Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Americas · Caribbean
Spearfishing is heavily restricted. It is strictly forbidden to visitors/foreigners, and fishing with spearguns, scuba or hookah gear is treated as illegal under the Fisheries Act 1986 (Cap. 52) and Fisheries Regulations 1987 (S.R.O. No. 1 of 1987). The Act empowers the Minister to regulate scuba use and to regulate or prohibit spear guns. Spearing lobster is prohibited nationally. All fishing (including spearfishing) is banned inside marine protected areas such as the Tobago Cays Marine Park, the South Coast Marine Conservation Area and the Bequia/Devil's Table reserves. Residents may fish for their own consumption outside protected areas; any non-resident fishing requires a permit from the Chief Fisheries Officer.
Last updated August 1, 2025
Governing framework
- §Fisheries Act, Cap. 52 (Act No. 8 of 1986, amended by Act 32 of 1986 and Act 25 of 1989)
- §Fisheries Regulations, S.R.O. No. 1 of 1987
- §Tobago Cays Marine Park Act, 1999
- §Mustique Conservation Act, 1989
- License required
- Required
- Speargun
- Prohibited
- Scuba
- Prohibited
- Foreigners
- Not allowed
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.
Regulation-making powers: scuba gear and spear guns
Fisheries Act, Cap. 52 (Act No. 8 of 1986)
(g) regulating the use of scuba gear; (h) regulating or prohibiting the use of spear guns or other similar devices;
Marine reserves
Fisheries Act, Cap. 52 (Act No. 8 of 1986)
22. (1) The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, declare any area of the fishery waters and, as appropriate, any adjacent or surrounding land, to be a marine reserve where he considers that special measures are necessary- (a) to afford special protection to the flora and fauna of such areas and to protect and preserve the natural breeding grounds and habitats of aquatic life, with particular regard to flora and fauna in danger of extinction; (b) to allow for the natural regeneration of aquatic life in areas where such life has been depleted; (c) to promote scientific study and research in respect of such areas; or (d) to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of such areas. (2) Any person who, in any marine reserve, without permission granted under subsection (3); (a) fishes or attempts to fish; (b) takes or destroys any flora and fauna other than fish; (c) dredges or extracts sand or gravel, discharges or deposits waste or any other polluting matter, or in any way disturbs, alters or destroys the natural environment; or (d) constructs or erects any buildings or other structures on or over any land or waters within such a reserve; is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of one thousand dollars.
Prohibited fishing methods (explosives, poison, noxious substances)
Fisheries Act, Cap. 52 (Act No. 8 of 1986)
24. (1) Any person who- (a) permits to be used, uses or attempts to use any explosive, poison or other noxious substance for the purpose of killing, stunning, disabling or catching fish, or in any way rendering fish more easily caught; or (b) carries or has in his possession or control any explosive, poison or other noxious substance for any of the purposes referred to in paragraph (a); is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of two thousand five hundred dollars. (2) Any explosive, poison or other noxious substance found on board any fishing vessel shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to be intended for the purpose referred to in subsection (1)(a).
Regulation-making powers: management/conservation, closed seasons, prohibited methods, turtles/lobsters/conches
Fisheries Act, Cap. 52 (Act No. 8 of 1986)
(b) prescribing fisheries management and conservation measures including prescribed mesh sizes, gear standards, minimum species sizes, closed seasons, closed areas, prohibited methods of fishing or fishing gear and schemes for limiting entry into all or any specified fisheries; ... (f) organising and regulating sport fishing in the fishery waters; ... (q) prescribing measures for the protection of turtles, lobsters and conches;
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
- ClosedCaribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus)May 1 – Aug 31
Closed season for lobster. Reported as 1 May - 31 August by some secondary sources and 1 May - 30 September by others; taking or buying lobster out of season is prohibited, as is taking berried (egg-bearing) or moulting individuals. Exact dates should be confirmed with the Fisheries Division.
- ClosedSea turtlesMar 1 – Jul 31
Turtles are protected during the nesting season 1 March - 31 July; harming nests or collecting eggs is never permitted.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
Visitors must obtain a fishing permit from the Chief Fisheries Officer in Kingstown before fishing. Spearfishing is forbidden to visitors regardless of permit.
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · agriculture.gov.vc
- Type
- Fishing permit / licence (visitors require a permit from the Chief Fisheries Officer; spearfishing not permitted for visitors)
- Cost
- unknown
- Validity
- unknown
- How to obtain
- Visitors must obtain a fishing permit from the Chief Fisheries Officer in Kingstown before fishing. Spearfishing is forbidden to visitors regardless of permit.
