spearo.app
Guide · Brazil

Spearfishing in Brazil

Brazil is a vast, warm coast with one cold treasure: the Região dos Lagos upwelling, where Arraial do Cabo and Cabo Frio give gin-clear water most of the year. Spearfishing is legal nationwide, but breath-hold only — scuba, compressor and hookah are banned while hunting by a federal rule.

The common thread along the whole coast is reading the water: the wind, the river plumes (Rio Doce and the estuaries) and the tides, stronger in the south. There is no national seasonal hardstop — only species closed seasons apply. This guide explains the law, walks the coast from the Northeast to Santa Catarina and hands you to the city pages, where the water is worked out for the day.

One date to keep in mind: on 28 April 2026 the national list of threatened species was replaced wholesale, and some familiar targets closed. The full breakdown, with acts and links, is in the companion guide "Regras e leis da pesca submarina no Brasil".

Open the flagship — Arraial do Cabo →

The rules in brief

The text in force is Portaria SAP/MAPA nº 616/2022. The essentials:

The Região dos Lagos upwelling — the cold heart

At Cabo Frio the coast turns and the trade wind pushes warm surface water offshore — cold, clear water rises from below (ressurgência). Arraial do Cabo and Cabo Frio get 16–20 °C water and a visibility found nowhere else in the Southeast. It works on a NE wind and collapses in a long SW.

An important legal nuance: Arraial do Cabo itself is a RESEX Marinha. Amateur spearfishing there is allowed ONLY to local "Categoria C" beneficiaries with ICMBio authorisation (Acordo de Gestão, §69) — for a visitor that is effectively a ban. Dive it for the water, but without a gun, and plan the hunting from Cabo Frio, Búzios and Macaé.

Species, sizes and closed seasons

On 28 April 2026 Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026 replaced the national threatened-species list and revoked Portaria MMA nº 445/2014; and Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3º) placed EW/CR/EN and VU under integral protection. The practical effect is blunt: the "no" list grew, and some familiar targets left the menu for good.

Absolute ban — mero (Epinephelus itajara): CR status, catching, holding and transport closed year-round, fines up to R$ 100,000 plus gear seizure. The garoupa-verdadeira (E. marginatus) is VU but has a Recovery Plan and management rules, so its rules are under the art. 11 review — until the outcome is published the correct answer is "the rules are under review", not "you can". Parrotfish are never a target: Portaria Interministerial nº 63/2018, art. 4º sole para. expressly bans "a pesca amadora" of them.

SpeciesSize / status
Goliath grouper (mero)no-take, year-round
Black grouper, yellowmouth grouper, red grouper, cuberaon the 1.667/2026 list — no-take
Grey triggerfish, comb grouperclosed from 25 Oct 2026 (art. 12 transition)
Dusky grouperVU: rules under review; the earlier regime — 47–73 cm, closed 1 Nov–28 Feb
Parrotfish (Scarus / Sparisoma)amateur fishing banned (Port. Interm. 63/2018)
Common snook / fat snook50 / 30 cm in the SE and S; closed by state (ES, BA)
Bluefish35 cm; closed 1 Dec–31 Mar in PR, SC, RS
Sharks and raysdo not shoot them at all — under art. 3º
Amberjack, mahi-mahi, jackno national size in SE/S

Where you can't — no-take zones

Inside every federal "proteção integral" zone hunting is completely banned. Stay clear of: REBIO Marinha do Arvoredo (right against Florianópolis and Bombinhas), PE Marinho da Laje de Santos (Santos/Guarujá), ESEC Tamoios (Angra dos Reis), REVIS de Alcatrazes (São Sebastião) and the Abrolhos and Fernando de Noronha marine parks.

