Fishing in Greece, Are you legal?

[miyagimoon]

Yesterday whilst anchored in Loutraki Harbour (about 30m from the Southern Breakwater) on Skopelos, I decided to have a snorkel along the outside edge of the breakwater, might as well take my spear gun thought I and see if I can catch any fish. So off we went. About an hour later I come back through the gap and back to the boat. Lets check the anchor whilst I'm at it. Had just checked the anchor when heard a noise. Look up and it was the Coast Guard Rib with two Coastguard on board.

Hello, I say. Show me your hands says one of them. So do, one of them is obviously holding my spear gun. He then proceeds to tell me that it is illegal to fish in the Port. I was not fishing in the Port says I, but outside the breakwater. Do you have a licence says he. What says I. Anyway to cut it short. Unbeknown to me and no doubt many others that:

1. You need a licence to spear fish in Greece.
2. You need a licence to fish from a boat.
3. If you fish from a boat the boat must also have a licence.

Fortunately, they let me off with a warning (apparently you have to have a Greek Tax Code for them to fine you, otherwise it is a long and complicated procedure), but I could have been fined for 6 different offences:

Spear fishing without a licence
Fishing in a Port
Fishing within 200m of a port
Spear fishing without a warning float
Fishing from a boat without a licence
Fishing from an unlicensed boat.

Apart from the Spear Fishing all the above are applicable with rod and or hand line. The fines could have totalled to over 2000 Euro.

The only time you do not need a licence is if you are fishing from the land.

http://athens.angloinfo.com/information/lifestyle/sports-and-leisure/fishing/

Be Careful Out There (Hill Street Blues)

 

[Glyka]

Yes, it is so. You were very lucky to escape. Lack of tax code isn't really a problem, the just let you go.
OTOH they usually turn the blind eye to people (children mostly) fishing for fun (with obviously non-serious equipment) from a charter boat.
Caution: Rumors say that coexistence of scuba diving equipment and spear gun(s) in a boat is a very serious offence.

 

[rivonia]

It is so true and you were very lucky! not to have been fined.

 

[Tony Cross]

Thank you for highlighting this, and the link.

Though I'd do that in case nobody else does.

 

[alexsailor]

speargun license costs 30eur and lasts for two years.
you can get in the port police office.
you just need a photo (for the document).
I was told this year that I need a tax number in Greece to get a lincense. But to get the tax number you neede someone to vouch for you (hm....?).
Anyway, I got my license in Kefalonia (Argostoli) and noone there asked me for the tax nr.

I have to say that 30 eur for two years is a minor ammount compared for example with Croatian license that costs almost the same for three (3) days!!

I never heard that you need a license for fishing from the boat. Hm... can I get it also in the port police office? How much does it costs?

 

[macd]

apparently you have to have a Greek Tax Code for them to fine you, otherwise it is a long and complicated procedure

Lest anyone be tempted to think otherwise, the same cannot be said for speeding fines (on land, I hasten to add). In fact collecting them is such an efficient process (you just take a chit and some dosh to a post office) that you actually wonder if you're still in Greece. There's even a 50% discount for prompt payment.

 

[Davy_S]

I never heard that you need a license for fishing from the boat. Hm... can I get it also in the port police office? How much does it costs?

Yes you can get it from the Port Police office, it costs 14 euro for two years.

 

[blueglass]

Only the Greek authorities could implement such a piece of pointless time wasting beaurocracy for what amounts to about a fiver a year!

 

[Davy_S]

Possibly, but IMHO the amount of small fish and Octopus that the Italian tourist kills, then leaves on the rocks/beach wasted, is nothing short of scandalous, I see no point in killing something if you are not going to eat it. I suppose the meagre licence fee at least helps to buy a bmw for a bent politician.

 

[alexsailor]

Possibly, but IMHO the amount of small fish and Octopus that the Italian tourist kills, then leaves on the rocks/beach wasted, is nothing short of scandalous, I see no point in killing something if you are not going to eat it. I suppose the meagre licence fee at least helps to buy a bmw for a bent politician.

Thumbs up!

