Spearfishing in Malta
Malta is the wreck capital of the Mediterranean and one of its clearest seas: visibility routinely runs 15–40 m and touches 50 m in summer, the water is warm from late spring into autumn, and every wind direction has a sheltered shore somewhere on the three islands. Grouper, amberjack, dentex and sea bream all show — but Malta's rules lean heavily on conservation, so knowing where you can and can't shoot matters more here than the paperwork.
There is no spearfishing licence in Malta — but that does not mean anything goes. Scuba and night hunting are banned, the summer swimming zones are off-limits, the named wrecks are protected, and the dusky grouper is best left alone. This guide lays out the rules and the conservation zones, then links to a daily go / marginal / no-go forecast for every location.
Open the flagship — Sliema →The rules — no licence, but real limits
Malta has no spearfishing licence and no recreational shore-fishing licence, but the method and area rules are enforced and a spearo was prosecuted in 2024/25 — this is not a free-for-all.
- Freediving only — a speargun with any underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) is banned under EU Reg 2019/1241. Night spearfishing is prohibited, sunset to sunrise, and so is using an artificial light. Boats must stay ≥100 m from a diver-down flag.
- The big seasonal rule: from mid-June to 30 September Malta marks 87 official swimming zones with red-and-yellow buoys, and all fishing gear — including a speargun — is banned inside them. Plan around them in summer.
- Spearfishing and nets are also banned inside conservation areas, marine parks, commercial dive sites, seabed archaeological zones and the wreck-conservation areas (see below). Selling any recreational catch is illegal, and any object 50+ years old on the seabed is protected cultural heritage.
Protected species and the wreck-zone ban
Two things define Malta's conservation frame: the dusky grouper and the wreck-conservation notice.
- Spearfishing is completely prohibited in the five wreck Conservation Areas declared under Notice 025 of 2026: Ċirkewwa (P29, Rozi), Marsaskala, Qawra Point (Imperial Eagle), Wied iż-Żurrieq (Um El Faroud) and Xatt l-Aħmar (Karwela, Cominoland, Hephaestus, Xlendi). The limited 'trolling when no diver-down flag' exception is for trolling lines only and never applies in these five zones — it never legalises spearfishing anywhere. Ċirkewwa is additionally a full marine park under Legal Notice 51 of 2026.
- The dusky grouper (ċerna) is IUCN-vulnerable and heavily depleted region-wide; Malta protects it inside every MPA and it is strongly discouraged elsewhere — treat it as advise-release. Atlantic bluefin tuna (tonn) needs a recreational permit, minimum 30 kg / 115 cm, one fish per boat per trip, and may not be sold. EU Mediterranean minimum sizes apply (sea bass 25 cm, gilthead 20 cm).
- Sea-urchin harvesting is under a moratorium to July 2027 (Legal Notice 129 of 2025) — leave them.
Seasons, wind and the swimming zones
Tides are tiny (10–20 cm) — pressure and wind move the sea more than the moon, so read the wind. The prevailing wind is the Majjistral (NW), so the SE and S coasts (Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Delimara, Birżebbuġa, Għar Lapsi) and Gozo's sheltered Mġarr ix-Xini are the usual calm-water options. When the Sirocco (Xlokk, SE) blows it flips — then the NW coast (Ċirkewwa, Mellieħa, Gozo north) is sheltered. An E/NE Grigal favours the west (Dwejra, Għar Lapsi, Wied iż-Żurrieq). There is a lee for almost any wind.
Water runs from ~14–15 °C in February to ~26 °C in August, with spring and autumn around 18–22 °C and a sharp summer thermocline below 20–30 m. Visibility is among the best in Europe. Spring and autumn are the sweet spot — warm enough, calm, clear, and outside the mid-June-to-September swimming-zone lockout.
No-take zones and wrecks
Malta's Natura 2000 marine network covers about 35% of its fishing zone. The spots that matter to a spearo:
- Filfla is a full no-take nature reserve within 1 nautical mile, and a former bombing range with live-ordnance (UXO) risk — never route there. Rdum Majjiesa–Ras ir-Raħeb (NW Malta), Il-Baħar tad-Dwejra (Gozo W) and Xlendi are protected reserves where spearfishing is restricted or banned — give them a wide berth.
- The offshore bluefin-tuna farms — the SE zone off Delimara/Marsaxlokk and the north zone off Sikka l-Bajda — are buoyed exclusion areas. The Marsaxlokk and Birżebbuġa (Freeport) industrial harbours and the Grand Harbour are closed to diving and fishing.