In "uso sustentável" units it is the ZONING that decides, not the unit's name. Three examples where the rule has been read: in APA Costa dos Corais (AL/PE) the ZUCO, ZPRE and ZUMO are closed and the ZPRO is open; in APA Marinha do Litoral Norte (SP) amateur fishing is absent from Z1M's permitted list and named expressly for Z2M and Z2ME; the RESEX Marinha do Arraial do Cabo is closed outright to a visitor. The state layer is real too: in Santa Catarina the rule closes a 50 m band along the beaches and the first 50 m of the adjacent costões.

Safety

Never dive alone — a buddy on every dive is mandatory against blackout. In the Northeast, especially at Recife (Boa Viagem), the shark risk is real: Pernambuco is known for attacks; do not hunt close to shore there and do not keep speared fish on a stringer against your body. In the Southeast and South the danger is different — current and boat traffic: a flagged float is mandatory, and in the bays of Angra and Ilhabela stay clear of the channels.

Where to dive, by region

South Coast

Brazil's subtropical south (Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul) — cooler water, rock points and islands that open in the summer calms.

  • Torres — The only basalt headland coast in Rio Grande do Sul: the Parque da Guarita walls and Praia da Cal give shore entries the rest of the state's sandy, murky coast lacks.
  • São Francisco do Sul — An island at the far north of Santa Catarina with granite headlands and coves at Praia da Enseada and Praia Grande.
  • Balneário Camboriú — The vertical city of the Santa Catarina coast; hunting is on the headlands of the wild beaches to the south — Laranjeiras, Taquaras, Taquarinhas, Praia do Pinho — away from the murky urban front.
  • Bombinhas — Santa Catarina's dive capital: a granite peninsula with crystal water, headlands and sheltered coves at Bombas, Sepultura, Mariscal and Canto Grande.
  • Porto Belo — A sheltered bay north of the Bombinhas peninsula, with granite headlands and Porto Belo Island offshore.
  • Governador Celso Ramos — A granite-headland peninsula north of Florianópolis, with the coves of Palmas, Ganchos and Armação da Piedade.
  • Florianópolis — Santa Catarina island is the heart of southern spearfishing: headlands on the east beaches (Mole, Galheta, Lagoinha do Leste) and Ilha do Xavier off Praia Mole, one of the most-cited spots, 5–18 m.
  • Garopaba — A fishing-and-surf village south of Florianópolis, with granite headlands at Silveira, Ferrugem and Praia do Ouvidor.
  • Imbituba — A port and historic whaling capital south of Garopaba; hunting is on the headlands of Praia do Rosa, Ibiraquera and Vila.
  • Laguna — The southernmost rocky point of Santa Catarina, at Cabo de Santa Marta and its lighthouse — the subtropical convergence edge, with a weak seasonal upwelling that occasionally clears and cools the water.
  • Balneário Barra do Sul — The only launching base for northern Santa Catarina's outer islands: Ilha Feia, Ilha das Araras, Ilha do Monteiro and the Tamboretes archipelago, some 11 km out.
  • Barra Velha — A real headland town: Costão dos Náufragos, Costão do Grant, Pedras Brancas e Negras — all shore entry — plus the Itacolomi islands some 6 km out.
  • Penha — A peninsula full of headlands — São Roque, Praia Vermelha, Poá, Paciência — plus Ilha Feia 4 km out, the municipality's only island.
  • Itapema — Itapema closes the 18 km between Balneário Camboriú and Porto Belo.
  • Palhoça — The city point sits at Praia da Pinheira, the municipality's real sea front — the town centre lies deep inside the South Bay in turbid water.
  • Itajaí — A port city at the mouth of the Itajaí-Açu river: the river plume and port traffic keep the northern half of the municipality turbid — divers working the Pallas wreck inside the channel reported strong current and zero visibility.

São Paulo Coast

The São Paulo coast (Ubatuba, Ilhabela, Guarujá) — warm water and sheltered island channels, clearest in the drier winter months.

