Holy See
Europe · Southern Europe
The Holy See (Vatican City State) is the world's smallest independent state, a landlocked enclave of about 0.44 km2 entirely surrounded by the city of Rome, Italy. It has no sea coastline, no maritime claims, and no rivers or lakes within its territory; it merely lies on the west bank of the Tiber River, which is in Italian territory. The only water features are ornamental fountains and ponds in the Vatican Gardens. There is therefore no marine, coastal, or natural freshwater fishery in which spearfishing could take place, and no Vatican legislation regulating recreational fishing or spearfishing. In practice spearfishing is not possible in the Holy See. Any spearfishing in nearby waters would fall under Italian (and, for the sea, EU) law, not Holy See law.
Last updated June 15, 2026
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.
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
No applicable equipment regulations: the Holy See has no waters in which spearfishing could occur and no fishing legislation.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Not applicable. No fishery and no catch-limit legislation exist in the Holy See.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Not applicable. The Holy See has no coastline or fishable waters; spearfishing cannot be conducted there by anyone, resident or foreigner.
Residents
Not applicable. There is no fishing licensing regime in the Holy See.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Governorate of Vatican City State (Governatorato dello Stato della Citta del Vaticano)
territorial administration
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Holy See (Vatican City) - Maritime claims (IndexMundi, citing CIA World Factbook)
Secondaryindexmundi.comAccessed Jun 15 - [02]
Is the Vatican City landlocked? (StudyCountry)
Secondarystudycountry.comAccessed Jun 15 - [03]
Is the Vatican City landlocked? - Geographic FAQ Hub
Secondaryncesc.comAccessed Jun 15 - [04]
Vatican Gardens (Giardini Vaticani) - fountains and fish-pond (Peschiera)
Secondaryweekendinitaly.comAccessed Jun 15
Researcher notes
Minimal honest record. The Holy See / Vatican City State is landlocked (CIA-derived data: 'Maritime claims: none (landlocked)'), has no coastline, and contains no natural rivers or lakes within its ~0.44 km2 territory; it sits on the west bank of the Tiber River, which lies in Italian territory. The only water bodies are decorative Vatican Gardens fountains and ponds (including the 'Peschiera' / fish-pond). Consequently no marine or natural freshwater fishery exists, and the Holy See has enacted no fishing or spearfishing legislation; law_texts is empty because no relevant legal instrument exists. Spearfishing is effectively impossible within the Holy See. Persons interested in spearfishing in the surrounding region would be subject to Italian and EU law, which is out of scope for this Holy See record. data_confidence is 'high' for the conclusion (well-established geography), though it rests on the absence of any applicable regulation rather than a positive prohibiting statute.
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