Spearfishing

There are two kinds of fishing with a spear:

1. Fishing with a simple spear, non-mechanical, used just with the power of the hand, and
2. Fishing with a spear with a launch mechanism, the so-called harpoon gun.

• Both of these ways of fishing are under the provision of the Presidential Decree 373/85 and, for their use, you’ll have to obtain an individual license for amateur fishery.
  As far as the first method is concerned with a simple spear, you should know that Paragraph 3 of Article 1 and Paragraph E of Article 2 of the Presidential Decree 373/85 are in force, which provide that there are no other restrictions but, if you use a lamp (diffused light without illuminator), it may have power of up to 500 candles, and no more.

As far as the second method is concerned, with a mechanical spear, you need to know that Article 1 of the Presidential Decree 373/85 is in force which provides the following:

1. Amateur underwater fishing is forbidden:
   a) during the period of May every year
   b) right after the sunset until the sunrise
   c) for people under 16 years old
   d) within a distance 200 metres of:
   • i) the point where normally people swim;
   • ii) port works or nautical marks or boats or other fishing means, as well as the nets with obvious marks;
   • iii) anchored ships.

2. It is forbidden for amateur underwater fishermen to:
   a) to pull off catches from the fishing gears of other fishermen;
   b) to continue having their “harpoon guns” armed when they are out of the water or on land;
   c) to use any kind of diving gear that provides air from a boat or any kind of autonomous diving gear that provides air. Also, it is forbidden to keep breathing apparatus on board;
   d) to use a spear that its own power comes from the spark of explosive or other chemical mixture;
   e) to use nets;
   f) to catch fishes of a weight less than 150 grams;
   g) to use underwater light.

3. Amateur fishermen, when diving, are obliged to bear a yellow drift buoy, which has a red diagonal flag and the symbol ‘Y’ (the Greek initial for Underwater Fishing) and which can be seen from a distance 300m. If a vessel accompanies the underwater fisherman, this flag must be on it. The underwater fisherman must be moving in a radius of 50 metres from the sign or the boat.

Finally, according to the Paragraph 2 of Article 2 of Presidential Decree 373/85, amateur fishermen can catch up to 5 kg fishes and no more, no matter the method they used to fish (except if they use nets, when the amounts goes up to 10kg). If one fish has weight over 5 kg itself, then it is permitted. Also, it is forbidden to catch more than one fish of the genus of Epinephelus [Grouper].