  • Ubatuba — São Paulo's north coast with dozens of islands and headlands — the Couves, Comprida and Rapada archipelagos give walls and reefs from 3 to 25 m in clear water.
  • São Sebastião — The São Sebastião channel facing Ilhabela: granite headlands at Maresias, Toque-Toque and Boiçucanga with grouper, sand perch and snook.
  • Ilhabela — São Paulo's benchmark spearfishing archipelago: 30+ spots between the main island and the Búzios and Vitória islands, with 8–40 m walls in clear water.
  • Caraguatatuba — A broad bay on the north coast between Ubatuba and São Sebastião; hunting is on the headlands of Martim de Sá, Tabatinga and around Ilha do Tamanduá.
  • Guarujá — Granite headlands of the Santos metro coast — Astúrias, Pitangueiras and the outer Pernambuco and Perequê beaches.
  • Santos — A port city at the mouth of the Santos estuary: the urban water is dark and turbid most of the year, and on 27/08/2026 CETESB failed 7 of 7 bathing-water points along the seafront.

Rio de Janeiro Coast

Rio de Janeiro's coast, anchored by Arraial do Cabo — an upwelling window of cold, gin-clear water fishable most of the year.

  • Paraty — The historic Costa Verde with 65+ islands in Ilha Grande Bay; headlands and reefs with grouper, sand perch, wreckfish and snook, but modest 4–10 m viz — an enclosed, rainy bay.
  • Angra dos Reis — The cradle of Brazilian spearfishing (first championship in 1952), with 365 islands in Ilha Grande Bay; headlands with grouper, sand perch, wreckfish and leerfish.
  • Mangaratiba — The north entrance of Ilha Grande Bay, with headlands and islands at Ibicuí and Muriqui; grouper, sand perch, snook and leerfish.
  • Niterói — The ocean headlands of Itaipu, Itacoatiara and Piratininga, plus the Tijucas Islands offshore, with surprisingly clear water for the metro region.
  • Rio de Janeiro — On the city's ocean side — Barra, Recreio and the Tijucas Islands offshore (surprisingly clear headlands).
  • Saquarema — A Rio surf mecca with a headland at Ponta de Itaúna and the western edge of the Região dos Lagos upwelling — on NE-wind days the water cools and clears.
  • Arraial do Cabo — The epicentre of Brazilian upwelling: NE wind pushes warm water out and cold water (down to 14 °C in summer) rises from ~350 m, giving visibility past 15 m and up to 40 m at its best — the clearest water in the Southeast, best Apr–Oct.
  • Cabo Frio — The huntable heart of the Região dos Lagos upwelling: with NE wind the cold, clear water rises and visibility passes 15 m, best Apr–Oct.
  • Armação dos Búzios — The northern edge of the Região dos Lagos upwelling: the Búzios peninsula catches the upwelling on NE wind (colder, clearer on the east/south face) and shelters on its north face.
  • Rio das Ostras — The north Rio coast between the Região dos Lagos and Macaé, with headlands at Costa Azul, Praia do Centro and Ilha do Cabo.
  • Macaé — The oil city of northern Rio, with a headland at Praia dos Cavaleiros and Ilha do Farol / Ilha de Santana offshore, where the water clears.
  • Maricá — Sixty kilometres separated Niterói from Saquarema in the atlas, and Maricá is the middle: the Ponta Negra lighthouse headland is the only ocean headland between Itacoatiara and Saquarema, and the Maricás archipelago sits 4–9 km offshore.

Espírito Santo Coast

Espírito Santo's coast (Guarapari, Vitória) — warm reef and wreck diving, best in the drier summer away from the Rio Doce plume.