- Every named wreck in Malta is a no-take zone — the Um El Faroud (Wied iż-Żurrieq), P29 and Rozi (Ċirkewwa), P31 (Comino), Karwela and the Xatt l-Aħmar cluster (Gozo), the Imperial Eagle (Qawra) and the Marsaskala group are all inside conservation areas. Deeper WWII wrecks are heritage-protected too (any object 50+ years old). Natural, unlisted debris in open water is fishable — but confirm it isn't heritage.
Safety
Dive with a buddy, one up and one down, and keep sight of each other. Fly a diver-down flag — boat traffic is heavy around the harbours and Comino in summer. Watch the wind: the Majjistral can build fast on the exposed NW coast, and Gozo's cliffs make some entries committing. The summer thermocline drops sharply below 20–30 m, so plan your depth. And be UXO-aware around harbours and Filfla — if you find ordnance, don't touch it, and report it.
Where to dive, by region
Malta
Malta — some of the clearest water in the Med off rocky shores; wind-driven, and no licence is needed.
- Valletta — Spearfishing in Valletta: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Sliema — Spearfishing in Sliema: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- St Julian's — Spearfishing in St Julian's: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- St Paul's Bay — Spearfishing in St Paul's Bay: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Mellieħa — Spearfishing in Mellieħa: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Ċirkewwa — Spearfishing in Ċirkewwa: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Marsaskala — Spearfishing in Marsaskala: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Marsaxlokk — Spearfishing in Marsaxlokk: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Birżebbuġa — Spearfishing in Birżebbuġa: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Delimara — Spearfishing in Delimara: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Wied iż-Żurrieq — Spearfishing in Wied iż-Żurrieq: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Għar Lapsi — Spearfishing in Għar Lapsi: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Gozo & Comino
Gozo & Comino — exceptional clarity and dramatic entries; mind the Dwejra no-take zone and dive-boat traffic.
- Marsalforn — Spearfishing in Marsalforn: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Xlendi — Spearfishing in Xlendi: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Mġarr — Spearfishing in Mġarr: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Dwejra — Spearfishing in Dwejra: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Comino — Spearfishing in Comino: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — Malta needs NO spearfishing licence, but scuba and night spearfishing are banned; dusky grouper (ċerna) is advise-release and bluefin tuna is permit-only; stay clear of the 87 designated swimming zones mid-Jun–30 Sep; Filfla is a 1 nm exclusion zone. Always confirm locally before you dive.
Do I need a licence to spearfish in Malta?
No — Malta has no spearfishing licence and no recreational shore-fishing licence. But the method and area rules are real and enforced: freediving only (no scuba), no night, no shooting inside summer swimming zones or the wreck-conservation areas, and you can't sell your catch.
Official source ↗Can I spearfish around Malta's famous wrecks?
No. Spearfishing is completely banned in the five wreck Conservation Areas under Notice 025 of 2026 — Ċirkewwa (P29, Rozi), Marsaskala, Qawra Point, Wied iż-Żurrieq (Um El Faroud) and Xatt l-Aħmar. The 'trolling when no diver-down flag is present' exception is for trolling lines only and never legalises spearfishing. Ċirkewwa is also a full marine park (Legal Notice 51 of 2026). Treat every named wreck as no-take.
Official source ↗Can I take a grouper or a bluefin tuna?
The dusky grouper (ċerna) is IUCN-vulnerable, protected inside every MPA and strongly discouraged elsewhere — best released. Bluefin tuna (tonn) needs a recreational permit, is minimum 30 kg / 115 cm, one per boat per trip, and may not be sold. Undersized fish must go back.
When is the best time to spearfish in Malta?
Spring and autumn: warm-ish water (18–22 °C), calm days, great visibility, and — importantly — outside the mid-June-to-30-September swimming-zone closures. Summer is warmest (up to ~26 °C, viz to 50 m) but the 87 swimming zones lock out many popular bays. Pick your coast by the wind: SE/S in the usual Majjistral, NW when the Sirocco blows.
Where is spearfishing banned in Malta?
In the five wreck-conservation areas (Ċirkewwa, Marsaskala, Qawra Point, Wied iż-Żurrieq, Xatt l-Aħmar), Filfla (1 nm no-take + UXO), the marine reserves (Rdum Majjiesa, Dwejra, Xlendi), all named wrecks, the tuna-farm exclusion zones, the industrial harbours (Marsaxlokk, Freeport, Grand Harbour), and inside the 87 swimming zones from mid-June to 30 September.