 

[blueglass]

Possibly, but IMHO the amount of small fish and Octopus that the Italian tourist kills, then leaves on the rocks/beach wasted, is nothing short of scandalous, I see no point in killing something if you are not going to eat it. I suppose the meagre licence fee at least helps to buy a bmw for a bent politician.

Needlessly killing fish I agree is opbjectionable, but would a licence fee stop Italians (or anybody else) from doing it?

 

[Davy_S]

Needlessly killing fish I agree is opbjectionable, but would a licence fee stop Italians (or anybody else) from doing it?

I can only give you my opinion based on my experience in the Ionian. As you probably know the boat fishing licence is based on the length and hp of the boat, I think mine is 84 euros, plus I need the 14 euro licence as well, my Greek friend can fish on my boat as long as he has his own 14 euro licence. OK, we are now legal, we can catch or spear around 5 kilo of fish each, or a single fish heavier than this. We have been stopped by the police, fish and licence checked, had we been in the wrong, we would have been fined heavily. They do check on people, but as you know, the funding for policing the sea and shore is not available for these times of austerity, so yes, people will get away with it.

 

[blueglass]

I can only give you my opinion based on my experience in the Ionian. As you probably know the boat fishing licence is based on the length and hp of the boat, I think mine is 84 euros, plus I need the 14 euro licence as well, my Greek friend can fish on my boat as long as he has his own 14 euro licence. OK, we are now legal, we can catch or spear around 5 kilo of fish each, or a single fish heavier than this. We have been stopped by the police, fish and licence checked, had we been in the wrong, we would have been fined heavily. They do check on people, but as you know, the funding for policing the sea and shore is not available for these times of austerity, so yes, people will get away with it.

Understood, but what I meant was that there's nothing to stop a paid up licence holder from leaving their catch on the rocks just as well as a licence dodger.

 

[Artic Warrior]

I can only give you my opinion based on my experience in the Ionian. As you probably know the boat fishing licence is based on the length and hp of the boat, I think mine is 84 euros, plus I need the 14 euro licence as well, my Greek friend can fish on my boat as long as he has his own 14 euro licence. OK, we are now legal, we can catch or spear around 5 kilo of fish each, or a single fish heavier than this. We have been stopped by the police, fish and licence checked, had we been in the wrong, we would have been fined heavily. They do check on people, but as you know, the funding for policing the sea and shore is not available for these times of austerity, so yes, people will get away with it.

Hi Davy,

Where did you obtain your licence for the boat, as I will be fishing a lot in Greece and want to do it the legal way,
cheers colin

 

[hartcjhart]

virtually the same in spain,Andalucia is probably the hardest to get a licence for fishing

 

[Davy_S]

Hi Davy,

Where did you obtain your licence for the boat, as I will be fishing a lot in Greece and want to do it the legal way,
cheers colin

To get the boat licence you have to take your boat registration papers to the port police and apply for the fishing licence, you will probably have to take a piece of paper to the tax office, pay and get it stamped, then take it back to the PP and pay the fee. Over a certain amount the PP have to make sure that tax has been paid because in the past it is rumoured to have been (ahem) trousered!. The 14 euro rod licence can be done straight away.

 

[25931]

virtually the same in spain,Andalucia is probably the hardest to get a licence for fishing

Fishing licence also required in Portugal, afloat or ashore. It is illegal to have speargun and scuba equipment together but probably only in a small boat used for diving - I've never heard of a liveaboard having problems.

 

[GrahamM376]

Fishing licence also required in Portugal, afloat or ashore. It is illegal to have speargun and scuba equipment together but probably only in a small boat used for diving - I've never heard of a liveaboard having problems.

And don't forget the licence for scuba diving and snorkling

 

[alexsailor]

I can only give you my opinion based on my experience in the Ionian. As you probably know the boat fishing licence is based on the length and hp of the boat, I think mine is 84 euros, plus I need the 14 euro licence as well, my Greek friend can fish on my boat as long as he has his own 14 euro licence.

How long does the license for the boat last and how long 14eur license?

 

[Davy_S]

How long does the license for the boat last and how long 14eur license?

The rod licence 14 euro, lasts 2 years, the boat fishing licence lasts around 5 years i think (I will have to check this as mine is due around December).