  • Aracruz — The north coast of Espírito Santo with headlands and reefs at Barra do Sahy, Santa Cruz and Coqueiral; grouper, sand perch, sargo, dolphinfish and snook.
  • Vitória — The Espírito Santo capital with headlands at Camburi, Curva da Jurema and the channel islands (Ilha do Frade, Ilha do Boi).
  • Vila Velha — South of Vitória, with headlands at Praia da Costa, Ponta da Fruta and offshore islands; birthplace of Espírito Santo's spearfishing clubs (Marsol, since 1985).
  • Guarapari — Brazil's clearest hunting water: the Escalvada and Rasa islands, 6 miles offshore, give 20–25 m visibility and the country's richest marine biodiversity.
  • Anchieta — South of Guarapari, with headlands and islands at Castelhanos, Ubu and Iriri; clear water like Guarapari's, visibility 10–20 m, 22–27 °C.
  • Piúma — A fishing village in southern Espírito Santo, dominated by Monte Aghá with the Gambá and Cabritos islands offshore.
  • Itapemirim — Itaoca and Itaipava have headland and ledges with shore entry, and the most-dived island on this stretch — Ilha dos Franceses — belongs here administratively, not to Piúma.

Bahia Coast

The Bahia coast (Ilhéus, Itacaré, Morro de São Paulo) — warm tropical reef and coral shelves, clearest in the dry spring–summer.

  • Caravelas — Caravelas is the gateway to Abrolhos Marine National Park, Brazil's most famous reef — but WARNING: inside the park (~70 km offshore) spearfishing is TOTALLY banned (no-take), it's an info-zone only.
  • Prado — Prado, in far-southern Bahia, mixes coloured cliffs, sandstone reefs and sand — shore dives 5–12 m over the reefs, warm water 25–28 °C.
  • Porto Seguro — Porto Seguro is classic southern-Bahia sandstone reef: reef lines parallel to the beach forming pools and channels, shallow shore dives 4–10 m, warm water 26–29 °C.
  • Santa Cruz Cabrália — Santa Cruz Cabrália, just north of Porto Seguro, has Coroa Vermelha and shallow sandstone reefs that dry at low tide — shore dives 4–10 m, warm water 26–29 °C.
  • Ilhéus — Ilhéus marks the start of southern Bahia's granite reef coast: boulders, slabs and reefs, shore dives 3–12 m, warm water 25–29 °C, visibility 6–15 m.
  • Itacaré — Itacaré is granite reef coast among forest and beach-break beaches — boulders and slabs, shore dives 3–12 m, warm water 25–29 °C, visibility 6–12 m.
  • Maraú — The Maraú Peninsula (Barra Grande, Ponta do Mutá) closes southern Bahia's granite reef coast — boulders, slabs and reefs, shore dives 3–15 m, warm water 26–29 °C, visibility 6–15 m on clear days.
  • Cairu (Morro de São Paulo) — Cairu / Morro de São Paulo, in the Tinharé archipelago, mixes coral reef and sand — shallow dives 3–12 m, warm water 26–29 °C.
  • Salvador — In Salvador the hunting is on the ocean face (Farol da Barra → Itapuã), with rocky reef 5–12 m from shore, warm water 25–29 °C.
  • Mata de São João (Praia do Forte) — Praia do Forte (Mata de São João), on the Costa dos Coqueiros north of Salvador, has sandstone reefs that form pools at low tide — shallow shore dives 5–12 m, warm water 26–29 °C.
  • Camaçari — Guarajuba and Itacimirim close the 60 km hole between Praia do Forte and Salvador: sandstone reef with natural pools 0.
  • Vera Cruz — The ocean side of Itaparica island, from Ponta de Areia to Cacha Pregos, is headland and reef — and until now the whole island had no city in the atlas.
  • Trancoso — Trancoso, Espelho and Caraíva fill the 95 km between Porto Seguro and Prado: sandstone reef and headland, with the Sofia and Pitiaçu reefs named on the chart.
  • Alcobaça — Alcobaça closes the 30 km between Prado and Caravelas, and the evidence is strong: one of Bahia's most-watched spearfishing videos was filmed here by a local team.
  • Nova Viçosa — The historic gateway for spearfishing in far-southern Bahia: expeditions documented from 2011 to 2023, one of them stating outright that they fished the Abrolhos banks in a «permitted area», i.

