcimiento se promovera y debera realizarse acorde a las tallas minimas, artes de pesca, zonas especificas, limites de captura y otras disposiciones que establezca el reglamento respectivo. La pesca deportiva tambien se podra realizar utilizando la autorizacion que para este fin se haya extendido a las personas naturales o juridicas autorizadas para un evento especifico.
Validity periods of sport-fishing authorizations (national vs foreign vessels)
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
e) Dos anos para la extraccion deportiva con embarcaciones nacionales; f) Treinta dias para extranjeros interesados en una extraccion deportiva con embarcaciones extranjeras; g) Por evento para los organizadores de torneos de pesca deportiva;
Access fees (canones) for sport fishing, in monthly minimum salaries (SMM)
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, Decreto Legislativo No. 637
Pesca Deportiva: a) Personas con embarcaciones nacionales, la Autorizacion y renovacion 1/2 de SMM y la licencia 1/2 de SMM; b) Personas con embarcaciones extranjeras, la Autorizacion y renovacion 1 (uno) SMM y la licencia 1 (uno) SMM; y c) Personas naturales o juridicas que organicen eventos de pesca deportiva, 1 (uno) SMM por evento y la licencia por embarcacion, de acuerdo a los literales anteriores, segun el caso.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
- ClosedMarine shrimp (camaron marino) - national closed seasonMay 2 – Jun 15
National 45-day closed season (veda) for marine shrimp announced 1 May 2026 by the Ministry of Economy through the Autoridad Salvadorena de Economia Azul (ASEA). Applies to extraction; violations are sanctioned under the Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura. Shrimp vedas are issued annually and dates vary by year.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
Apply to the competent authority (formerly CENDEPESCA, since 2026 the Autoridad Salvadorena de Economia Azul - ASEA) following the requirements in the respective regulation; vessel-based activity also needs a 'zarpe via la pesca' from the Maritime Authority (AMP).
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · elsalvador.eregulations.org
- Type
- Autorizacion y licencia de pesca deportiva (sport-fishing authorization/license); spearfishing falls under non-commercial sport-fishing extraction
- Cost
- Per Art. 64: national vessels - authorization/renewal 1/2 SMM and license 1/2 SMM; foreign vessels - authorization/renewal 1 SMM and license 1 SMM; tournament organizers - 1 SMM per event. SMM = monthly minimum salary for commerce/industry/services. Fee for an individual shore/free diver without a vessel is not separately specified.
- Validity
- 2 years for sport extraction with national vessels; 30 days for foreigners using foreign vessels; per-event for tournament organizers
- How to obtain
- Apply to the competent authority (formerly CENDEPESCA, since 2026 the Autoridad Salvadorena de Economia Azul - ASEA) following the requirements in the respective regulation; vessel-based activity also needs a 'zarpe via la pesca' from the Maritime Authority (AMP).
- Authority
- Autoridad Salvadorena de Economia Azul (ASEA), Ministerio de Economia (formerly CENDEPESCA, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderia)
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Poisons, explosives and other methods of similar destructive effect are prohibited (Art. 31).
- Any method, system, equipment or fishing gear not authorized by the competent authority is prohibited (Art. 31).
- Trasmallos (gillnets) are prohibited in river mouths (bocanas) and on natural reefs (Art. 31).
- Trawling and non-selective or non-authorized methods are prohibited in aquatic reserve areas (Art. 28).
The law does not name speargun/harpoon (arpon) or scuba specifically. A speargun is a selective gear and is not on the banned list, but only gear authorized by the competent authority is lawful; confirm speargun and scuba status with ASEA before fishing. Diving in protected areas such as Los Cobanos requires MARN authorization.
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
- ProtectedHawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) - critically endangered, protected; nesting at Los Cobanos
- ProtectedMarine sea turtles generally (subject to TED requirements and capture prohibitions)
Art. 39 requires sport extraction to respect minimum sizes (tallas minimas) and catch limits (limites de captura) set by regulation, but specific numeric values for spearfishing are not published in the consulted sources. Species under a declared veda (e.g. marine shrimp during the seasonal closure) may not be taken (Art. 32). Marine turtles are protected.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
AllowedSpecial license required
Requirements
- Obtain a sport-fishing authorization/license from the competent authority (ASEA); for foreign vessels the validity is 30 days (Art. on vigencia, literal f).
- Pay the access fee (canon): authorization/renewal 1 SMM and license 1 SMM for foreign-vessel sport fishing (Art. 64).
- Foreign-flagged vessels may be authorized for sport fishing under Art. 36.
Restrictions
- Must respect the same zone, gear, minimum-size, catch-limit and veda rules as nationals.
- Excluded from aquatic reserve areas and MARN protected areas (e.g. Los Cobanos, Golfo de Fonseca).
Foreigners are explicitly contemplated for sport fishing (pesca deportiva) under Art. 36 and the validity/fee schedules. No outright ban on foreign recreational fishers was found.
Residents
Autorizacion y licencia de pesca deportiva con embarcaciones nacionales (valid 2 years)
Requirements
- Apply to ASEA (formerly CENDEPESCA) and pay the access fee: authorization/renewal 1/2 SMM and license 1/2 SMM (Art. 64).
Benefits
- Longer validity (2 years) and lower fees than the foreign-vessel sport-fishing regime.
Subsistence/self-consumption artisanal fishing authorizations are exempt from fees, but that category is distinct from sport/recreational spearfishing.
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
Within 3 nautical miles of the lowest-tide line, and beyond the 1-nautical-mile aquatic reserve strip, only artisanal, small-scale or non-commercial (including sport/recreational) fishing may be authorized (Art. 31-A). Industrial fishing is banned here. Spearfishing as non-commercial recreational extraction is permissible subject to authorization, gear, size and catch-limit rules.
