CODOPESCA licence and spearfishing rules in the DR
Spearfishing is legal in the Dominican Republic, but with clear rules and a named regulator: CODOPESCA (the Dominican Council for Fishing and Aquaculture), under Ley 307-04. The sport modality requires a licence, and there are red lines set by law — hookah (compressor) and night hunting are banned. Breath-hold (apnea) is our conservative recommendation, not a cited ban: an explicit scuba-tank ban does not appear in the law. This guide sets out what the law requires, how the licence works and what you may NOT touch.
Open the flagship — Bayahíbe →What the law requires, in brief
- CODOPESCA licence required. Spearfishing is a «sport» modality and everyone who practises it needs a CODOPESCA licence (Ley 307-04, Art. 15). It is valid for 2 years and renewable.
- Hookah and night, banned by law. The compressor (hookah) and night spearfishing are banned (Arts. 64, 82) in the 54-mile reserved zone — that is, practically the whole diveable coast.
- Apnea, our recommendation. An explicit scuba-tank ban does not appear in Ley 307-04 (unresolved) — as a precaution we recommend NOT hunting on scuba, and doing it on a breath, by day.
The licence: how, how long, how much
The law (Art. 15) requires everyone engaged in sport fishing to hold a CODOPESCA licence; spearfishing with a speargun falls under it. The licence lasts 2 years, is renewable, and states the activity, the permitted gear and the place of operation. The exact fee is not in the law — it is set by regulation or resolution. In practice the sport permit is around ~20 USD and is often bundled into the charter price; the solo shore hunter is rarely asked in the water, but carrying it is the right call. For a foreigner, the cleanest route is to arrange it via CODOPESCA or through a licensed operator/dive centre.
Lobster may not be speared (Art. 51), and the closed seasons
Key rule for the spearo: Ley 307-04, Art. 51, bans hooks and spears for lobster — it may only be taken with traps. It's a double stop: even out of season, you can't shoot it. And there are closed seasons that do affect you: lobster and crab 1 March–30 June (Decreto 119-12), and lambí (queen conch) 1 July–31 October (Decreto 499-09). Respect the minimum sizes too — Caribbean lobster ≥18 cm, spotted lobster ≥10 cm; conch ≥227 g of meat or ≥20 cm of shell. The catch is for personal use; selling it needs separate licences and certificates.
No-take: parks and protected species
- Parks = de-facto closure. In La Caleta (with the Hickory wreck), Cotubanamá (ex Del Este) with Saona/Catalina, Jaragua (Bahía de las Águilas) and Montecristi, fishing is only allowed with a Medio Ambiente permit — in practice, no-take. Hunt OUTSIDE the limits.
- Year-round no-take species. Don't shoot marine mammals (manatee, whales, dolphins), turtles or sharks/rays, and don't break or take corals — live or dead (Ley 307-04, Arts. 46-47). As a precaution, no parrotfish either, whose status is under review.
- Exporting the catch. Legal fish may be exported with the CODOPESCA Certificate of No Objection (Art. 69); shells (conch) and corals may NOT be exported (CITES / Art. 47). And check your own country's import rules.
Where to dive, by region
North Coast
The Dominican North («Amber») Coast — the country's visibility benchmark: clean Atlantic, coral reefs, little sargassum. Sosúa and Río San Juan are dive hubs with shore access.
- Montecristi — Montecristi is the northwest frontier: Playa Juan de Bolaños bay under the El Morro mesa.
- Punta Rucia — Punta Rucia faces the Cayo Arena/Paraíso coral offshore (touristy) — keep hunting on the natural reefs off the tour bank.
- Puerto Plata — Puerto Plata is the north's biggest city and port (Fortaleza San Felipe, Long Beach) — a logistics and SEO anchor more than star water.
- Sosúa — Sosúa is the north's historic dive/freedive hub: the horseshoe bay of Playa Sosúa, wall and reefs 5–20 m, the biggest infrastructure in the north.
- Cabarete — Cabarete is a world kite/windsurf hub — meaning WINDY (ENE trades): hunt at dawn in the calm, on the Encuentro/La Boca reefs.
- Río San Juan — Río San Juan pairs reef with the Gri-Gri lagoon: clear water, local spots Caletón/La Preciosa/Playa Grande.
