Is spearfishing legal in the Bahamas? The complete rules
Short answer: yes — spearfishing is legal in the Bahamas, but under some of the strictest gear rules anywhere. The speargun is banned country-wide (Fisheries Regulations, Ch. 244, reg. 2(b) & 10). You may only use a Hawaiian sling or a pole spear, and always on a single breath — scuba, hookah and any compressed air for fishing are illegal. Break the gear rule and it's treated as smuggling at customs, not a fine.
The rest is about where, with what paperwork, and what you may take. This guide walks the full rulebook — the speargun ban, the breath-hold rule, the offshore distances, the permit and spear endorsement, the no-take parks, the bag limits and the closed seasons — so you arrive legal and dive with a clear head.
Open the flagship — Andros →The gear rule: no spearguns
The law defines as a «prohibited apparatus» any device, other than a Hawaiian sling, designed to discharge a missile underwater (reg. 2(b)). A speargun — band or pneumatic, with a stock and trigger — falls squarely there, so it's illegal even used on a breath. Legal are only the Hawaiian sling and the pole spear (no stock, no trigger). A firearm for fishing is also banned, with one exception: the shark «bang stick» (reg. 4). There are no speargun rentals: bring your own legal gear.
Breath-hold only
Any underwater device other than a snorkel for breathing underwater is a «prohibited apparatus» (reg. 2(a) & 10). That means scuba, hookah and compressor are illegal for fishing or collecting. The ministry's official FAQ says it plainly: «Can I use scuba gear or an air compressor for fishing? No.» The only legal way to hunt is on a breath, with a snorkel. It levels the playing field and protects the resource.
Distance rules: where you can't hunt
- Banned within 1 mile of the New Providence shoreline (all of Nassau) — reg. 6(a).
- Banned within 1 mile of the SOUTH shore of Grand Bahama (Freeport) — reg. 6(b).
- Banned within 200 yards of any other Family Island — reg. 6(c). In practice, legal hunting is out on the reef and the walls, not off the beach.
- Within 200 yards of any island you may take food for yourself and family only — no trade near shore (reg. 11).
Permit & spear endorsement
A foreign boat needs the sportsfishing permit (reg. 47): $20 per trip or $150 a year for boats with ≤6 reels. The right to use the spear is added as a written «spear endorsement» the officer signs on the permit (reg. 48(1)(b)). It's arranged on entry (Click2Clear / SeazPass). The shore diver without a boat sits in a grey area: to be safe, get the permit with the endorsement. The catch may not be sold, and spearfishing competitions are banned (reg. 9).
Protected species & closed seasons
- Marine turtles: full ban (take, possess, sell) — reg. 29–31.
- Sharks: full ban, release them alive — the Bahamas is a shark sanctuary since 2011 (reg. 36A–E).
- Nassau grouper: closed 1 Dec–28 Feb; minimum size 3 lb (reg. 35).
- Crawfish (spiny lobster): closed 1 Apr–31 Jul; season 1 Aug–31 Mar; minimum 3¼″ carapace or 5½″ tail; no egg-bearing females (reg. 16–24).
- Stone crab: closed 1 Jun–15 Oct. Queen conch: only with a well-formed flared lip; regulated, with a commercial-export moratorium (reg. 27–28). Coral is protected (reg. 12).
Bag limits & taking your catch home
On board (reg. 48): demersal fish (snappers, groupers) ≤60 lb or 20 fish, whichever is less; migratory (kingfish, dolphin, tuna, wahoo) ≤18; conch ≤6; crawfish ≤10; turtle 0; billfish (marlin, sailfish) released. In personal baggage on the way out (reg. 70): ≤6 kingfish/dolphin/wahoo, or ≤10 lb conch or crawfish, or ≤20 lb other demersal. If you fly to Florida, US FWC rules apply on top.
Where to dive, by region
New Providence
New Providence (Nassau) — the No.1 hub, but hunting is banned within 1 mile of shore: legal hunting is on the offshore banks and cays. Gin-clear water, a launch point.
- Nassau — Nassau is the country's №1 traffic hub, but spearfishing is banned within 1 mile of New Providence's coast — so the city itself is an info stop, not a shot.
Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama — Freeport-Lucaya on the south shore under the ≥1-mile rule; the famous Theo's Wreck (a dive site). West End — the western gateway from Florida on the bank edge.
- Freeport–Lucaya — Freeport–Lucaya sits on Grand Bahama's south coast, where spearfishing is banned within 1 mile — the famous Theo's Wreck and UNEXSO reefs are dive sites, not shots.
- West End — West End is Grand Bahama's westernmost point (Old Bahama Bay), a classic gateway from Florida on the edge of the Little Bahama Bank.
Bimini
Bimini — the islands closest to Florida (~80 km): the bank's western edge drops in a wall to the Gulf Stream. Gin-clear water, pelagics, the iconic Sapona wreck.
- Alice Town (Bimini) — Bimini is the closest Bahamas to Florida (~80 km): the western edge of the Great Bahama Bank drops into the Gulf Stream — gin-clear walls, pelagics and a verified spot array.
Abaco
Abaco — the sheltered Sea of Abaco between the mainland and the barrier reef, plus the ocean side with reef and wrecks. Many no-take parks around (Pelican Cays, Fowl Cays).