Coral Coast

Alagoas–Pernambuco's Coral Coast — warm, clear reef pools inside a protected APA (mind the no-take zones).

  • Cabo de Santo Agostinho — Cabo de Santo Agostinho, south of Recife, has Enseada dos Corais — reef and rock recommended for spearfishing, shore dives 6–15 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Ipojuca (Porto de Galinhas) — Porto de Galinhas (Ipojuca) is a postcard of reefs and natural pools, warm water 27–30 °C — but WARNING: the shoreline pools are protected and packed with tourist rafts; spearfishing is not allowed there.
  • Maceió — Maceió has crystal pool-green water and sandstone reefs a few metres off the beach (Ponta Verde, Riacho Doce), 5–12 m, 27–30 °C.
  • Barra de São Miguel — Barra de São Miguel, south of Maceió, is sheltered by a reef barrier that forms the Praia do Gunga pool, warm water 27–30 °C.
  • João Pessoa — João Pessoa sits at the easternmost point of the Americas (Ponta do Seixas), with sandstone reefs like Picãozinho and Seixas a few metres off the beach, 6–15 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Cabedelo — Cabedelo, north of João Pessoa, is famous for the Areia Vermelha sandbank (which surfaces at spring low tide) and for offshore reefs and wrecks, 6–15 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Baía da Traição — Baía da Traição, on Paraíba's north coast, has sheltered coves, sandstone reefs and sand — shore dives 5–12 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Itamaracá — The ocean side of Itamaracá is built of «curais» — sandstone barriers that close pools at low water and become a hunting wall at high.
  • Goiana — Ponta de Pedras, north of the Goiana river mouth, is reef coast with one direct spearfishing video on the place name.
  • Tamandaré — Tamandaré is one of the most openly practised spearfishing towns in Pernambuco: six videos and a local community page carrying the village name.
  • São José da Coroa Grande — The densest evidence base in Pernambuco: seven-plus spearfishing videos — «coral barriers», a 6 kg jack, dives to 9 m — and a local community page.
  • Conde — There are forty kilometres with no city in the atlas between João Pessoa and Pitimbu, and Conde is the middle of it: cliffs, the Coqueirinho headland and the Jacumã reefs, catalogued at 3–6 m.
  • Pitimbu — Praia de Pontinhas is a genuine rock headland, and Pitimbu shows up regularly on a spearfishing channel with over a hundred thousand subscribers, plus local teams.
  • Maragogi — Maragogi enters the atlas after a review: the 2021 zoning shows the no-take here is only the ZPRE «Pedra do Meio», with the rest ZPRO, where amateur and sport fishing are allowed.
  • Barra de Santo Antônio — Praia do Carro Quebrado is filmed by spearfishing teams, and the river bar is the base for offshore runs.
  • Marechal Deodoro — Praia do Francês has rocks, holes and small drops to around 12 m, as described in spearfishing videos; Praia do Saco is the alternative to the south.
  • Coruripe — Nine spearfishing videos describe the same thing: rocks and holes, barracuda, and clear water in the right season.
  • Recife — Recife is Brazil's wreck-diving capital and one of the worst places in the country to spearfish.
  • Olinda — Olinda sits at the northern end of the Greater Recife shark-attack corridor: the interdiction area of State Decree PE nº 21.

Potiguar-Ceará Coast

The Potiguar–Ceará coast (Natal, Fortaleza) — warm reefs under steady trade winds; fish the calm early mornings.

