Places in or near Europe to spear without the need for any red tape?

[Mr. X]

Hi,
Are there any holiday locations in or near Europe that you would recommend and that are good for spearfishing (saltwater, not freshwater) and that don't require licenses/permits/... and where bringing spearing gear will not cause problems at the airport/borders?

Italy/Portugal/Spain would likely have been my first choices but I think Italy & Spain fail the red-tape test. N. Africa is out for various reasons. How about Portugal? Canaries? Corsica? Malta? Cyprus? Greece? Croatia? Turkey? Montenegro?

 

[japppo]

I think Greece and Norway do not require licenses. The can still be other rules regarding the catch, season and equipment. Other countries like this I don't know, but I'm interested as well...

 

[Rugbyfan]

For Croatia u have to be a member of sport fishing union. That mean u have to register online to get a member card that is valid for 1 year. Afterwards u have to buy daily, 3 days or monthly license. It cost aprox 7 eur per day for daily and 100 for monthly license. U wont have any problems with gear on airport. Montenegro is for free or at least it was last year. Why would any country fail red tape test? All u have listed are eu members with same regulations.

 

[vrokhlenko]

Hi,
Are there any holiday locations in or near Europe that you would recommend and that are good for spearfishing (saltwater, not freshwater) and that don't require licenses/permits/... and where bringing spearing gear will not cause problems at the airport/borders?

Italy/Portugal/Spain would likely have been my first choices but I think Italy & Spain fail the red-tape test. N. Africa is out for various reasons. How about Portugal? Canaries? Corsica? Malta? Cyprus? Greece? Croatia? Turkey? Montenegro?

Azores (Portugal). They do require a spearfishing permit, but it is easily obtained in a police (Kapitania ? You will find the office in any main marina or close on any island) for 10 Euros for a week. Ask any taxi driver - they will help you. You can bring in your gun without any issues. There is a limit of 10 kilos of fish per person per day but it is never enforced. You have to clip the tail fin with a scissors in a special way as the speared fish can be identified easily since it can not be sold . But nobody does that . There is no need to laminate your license and have it with you while hunting. If they do approach you - you will have 24 hours to produce a license. So you can keep it in your car. But nobody checks . One local guy told me that in 12 years of hunting he was only inspected once after getting out of the water. The prohibited specie is a Mero - Atlantic goliath grouper. I do not know any other restrictions - maybe sharks.

It is also one of the cheapest places in Europe to rent an apartment with a small kitchen. Car rental is about 35 Euros a day, to get taken out to sea on a small motor boat (2 miles out) - 30 Euros. Friendly people, English is spoken by many as people have USA connections.

And on top of it all - AZORES HAVE FISH! If you know your stuff - you will get something: Parrot, barracuda, amberjack, bluefish, sargo, bonito, mullet can be taken from the shore. Bigger stuff on pinnacles. Some islands have pinnacles not far from the shore. Or you can go to Princes Alice Banks and go for some 50 kilo amberjacks. Or do bluewater for wahoo and tuna.... Cheers!

 

[Mr. X]

For Croatia u have to be a member of sport fishing union. That mean u have to register online to get a member card that is valid for 1 year. Afterwards u have to buy daily, 3 days or monthly license. It cost aprox 7 eur per day for daily and 100 for monthly license. U wont have any problems with gear on airport. Montenegro is for free or at least it was last year. Why would any country fail red tape test? All u have listed are eu members with same regulations.

Sounds like a lot mucking around (and for what benefit?) and intended for locals rather than visitors.

The EU members do not all have the same regulations (thankfully), not at all. The regulations (if any) seem to be made up at national level usually. My tolerance for red tape (particularly when on holiday) is very low, recognising that, I will likely avoid countries that require permits - although the Azores sounds tempting - or visit without diving (carrying gear is hassle enough). It's a pity that locations that benefit or depend on holidaymakers don't try to help rather than hinder us.