- Marsh Harbour — Marsh Harbour, the country's third-largest town, is the boat and charter hub of the Sea of Abaco — a sheltered lagoon between mainland Abaco and the barrier-reef cays.
- Hope Town — Hope Town on Elbow Cay (the candy-striped lighthouse) sits on the ocean side of the Abaco barrier reef — reef and wall past 200 yd, plus the sheltered Sea of Abaco behind.
- Treasure Cay — Treasure Cay — famous beach and marina on mainland Abaco — fronts the sheltered Sea of Abaco with the barrier reef offshore.
- Green Turtle Cay (New Plymouth) — Green Turtle Cay (New Plymouth) is a fishing settlement on northern Abaco — barrier reef and the historic San Jacinto wreck offshore.
Eleuthera
Eleuthera — Spanish Wells, the country's lobster capital with rich banks; nearby is Current Cut, a famous strong-current drift (slack only). Harbour Island's pink beaches.
- Spanish Wells — Spanish Wells (St. George's Cay) is the crawfish capital — the country's biggest lobster fleet, so proven productive banks all around. Legal hunting past…
- Harbour Island (Dunmore Town) — Harbour Island (Dunmore Town, the pink-sand resort) fronts the Devil's Backbone reef on its ocean side — a shallow, jagged ship-graveyard, so navigate carefully.
- Governor's Harbour — Governor's Harbour is Eleuthera's administrative centre, set on a sheltered leeward bay with the Atlantic reef on the ocean side.
- Rock Sound — Rock Sound, southern Eleuthera, sits on the sheltered side by the inland Ocean Hole (a landlocked blue hole, an info curiosity) with Atlantic reef offshore.
Exuma
Exuma — the ECLSP park (no-take since 1986) starts north of Conch Cut: hunt SOUTH of it, outside the park. George Town and Staniel Cay are hubs; 20–30 m clarity.
- George Town — George Town (Great Exuma, Elizabeth Harbour) is the Exumas hub and regatta anchorage.
- Staniel Cay — Staniel Cay sits mid-chain in the Exuma Cays (the swimming pigs, Thunderball Grotto) — but the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park (no-take) begins just north at Conch Cut, so hunt only SOUTH of Conch Cut, outside the park.
Andros
Andros — the flagship of Bahamian spearfishing: the world's 3rd-largest barrier reef and, right behind it, the Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO), a ~2,000 m trench off the coast, plus hundreds of blue holes.
- Fresh Creek / Andros Town — Fresh Creek / Andros Town is the heart of the Bahamas' spearfishing flagship: Andros carries the world's third-largest barrier reef, and just beyond it the Tongue of the Ocean drops to ~2,000 m right off the east shore.
- Nicholls Town — Nicholls Town, northern Andros, is the quiet northern approach to the great Andros barrier reef and the Tongue of the Ocean wall.
Long Island
Long Island — Dean's Blue Hole (~202 m), a world freediving mecca and trust for a «breath-hold» brand, plus the Atlantic walls of Stella Maris on the east side.
- Clarence Town — Clarence Town, Long Island, is home to Dean's Blue Hole — the world's second-deepest blue hole and the Vertical Blue freediving arena.
- Stella Maris — Stella Maris, northern Long Island, is a resort with dive infrastructure and Atlantic walls off the east shore (Shark Reef, the Comberbach wreck, Cape Santa Maria).
San Salvador
San Salvador — a remote ocean plateau island (fly-in): dramatic wall drops 100–200 m off the beach and the clearest water in the Bahamas (25–30 m+).
- Cockburn Town — Cockburn Town is the main settlement of San Salvador, a remote oceanic plateau where the reef drops into deep water 100–200 m off the beach — dramatic walls and the clearest water in the country (25–30 m+).
Cat Island
Cat Island — remote, with minimal fishing pressure: walls, The Cut and high visibility on the leeward west coast.
- New Bight — New Bight is the main settlement of Cat Island (Mount Alvernia's Hermitage above it), a remote, low-pressure island with walls, The Cut and coastal dropoffs into deep water.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with the Department of Marine Resources before you go. Spearguns are banned country-wide (Hawaiian sling / pole spear only, breath-hold); keep ≥1 mile off New Providence and south Grand Bahama, ≥200 yards off any Family Island; national marine parks are no-take.
Is spearfishing legal in the Bahamas?
Yes, breath-hold with a Hawaiian sling or pole spear — the speargun is banned. You need a permit with the «spear endorsement» and must keep the distances (≥1 mile off New Providence and south Grand Bahama, ≥200 yards off the other islands).
Can I bring my speargun?
No, don't. The speargun is banned country-wide and at customs it's treated as smuggling of gear. Bring a Hawaiian sling or a pole spear instead.
Do I need a permit to spearfish from shore?
It's a grey area: the permit régime is tied to the boat. Conservative take: get a fishing permit with a «spear endorsement» on entry, respect the distances, and don't join competitions.
Can I use scuba to spearfish?
No. Breath-hold only. Scuba, hookah and compressor are illegal for fishing or collecting country-wide.
What can't I take?
Turtles, sharks (release them), Nassau grouper (1 Dec–28 Feb), crawfish out of season (1 Apr–31 Jul), undersized or egg-bearing animals, and coral. And nothing inside the national parks.