Requires authorization/license from ASEA (formerly CENDEPESCA); must respect minimum sizes, authorized gear, catch limits, and species vedas; excludes aquatic reserve areas and MARN protected areas.
Prohibited areas
- Aquatic reserve strip - 1 nautical mile along the entire Salvadoran coastaquatic reserve area (area de reserva acuatica)
Art. 28 declares an aquatic reserve area covering the distance of 1 nautical mile measured from the lowest-tide line along the entire Salvadoran coast, where non-selective or non-authorized fishing methods are prohibited.
- Bocanas de Garita Palmera, Barra de Santiago, Cordoncillo, desembocadura del Rio Lempa, and Bahia de Jiquilisco (Bocanas de El Bajon y La Chepona)aquatic reserve area (area de reserva acuatica)
Art. 28 declares these river mouths/estuary areas as aquatic reserve areas with a protection zone of 2 nautical miles from each end of the bocana and 5 nautical miles out to sea, where trawling and non-selective or non-authorized methods are prohibited.
- Area Marina Protegida Complejo Los Cobanosmarine protected area / Ramsar site / coral reef
First officially declared marine protected natural area in El Salvador (Executive Decree No. 22, 12 Feb 2008; Ramsar site since 2 Feb 2019). The only coral-reef formation between Mexico and Costa Rica. Subject to a special regime under Art. 29 of the fisheries law and zoned into public-use, sustainable-use and strict-protection zones; diving and other in-water activities require MARN authorization and ranger (guardarrecursos) supervision. Critical nesting site for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).
- Golfo de Fonsecaspecial-regime area
Shared trinational gulf (El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua) placed under a special fisheries regime determined by the competent authority under Art. 29 of the fisheries law.
Conditions on the water
Live conditions
Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in El Salvador, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.
Live marine & weather near Area Marina Protegida Complejo Los Cobanos.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Autoridad Salvadorena de Economia Azul (ASEA)
fisheries and aquaculture authority
elsalvador.comAutonomous entity under the Ministerio de Economia; assumed all fisheries/aquaculture competencies from CENDEPESCA in 2026 (issuing licenses, setting vedas, catch quotas, minimum sizes and fishing methods).Centro de Desarrollo de la Pesca y la Acuicultura (CENDEPESCA)
fisheries authority (liquidated 2026, replaced by ASEA)
elsalvador.eregulations.orgFormer General Directorate of the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderia (MAG); competent authority under Decree 637 until liquidation in 2026.Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN)
environment ministry
marn.gob.svManages protected natural areas; diving/in-water activity in marine protected areas such as Los Cobanos requires MARN authorization and ranger supervision.Autoridad Maritima Portuaria (AMP)
maritime authority
elsalvador.eregulations.orgIssues fishing-skipper/sailor credentials and the 'zarpe via la pesca' required to navigate to fishing zones.
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura (Decreto Legislativo No. 637, 2001) - full PDF via eRegulations El Salvador
Officialelsalvador.eregulations.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [02]
Pesca - catalogo de tramites (fishing procedures), eRegulations El Salvador
Officialelsalvador.eregulations.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [03]
El Salvador establece veda nacional de camaron marino por 45 dias (2 May - 15 Jun 2026), Infobae
Secondaryinfobae.comAccessed Jun 14 - [04]
Area Marina Protegida Complejo Los Cobanos (coordinates, protected status, Ramsar), Wikipedia (es)
Secondaryes.wikipedia.orgAccessed Jun 14 - [05]
Economia azul en El Salvador: que es la ASEA y como impactara la pesca y la acuicultura, El Salvador (elsalvador.com)
Secondaryelsalvador.comAccessed Jun 14 - [06]
Gobierno propone crear ASEA para sustituir a CENDEPESCA en El Salvador (elsalvador.com)
Secondaryelsalvador.comAccessed Jun 14 - [07]
Spearfishing in El Salvador C.A. - DeeperBlue.com community forum thread
communityforums.deeperblue.comAccessed Jun 14
Researcher notes
El Salvador has no spearfishing-specific statute; underwater fishing is governed as 'pesca deportiva' (sport/recreational), a non-commercial extraction category under Decree 637 (Ley General de Ordenacion y Promocion de Pesca y Acuicultura, 2001). Verbatim articles were extracted from the official law PDF hosted on the government eRegulations portal. Key constraints: (1) only authorized/selective gear is lawful (poisons and explosives banned, Art. 31); a speargun is selective and not listed as banned, but ASEA authorization of the method should be confirmed; (2) prohibited/restricted areas include the 1 nm aquatic reserve strip along the whole coast, named estuary reserves (Art. 28), Los Cobanos and the Golfo de Fonseca special regimes (Art. 29); (3) sport fishing requires an authorization/license and access fee (Art. 39, 64), with 2-year validity for nationals and 30-day for foreign vessels; (4) species vedas apply (e.g. national marine shrimp closure 2 May - 15 Jun 2026). IMPORTANT institutional change: in 2026 CENDEPESCA was liquidated and replaced by the Autoridad Salvadorena de Economia Azul (ASEA) under the Ministry of Economy, which now issues licenses and sets vedas, catch quotas, minimum sizes and methods. Exact spearfishing catch/size limits and the licensing path for an individual diver without a vessel were not found in published sources, so data_confidence is medium. Diving in marine protected areas (Los Cobanos) additionally requires MARN authorization. last_updated reflects the most recent dated source (the 1 May 2026 veda announcement).
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