 

[vrokhlenko]

Get a gun like in your avatar - air and a larger bag so it will fit along with your fins. http://www.screeninsults.com/images/thunderball-beach.jpg
That is what I do. I keep it under 23 kilos and nobody even knows I have it on arrival. The weights you can get for a small fee in any scuba rental place on Azores. You can hunt fish under 10 kilos with an shorter air gun and reel. Croatia is a lousy place for spearfishing - it is a corrupt country where personal relationships play an important role to get through bureaucracy. Obtaining license there is a chore and it is overfished. And they check on you from the boat. I know - I was there in a remote area. Dove below 25 meters - nothing to shoot at.

 

[Mr. X]

Really? That's a shame. I visited Croatia many years ago when it was part of Yugoslavia. Great history, weather, service, prices, gelato but we did see one very alarming event and several quite odd ones. Oppressive Communist bureaucracy replaced with oppressive EU bureaucracy? Old habits die hard I guess

 

[vrokhlenko]

Really? That's a shame. I visited Croatia many years ago when it was part of Yugoslavia. Great history, weather, service, prices, gelato but we did see one very alarming event and several quite odd ones. Oppressive Communist bureaucracy replaced with oppressive EU bureaucracy? Old habits die hard I guess

I see it very differently actually - Eastern countries under communism developed a strong distrust of government and got corrupted through and through. Anyway, the nature/scenery in Croatia was amazing, everything else - s0-so. Getting a license was a 'backroom' deal. On Azores you come to the office during business hours, show them your passport and get a license on the spot. Very civilized and cheap - 10 Euros/month; 25 - for a year. In Croatia it was like 25 for a week, the fish was spooky and even in the protected area it was no fish. I was yelled at from the shore by some clown who thought that I was stealing from his lobster traps (while lobstering was ILLEGAL . There were some other issues related to the sentiments of certain Croats to the Germans during the Second World War - a property of some guy I knew suffered after am argument in the bar... Overall I did not have a very pleasant feeling and will never go back. I feel like at home on Azores

 

[Mr. X]

Coincidentally, a rather brave German holidaymaker brought the "alarming event" to an end, restoring the peace.

 

[vrokhlenko]

Coincidentally, a rather brave German holidaymaker brought the "alarming event" to an end, restoring the peace.

Did not get the last cryptic message of yours - I am somewhat removed from the self-inflicted European issues We in the USA have our own to survive through....

 

[octopus]

Good spearfishing, no red tape, no hassle with transporting gear?

Scotland?
I have feeling you would get along with Grant rather well.

(Cape Verde?)

 

[Rugbyfan]

Get a gun like in your avatar - air and a larger bag so it will fit along with your fins. http://www.screeninsults.com/images/thunderball-beach.jpg
That is what I do. I keep it under 23 kilos and nobody even knows I have it on arrival. The weights you can get for a small fee in any scuba rental place on Azores. You can hunt fish under 10 kilos with an shorter air gun and reel. Croatia is a lousy place for spearfishing - it is a corrupt country where personal relationships play an important role to get through bureaucracy. Obtaining license there is a chore and it is overfished. And they check on you from the boat. I know - I was there in a remote area. Dove below 25 meters - nothing to shoot at.

C'mon its not so hard to get a licence. As i said u can do it online and it takes 15 min. U just have to pay. But u r right... They check u all the time
If anyone needs i can post a link how to obtain it...

Overfished? Depends where... Middle and south dalmatia r ok.


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[vrokhlenko]

C'mon its not so hard to get a licence. As i said u can do it online and it takes 15 min. U just have to pay. But u r right... They check u all the time
If anyone needs i can post a link how to obtain it...

Overfished? Depends where... Middle and south dalmatia r ok.


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I do not doubt what you say. My experience was different. They had to call somebody who actually came to the office and issued us licensees. I guess depends on locality.

 

[octopus]

You are both right.
Issuing licences in Croatia used to be office job and rather cumbersome at the time.
But it was changed few years back into electronic system and now it can be done on the net.