Is spearfishing legal in Morocco? The short answer
Yes, with an authorisation and rules. The answer in one line, then what comes with it: freediving only, by day, for your own table, minimum sizes and closed species — visitors included.
17 October 2026 · 2 min read
Yes, spearfishing is legal in Morocco, provided you hold an authorisation and follow the rules that come with it. It is governed by decree no. 2-61-227 of 1962 and by the 1973 dahir regulating maritime fishing.
The conditions, in seven lines
- An authorisation issued by the maritime fisheries delegation for the area where you dive. The process is in our guide to the spearfishing permit.
- On a single breath only. No breathing apparatus: a tank puts you outside your authorisation.
- By day, from sunrise to sunset.
- For your own table. Selling the catch is prohibited in any form.
- The minimum sizes of the 1988 order, species by species: see the legal sizes table.
- Forbidden or closed species: bluefin tuna never, grouper closed in July and August according to clubs, octopus during its biological rest periods. The list is in forbidden areas and species.
- Away from ports, channels and supervised beaches, and never a loaded speargun out of the water.
And for a tourist?
The same rules apply. The texts provide for a fee exemption for tourists during their stay, but it exempts you from paying, not from applying: the authorisation is still required. The quickest route is to contact a local club before you arrive.
What is forbidden, whatever happens
Hunting on a tank, hunting at night, explosives and toxic substances, selling the catch. They are also the offences pursued most readily.