- Authority
- Fisheries Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Fishing with spearguns, trammel nets, scuba or hookah equipment is reported as illegal
- Fisheries Act s.45(2)(h) empowers the Minister to regulate or prohibit the use of spear guns; s.45(2)(g) to regulate scuba gear
- No person may spear lobster
- Spearfishing is strictly forbidden to visitors/foreigners
- Spearfishing prohibited inside all marine protected areas
- Use of explosives, poison or other noxious substances to catch fish is prohibited (Fisheries Act s.24)
The blanket spearfishing/scuba prohibitions for visitors and inside protected areas are well documented in secondary sources and government notices; the precise verbatim wording of the speargun/scuba prohibition sits in the Fisheries Regulations 1987 (S.R.O. No. 1 of 1987), the full text of which was not retrievable online. The Fisheries Act enabling powers are quoted verbatim.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
unknown
Minimum sizes
- Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) - minimum carapace lengthmin 8.9 cm
- Queen conch (Aliger gigas) - minimum shell lengthmin 17.8 cm
Protected species — do not take
- ProtectedSea turtles (protected during nesting season)
- ProtectedParrotfish (removal illegal in marine protected areas)
- ProtectedCorals
- ProtectedSponges
- ProtectedSea stars
- ProtectedAquarium fish
- ProtectedBerried (egg-bearing) and moulting lobster
- ProtectedImmature/non-flared-lip queen conch
Spiny lobster: minimum carapace length about 3.5 inches (~8.9 cm) and minimum weight ~1.5 lb; taking berried or moulting individuals prohibited; no speared/hooked/impaled lobster may be possessed or sold. Queen conch: minimum shell length 7 inches (~17.8 cm) and meat weight 8 ounces; only flared-lip (mature) conch may be taken. Size limits sourced from secondary summaries of the Fisheries Regulations 1987; verify exact figures with the Fisheries Division.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
Not allowedSpecial license required
Requirements
- Any fishing by visitors requires a permit from the Chief Fisheries Officer in Kingstown
Restrictions
- Spearfishing is strictly forbidden to visitors/foreigners
- Speargun, scuba and hookah fishing illegal
- No fishing of any kind inside marine protected areas
Foreigners/visitors may not spearfish under any circumstances. General (non-spear) fishing by visitors is subject to obtaining a permit from the Chief Fisheries Officer.
Residents
Fisherman registration / licence under the Fisheries Act and Regulations
Requirements
- Registration/licensing of fishermen, fishing vessels and gear under the Fisheries Act (s.45(2)(e))
Benefits
- Residents may fish for their own consumption in open waters outside marine protected areas
Even for residents, spearguns/scuba/hookah fishing and spearing of lobster are prohibited, and spearfishing is banned inside marine protected areas.
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
Fishing for one's own consumption is allowed for residents outside the designated protected areas. Spearfishing remains forbidden to visitors and spearing lobster is prohibited everywhere; speargun/scuba/hookah fishing is treated as illegal nationwide.
No spearguns, scuba or hookah gear; no spearing of lobster; visitors require a permit from the Chief Fisheries Officer and may not spearfish.
Prohibited areas
- Tobago Cays Marine Parkmarine park
All fishing is prohibited, including spearfishing, trolling and angling. A 1,400-acre sand-bottom lagoon enclosing five cays (Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac, Jamesby), Mayreau and the Horseshoe Reef. Established under the Tobago Cays Marine Park Act, 1999.
- South Coast Marine Conservation Area (SCMCA)marine conservation area
Marine managed area covering the communities of Blue Lagoon/Canash/Ratho Mill, Calliaqua, Indian Bay, Young Island and Villa on the south coast of St Vincent. Spearfishing is strictly prohibited and the removal of parrotfish and coral is illegal; signage installed by the Fisheries Division. Designated as a Marine Conservation Area in 1987 and declared a Marine Managed Area in 2015.
Marine park off Bequia; off-limits to anglers. Part of the network of marine protected areas where fishing is prohibited.
- Mustique conservation areasconservation area
Conservation areas on and around Mustique managed under the Mustique Conservation Act, 1989. Listed among the country's marine protected areas where fishing is restricted/prohibited.
Conditions on the water
Live conditions
Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.
Live marine & weather near Tobago Cays Marine Park.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Fisheries Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation
fisheries authority
agriculture.gov.vcChief Fisheries Officer, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesTobago Cays Marine Park
marine protected area authority
tobagocays.orgTobago Cays Marine Park Board
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Laws of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Fisheries Act, Cap. 52 (Revised Edition 1990) - FAOLEX
Officialfaolex.fao.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [02]
Fishers reminded of spearfishing ban in SVG waters - St Vincent Times
Secondarystvincenttimes.comAccessed Jun 15 - [03]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - NOAA Fisheries 2025 report
Officialfisheries.noaa.govAccessed Jun 15 - [04]
Legal & Regulatory Framework - Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation (Govt of SVG)
Officialagriculture.gov.vcAccessed Jun 15 - [05]
Caribbean Fishing - Laws and Regulations (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines section)
Secondaryhashtagboatlife.comAccessed Jun 15 - [06]
St. Vincent & the Grenadines scuba/marine regulations - DiveGuide
communitydiveguide.comAccessed Jun 15 - [07]
Tobago Cays - Wikipedia (boundaries and coordinates)
Secondaryen.wikipedia.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [08]
Reconstruction of marine fisheries catches for St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Sea Around Us, 2015)
Secondaryseaaroundus.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [09]
SCMCA - communities of Blue Lagoon/Canash/Ratho Mill, Calliaqua, Indian Bay, Young Island and Villa (ICRI/SocMon)
Secondaryicriforum.orgAccessed Jun 15
Researcher notes
Spearfishing in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is best classified as RESTRICTED bordering on prohibited: it is banned outright for visitors/foreigners, banned inside all marine protected areas, and speargun/scuba/hookah fishing is treated as illegal; spearing lobster is prohibited nationally. The governing primary law is the Fisheries Act, Cap. 52 (Act No. 8 of 1986), whose verbatim enabling and conservation provisions (ss. 22, 24, 45) are captured here from the official FAOLEX text. The operational spearfishing/scuba prohibition and the lobster/conch size and closed-season rules are set out in the subsidiary Fisheries Regulations 1987 (S.R.O. No. 1 of 1987); the full verbatim text of those Regulations could not be retrieved online, so those specifics rely on government notices and reputable secondary summaries and are flagged accordingly. Lobster closed-season dates are reported inconsistently across sources (1 May - 31 Aug vs 1 May - 30 Sep) and minimum-size figures are converted from imperial units; both should be confirmed with the Fisheries Division before relying on them. Confidence is MEDIUM: the primary Act text is verbatim and authoritative, but the precise spearfishing prohibition wording and some quantitative limits come from secondary sources.
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