Spearfishing in Venezuela
Venezuela is warm Caribbean reef with a real spearfishing community (FVAS, national championships) and one awkward paradox: almost all the finest marine areas are national parks where spearfishing is banned. Los Roques, Morrocoy, Mochima, San Esteban, Henri Pittier, La Restinga — no-take. Federally, hunting is LEGAL outside protected areas: breath-hold only, with FVAS registration, an INSOPESCA permit and a DAEX speargun permit (Gaceta 41.132).
The real «Venezuelan» spearfishing product is the La Guaira/Miranda coast (Chichiriviche de la Costa, Chirimena), Adícora on Paraguaná, Los Frailes and Margarita's open coast, plus the federal islands. All of it comes with an honest country-risk disclaimer: economic-political instability, limited infrastructure, military zones. This guide sets the law straight, separates banned from legal, and links to a daily sea forecast for every city.
Open the flagship — Chichiriviche de la Costa →Rules and permits
The base act is Resolución DM/012-17, Gaceta Oficial 41.132 (17-04-2017). The essentials:
- Breath-hold only. Tanks/scuba while hunting are BANNED. The speargun is legalised for FVAS members via a DAEX porte de arpón (exemption from the «armas blancas» ban, Gaceta 41.705).
- Three bodies: FVAS registration, an INSOPESCA permit (planilla + speargun invoice/declaration + speargun inspection) and a DAEX porte de arpón. Principles: ecológico (don't take threatened, ornamental species or coral; respect minimum size), deportivo (the catch must be «difficult»), utilitario.
- Fishing is banned in reservas acuícolas, refugios de fauna, áreas protegidas and zonas de veda (Ley de Pesca y Acuicultura). Selling the sport catch is not allowed. Always check whether a spot is a national park.
Los Roques — banned (info)
Los Roques is Venezuela's most famous archipelago, but spearfishing there is BANNED, as in all the country's national parks (PORU, Decreto 1213; INPARQUES enforcement). Only pesca deportiva (bonefish/macabí fly-fishing, catch-and-release) and snorkelling are allowed; artisanal lobster fishing is a separate local régime. If you searched «pesca submarina Los Roques», the honest answer is «no, and here's why»: it's a national park. We keep Los Roques as an info page with a visibility forecast and legal alternatives.
Where it's legal
Legal hunting stays outside the parks. Well-documented, accessible spots: Chichiriviche de la Costa (La Guaira, a coral wall, ~2 h from Caracas — not to be confused with Chichiriviche near Morrocoy!), Chirimena (Miranda, by Cabo Codera), Adícora (Paraguaná, Falcón), Los Frailes (10 uninhabited islets NE of Margarita, 10–30 m viz) and Margarita's open coast outside the La Restinga/Cerro El Copey parks. With distance/access caveats: La Tortuga and La Blanquilla (plane/boat), Los Testigos and Farallón Centinela (military/strong currents, experienced only).
Species and sizes
Common speargun targets outside the parks: cubera/guasinuco snapper, grouper (mero/cherna), barracuda (picúa), jacks/cojinúa, carite. There's no single public INSOPESCA minimum-size table — FVAS declares «respect minimum weight/size» as a principle but publishes no figures. Use conservative Caribbean references (e.g. grouper ≥ ~35 cm, snapper ≥ ~30 cm) as a guide, not a rule, and don't take threatened or ornamental fish, coral, seahorses or botuto (conch). Beware ciguatera in large predators/barracuda.
Safety and logistics
A country-risk disclaimer is mandatory: economic-political instability, limited infrastructure. Los Roques — plane only from Caracas, a cash economy (no ATMs), a paid park entry. Military zones (Turiamo, La Orchila, the base on Testigo Grande) — access closed/by permit. Farallón Centinela, Los Frailes, Los Testigos — strong currents, experienced only. Never dive alone. The per-city forecast helps you pick the day.
Where to dive, by region
Central Caribbean (Venezuela)
Venezuela's central Caribbean (Chichiriviche de la Costa, Chirimena) — warm water with clear upwelling patches on a steep coast.
- Chichiriviche de la Costa — Chichiriviche de la Costa (La Guaira — NOT the Falcón Chichiriviche, which is Morrocoy park) is Venezuela's most accessible legal spot: ~2 h from Caracas, a sheltered bay with a coral wall dropping from 5 to 30+ m and 30+ years of dive history.
- Chirimena — Chirimena, west of Cabo Codera (Miranda), is the state's best dive coast, ~2.
- Adícora — Adícora, on the east coast of the Paraguaná peninsula (Falcón), is an old fishing village outside any park — legal to hunt.
Insular Venezuela
Venezuela's islands (Margarita, La Tortuga, La Blanquilla) — warm, clear Caribbean reefs, the best of them a boat trip offshore.
- Margarita — Isla Margarita (Nueva Esparta) is the hub of Venezuelan spearfishing: an active scene, national championships and warm water (25–28 °C) year-round.
- Los Frailes — The Los Frailes archipelago — ten uninhabited islets ~14 km NE of Puerto Fermín (El Tirano), Margarita — is the area's best diving: 10–30 m viz and life-covered rock walls.
- La Tortuga — Isla La Tortuga is a federal dependency (NOT a national park), Venezuela's second-largest island, uninhabited and reached by light plane or boat from Higuerote.
- La Blanquilla — La Blanquilla is a remote federal dependency N of Margarita: a low island ringed by shallow coral reefs, high biodiversity and very clear water — among the best diving in Venezuela.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with INSOPESCA and the local authority before you go. Extraction is banned inside the national parks (Morrocoy, Mochima, Los Roques) and protected species may not be taken; spearfishing is breath-hold only.
Is spearfishing legal in Venezuela?
Yes, federally — outside protected areas, breath-hold only, with FVAS registration, an INSOPESCA permit and a DAEX porte de arpón (Gaceta 41.132). But in all national parks (Los Roques, Morrocoy, Mochima, etc.) it's banned. So it's legal on the open coast and federal islands outside the parks.
Can I spearfish in Los Roques?
No. Los Roques is a national park, and spearfishing there is banned (PORU Decreto 1213, INPARQUES enforcement), as in all the country's parks. Bonefish/macabí fly-fishing with release and snorkelling are allowed. We keep Los Roques as an honest info page and suggest legal alternatives — Chichiriviche de la Costa, Los Frailes, Adícora.
What permits do I need?
Three: FVAS registration (the federation), an INSOPESCA permit (planilla + speargun invoice/declaration + inspection) and a DAEX porte de arpón, which legalises the speargun as an «arma blanca» for FVAS members. Apnea only, tanks banned. You can't sell the catch.
Where can I legally hunt?
Outside the parks: Chichiriviche de la Costa and other La Guaira spots, Chirimena (Miranda), Adícora (Falcón), Los Frailes and Margarita's open coast. Farther and harder — La Tortuga, La Blanquilla (plane/boat) and Los Testigos / Farallón Centinela (military zones, strong currents — experienced only). Always confirm the spot isn't a national park.
What are the minimum sizes?
There's no single public INSOPESCA minimum-size table by species. FVAS requires respecting minimum weight/size as a principle but publishes no figures. Use conservative Caribbean references (grouper ≥ ~35 cm, snapper ≥ ~30 cm) as a guide, not a rule, and don't take small or protected fish. Exact numbers are in the FVAS «Copa DAEX» competition rules or by direct request to INSOPESCA.