- Cabrera — Cabrera is rocky cliffs and reef (Playa Diamante, El Bretón): clear water but a steep coast, tricky entry.
Samaná
The Samaná Peninsula — clean water and dramatic relief (the Cabo Cabrón wall). In winter (15 Jan–30 Mar) humpback whales come to the bay: a wildlife-and-logistics advisory, not a hunting closure.
- Las Terrenas — Las Terrenas is the north face of the Samaná peninsula: expat/dive community, Playa Bonita/Cosón/Las Ballenas reefs and the Cayos Las Ballenas, shore access.
- Las Galeras — Las Galeras is Samaná's eastern tip: remote reefs and the Cabo Cabrón wall (a top dive), the best visibility — but the open-ocean east exposure means you pick your day.
- Santa Bárbara de Samaná — Santa Bárbara de Samaná sits at the head of the sheltered Samaná Bay (calm, but murkier from the mainland runoff) — the peninsula's SEO anchor.
Southeast Caribbean
The Dominican Southeast (Bayahíbe, La Romana, Punta Cana) — the south's dive capital (15–30 m), but peak sargassum in spring–summer and the Del Este parks: hunt outside the limits.
- Miches — Miches sits on the south shore of Samaná Bay (sheltered from the open ocean), developing: reefs and mangroves, medium water.
- Punta Cana (Bávaro) — Punta Cana/Bávaro is the eastern barrier-reef mega-tourist zone: huge SEO volume, but the shore is hotel zones + PEAK sargassum (Apr–Oct, max May–Jun) and parts of the reef sit in the multi-use Arrecifes del Sureste marine sanctuary.
- La Romana — La Romana is a port and Casa de Campo, the jump-off to Isla Catalina.
- Bayahíbe — Bayahíbe is the south's dive capital: dozens of centres, 15–30 m visibility (DO oceanography reports put the Bayahíbe coast 97–99% sargassum-free).
South Caribbean
The Dominican South (metro) Coast (Boca Chica, Juan Dolio, Santo Domingo) — a convenient reef belt, but murkier water from the city and the Ozama river plume. La Caleta is no-take.
- Boca Chica — Boca Chica is a reef-sheltered lagoon, a south dive base.
- Juan Dolio — Juan Dolio is a dive town over barrier reef; the Angels Ravine site and Catuán wreck sit outside the park (legal on apnea).
- Santo Domingo — Santo Domingo, the capital (Malecón, Av.
Southwest Caribbean
The Dominican deep southwest (Barahona, Pedernales, Las Salinas) — the country's cleanest Caribbean, almost no sargassum, wild empty coasts (Bahía de las Águilas). 15–30 m clarity.
- Las Salinas (Baní) — Las Salinas de Baní is the sheltered Bahía de las Calderas with the Baní dunes and a naval base: calm water for 'bad days'/beginners, plus rocky Punta Salinas.
- Barahona — Barahona opens the Larimar coast to the south (Baoruco, San Rafael, Paraíso): rock, very clear deep-Caribbean water, almost no sargassum — one of the country's best 'real' hunting coasts, shore-accessible outside Jaragua Park.
- Pedernales — Pedernales is the far southwest, by the Haiti border.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with CODOPESCA before you go. Spearfishing is breath-hold (our conservative recommendation); hookah and night spearfishing are banned by law (Ley 307-04), lobster may not be speared, and the marine parks are no-take.
Do I need a licence to spearfish from shore?
Yes. Spearfishing is a sport modality and needs a CODOPESCA licence (Ley 307-04, Art. 15), from shore too. It lasts 2 years; carry it.
Is it legal to hunt at night or with hookah?
No. Night spearfishing and using a compressor (hookah) are banned by law (Ley 307-04, Arts. 64, 82) in the 54-mile reserved zone, which covers almost the whole diveable coast.
Can I spear lobster?
No. Ley 307-04, Art. 51, bans hooks and spears for lobster — traps only. There's also a closed season from 1 March to 30 June, in which it may not be taken at all.
Is hunting on scuba banned?
Ley 307-04 does not ban it expressly (it's unresolved) — it only bars the compressor and night. As a precaution we recommend NOT hunting on scuba: the safe route is apnea, by day, with a licence.