  • Baía Formosa — Baía Formosa, in far-southern Rio Grande do Norte, combines cliffs, sandstone reefs and a sheltered fishing cove — shore dives 6–15 m, warm water 26–29 °C.
  • Tibau do Sul (Pipa) — Pipa (Tibau do Sul) is coloured cliffs, sandstone reefs and the famous Baía dos Golfinhos — shore dives 6–15 m, warm water 26–29 °C.
  • Natal — Natal has sandstone reefs along the waterfront (Ponta Negra, Via Costeira) and parrachos offshore, warm water 27–29 °C, shore dives 6–15 m.
  • Touros — Touros marks Brazil's northeast corner, where the coast turns from east-facing to north-facing — long sandstone reefs and the Cajueiro, shore dives 6–15 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Icapuí — Icapuí is Ceará's first municipality coming from RN, with Ponta Grossa and Redonda tucked between cliffs — shallow sandstone reefs 6–15 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Beberibe (Morro Branco) — Beberibe brings together Morro Branco and Praia das Fontes, with coloured-sand cliffs and sandstone reefs — shore dives 6–15 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Aquiraz (Porto das Dunas) — Aquiraz (Porto das Dunas, Prainha) is just east of Fortaleza, with sandstone reefs and sand — shallow shore dives 5–12 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Fortaleza — In Fortaleza the shore hunting is on the Praia do Futuro sandstone reefs and spots outside the port, 5–12 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Paracuru — Paracuru, west of Fortaleza, has sandstone reefs and the rocky point by the Curu river mouth — shallow shore dives 5–12 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Trairi (Flecheiras) — Trairi (Flecheiras, Mundaú) has sandstone reefs that form natural pools at low tide and water that is notably clear for Ceará — shore dives 6–15 m, warm water 27–29 °C.
  • Fortim — Fortim is the rocky point of Pontal de Maceió: sandstone ledges with shore entry beside the Jaguaribe river mouth, plus three wrecks offshore — Macau, Cisne Branco and Navio do Sal; Macau sits 10–18 m.
  • Caucaia — Caucaia holds the Iparana and Icaraí sandstone reefs with shore entry, and a local spearfishing community that has filmed the same stretch for six years.
  • São Gonçalo do Amarante — Ten kilometres of Taíba beach with sandstone reefs and shore entry, plus the Navio do Pecém — a steam freighter torpedoed by U-507 in 1943, now 22–34 m: an advanced boat dive.

Paraná Coast

The Paraná coast (Paranaguá, Pontal, Guaratuba, Matinhos) — estuaries turbid all year and clear water only on the outer Itacolomi rocks, to 16 m; the Ilhas dos Currais park is on the same boat run and is closed to fishing.

  • Paranaguá — A port city at the head of the estuary, ~30 km from open sea: brackish, sediment-loaded water, heavy ship traffic and strong tidal currents — inside the bay visibility runs 0.
  • Pontal do Paraná — A beach-resort municipality of unbroken sand from Pontal do Sul to Praia de Leste: straight coast, no rock at all, constant shorebreak and the turbid plume of the Paranaguá estuary sitting on top.
  • Guaratuba — A town on the south bank of the Guaratuba Bay mouth: long sand beach, one real rocky headland (Morro do Cristo) and a scatter of rock at the north end of the seafront.
  • Matinhos — A Paraná-coast resort town between the Guaratuba Bay mouth (Caiobá) and the Pico de Matinhos: sand beach with two small rocky points and one bigger mass, the Morro do Boi.

Sergipe Coast

The Sergipe coast (Aracaju, Estância) — shallow reefs between the São Francisco and Real mouths; visibility is honestly low, and the window is the dry months.

  • Aracaju — Aracaju enters on review: three spearfishing videos carry the place name, including the Coroa do Meio rocks.
  • Estância — Praia do Saco: reefs and pools from 0.5 to 2 m with channels to around 5 m, and two spearfishing videos shot in the municipality. The limited visibility is…

West Ceará Coast

The west Ceará coast (Itarema, Acaraú, Camocim) — sandstone reefs and wrecks under a constant trade wind; the water clears when the wind drops.

  • Itapipoca — Praia da Baleia: sandstone reefs with shore entry and a charted reef offshore.
  • Itarema — Almofala and Porto dos Barcos: both shore and boat spearfishing are documented on video.
  • Acaraú — Spearfishing at Espraiado has been on record since 2012, and the Petroleiro do Acaraú — a charted dangerous wreck ~6 km out — is the target for the whole west coast community.
  • Camocim — Shore spearfishing is documented in four videos between 2017 and 2026 (Praia do Maceió and the Camocim beaches), including a local channel.

Parnaíba Delta

The Parnaíba delta (Parnaíba, Luís Correia, Tutóia) — tides to 3.5 m and sediment-laden water; you dive the «itans» and Pedra do Sal in the dry season.

  • Cajueiro da Praia — Barra Grande: local breath-hold fishing is documented (octopus, and a 2022 lionfish record by a local diver).
  • Luís Correia — Atalaia and Coqueiro, with sandstone bands right off the beach; the spearfishing record here is one local diver across twelve years (2014→2022), snook included.
  • Parnaíba — Pedra do Sal is the only real rock formation on the Piauí coast: a rough side, a sheltered side and pools between the rocks holding parrotfish and grouper, per the local fishing guide.
  • Tutóia — The one proven Maranhão exception: a local channel posts a series of spearfishing trips off Tutóia — «deep marks, plenty of life».
See all cities →

Frequently asked questions

Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with ICMBio/IBAMA and the local authority before you go. Recreational spearfishing on breath-hold only (no scuba); protected species such as the goliath grouper (mero) are fully banned, and the marine APAs and national parks set their own no-take zones.

Do I need a licence?

Yes — the Licença de Pesca Amadora from gov.br, under Portaria SAP/MAPA nº 616/2022. It is mandatory on shore entries too: Decreto nº 8.425/2015, art. 3º §1º II exempts from the register only those fishing «com linha de mão ou caniço simples». The category is set by the boat, not the gear: from shore you are «desembarcada» (per the MPA portal, R$ 20/yr), with a boat «embarcada» (R$ 60/yr); Portaria 616/2022 itself carries no categories and no amounts. Pensioners, men 65+ and women 60+ are exempt. Foreigners without a CPF can get it too; for everyone else it runs one year at most (art. 8º §4º, as amended by Decreto nº 12.336/2024). Carry it — art. 17 requires it. SisRGP is the professional fishers' register and has nothing to do with the amateur licence.

Official source ↗
Can I shoot a mero (goliath grouper)?

No. The mero (Epinephelus itajara) is on the national list as CR, and art. 3º of Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 closes catching, holding and transport year-round — fines up to R$ 100,000 plus gear seizure, with Lei nº 9.605/1998 adding criminal liability. The garoupa-verdadeira is a different species, but it is not "green" right now either: its rules are under review.

Official source ↗
Can I spearfish on scuba?

No. Breath-hold only. Portaria 616/2022 (art. 4 §3) expressly bans artificial-breathing apparatus while spearfishing — scuba, compressor and hookah. Scuba with a gun is only for science or photography without fishing gear.

Official source ↗
How much fish may I take home?

At sea, 15 kg plus one specimen per person (Portaria 616/2022, art. 8º). Selling the catch is banned, and so is transporting it filleted or headless. Inside the RESEX Marinha do Arraial do Cabo a stricter local limit applies — 10 kg + 1 specimen and at most 100 kg per boat per day.

Official source ↗
Where's the best visibility, and when?

The Região dos Lagos upwelling (Cabo Frio, Búzios) gives the clearest, coldest water in the Southeast, often year-round, on a NE wind. Guarapari (Espírito Santo) has the best warm visibility in the dry summer, away from the Rio Doce plume. In the Northeast (Natal, Porto de Galinhas) the water is warm all year and clarity drops in the rainy season. The day's numbers are worked out by the city page.

Is there a shark risk?

Along most of the coast the risk is low, but at Recife (Pernambuco, Boa Viagem beach) it is real — one of the world's zones with documented attacks. There, do not hunt close to shore or keep speared fish on a stringer against your body. In the Southeast and South the far more common problem is current and boats, not sharks.