# Fishing on a yacht charter: licences, rules and what you can catch by destination

> Do you need a fishing licence on a yacht charter? Licence, cost, catch limits and species for 10 destinations, from official sources, checked 28 Oct 2026.

URL: https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/
Last updated: 2026-10-28
Author: Catamaran Index editorial team

Whether you need a fishing licence on a yacht charter depends on the country: every angler needs one in Croatia, Italy (an annual online registration), Belize and the BVI, the Balearics license the boat, Turkey requires a document only for fishing from a boat, and Greece and Thailand have no licence (in French Polynesia we found none, but could not confirm it). The traps are elsewhere: in Greece only Greek-flagged boats may fish, in the Bahamas a permit depends on who owns the boat and official pages disagree on its price, and Thailand bans all fishing in its marine national parks, according to secondary sources and a summary of its National Park Act.

*Checked 28 Oct 2026. Every fact links to its source; secondary sources, unconfirmed rules and gaps are labelled on each destination page. Rules change: check with the authority or your charter company before you fish.*

## Fishing licence rules by destination

| Destination | Licence needed? | Cost | Catch limits | Notable species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Croatia](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/croatia/) | Yes, every angler | €10 for 1 day, €25 for 3 days, €45 for 7 days | 5 kg per person a day plus 1 fish; 1 grouper | Common dentex, Greater amberjack, Atlantic bluefin tuna |
| [Greece](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/greece/) | No licence, but only Greek-flagged boats may fish | Free | Not verified; no bluefin tuna or swordfish | Greater amberjack, Common dentex, Atlantic bonito |
| [British Virgin Islands](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/bvi/) | Yes, for visitors (recreational licence) | US$10 application fee; licence fee not verified | 30 lb of fish per boat; no billfish | Blue marlin, Wahoo, Mahi-mahi |
| [Bahamas](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/bahamas/) | Only on a foreign-owned boat; flats need a personal licence | Not stated: official pages give conflicting amounts | Per vessel: 18 pelagics, 10 lobster, 6 conch, demersals 60 lb or 20 fish | Wahoo, Mahi-mahi, Blue marlin |
| [Turkey](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/turkey/) | From a boat only (avlanma fişi) | Not verified | 5 kg per person, or one fish over 5 kg | Bluefish, Greater amberjack, Common dentex |
| [Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/italy/) | Yes, annual SIAN registration per angler | Not verified (reported as free) | 5 kg per person a day; 1 grouper | Atlantic bluefin tuna, Greater amberjack, Common dentex |
| [Balearic Islands](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/balearics/) | Yes, a boat licence covers the people aboard | €47.21 (boat up to 6 m) or €77.80 (over 6 m), 3 years | 5 kg per angler, 25 kg per boat, plus 1 piece | Atlantic bluefin tuna, Albacore, Dolphinfish |
| [Thailand](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/thailand/) | No licence found; fishing banned in marine national parks | None found | Not verified; no fishing in parks | Giant trevally, Sailfish, Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel |
| [French Polynesia](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/french-polynesia/) | None found (not verified) | None found | Minimum sizes, e.g. spiny lobster 20 cm | Giant trevally, Bluefin trevally, Roundscale bonefish |
| [Belize](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/belize/) | Yes, every angler (CZMAI sport licence) | BZ$20 for 1 day; BZ$50 for 1 week (both online) | Bonefish, tarpon and permit: release only | Permit, Bonefish, Tarpon |

Costs and limits come from official sources unless the cell says "not verified" or "none found"; the one-line summaries are ours. Species are a selection from each page. Full rules, species tables with IUCN status, spots, protected areas and spearfishing: click a destination.

## Three traps for charter guests

- **Greece: the flag decides.** No licence is needed, but only Greek-flagged vessels may fish in Greek waters, so guests on a foreign-flagged charter yacht may not fish ([Greece fishing rules](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/greece/)).
- **Bahamas: who owns the boat decides, and the price is unclear.** A foreign-owned yacht needs a sport fishing permit; a Bahamian-owned charter boat does not. Official Bahamian pages list different fees, so we do not quote one ([Bahamas fishing permit](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/bahamas/)).
- **Thailand: the parks are off limits.** We found no licence, but fishing is banned in marine national parks (National Park Act 2019, which we could only read in a search summary), and a secondary source says the parks cover almost all the coastal waters popular with yachts ([Thailand fishing rules](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/thailand/)).

Also: in Croatia the licence is personal, so the skipper's licence does not cover guests ([Croatia fishing licence](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/croatia/)), and in Belize bonefish, tarpon and permit must be released ([Belize catch and release](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/belize/)).

## Threatened species you might hook

Global IUCN Red List status as shown on FishBase (Red List 2025-2). A threatened status is not a local fishing ban; local rules are on each page.

- **Nassau grouper** (*Epinephelus striatus*): Critically Endangered. On our pages for BVI, Bahamas, Belize.
- **Blue marlin** (*Makaira nigricans*): Vulnerable. On our pages for BVI, Bahamas, French Polynesia.
- **Bluefish** (*Pomatomus saltatrix*): Vulnerable. On our pages for Turkey.
- **Common dentex** (*Dentex dentex*): Vulnerable. On our pages for Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Balearic Islands.
- **Roundscale bonefish** (*Albula glossodonta*): Vulnerable. On our pages for French Polynesia.
- **Sailfish** (*Istiophorus platypterus*): Vulnerable. On our pages for Thailand, Belize.
- **Tarpon** (*Megalops atlanticus*): Vulnerable. On our pages for BVI, Bahamas, Belize.

The **Mediterranean spearfish** (*Tetrapturus belone*) is the only species in our tables that FishBase gives as endemic (Mediterranean only); keeping it is banned in Croatia. Invasive in the eastern Mediterranean (FishBase): silver-cheeked toadfish (*Lagocephalus sceleratus*) and lionfish (*Pterois miles*); the toadfish is toxic, so do not eat it.

## Fishing licence vs sailing licence

A fishing licence lets you fish; it says nothing about who may skipper the boat. For that, see [sailing licence requirements by country](https://catamaranindex.com/guides/sailing-licence-requirements/). If no one aboard has the right sailing licence, book a skipper: [bareboat vs skippered](https://catamaranindex.com/compare/bareboat-vs-skippered/).

## See boats for rent

**[See catamarans for rent on SamBoat](https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=catamarans&pos=fishing)**

Fishing rules apply whoever you book with. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you ([disclosure](https://catamaranindex.com/affiliate-disclosure/)).

## Sources

The licence authority for each destination (full lists on each page):

- **Croatia:** [Croatian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Uprava ribarstva): Uprava ribarstva – recreational licence info](https://ribarstvo.mps.hr/default.aspx?id=5010) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **Greece:** [Hellenic Coast Guard: Hellenic Coast Guard fishing FAQ](https://alieia.hcg.gr/faq/faq_eng.php) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **British Virgin Islands:** [Government of the Virgin Islands: Gov VI – How do I obtain a fishing licence](https://www.bvi.gov.vg/content/how-do-i-obtain-fishing-licence) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **Bahamas:** [Government of The Bahamas: Gov – Sport Fishing Permit](https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/service/sport-fishing-permit) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **Turkey:** [Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye): Resmî Gazete – Tebliğ 6/2 (2024/21)](https://resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2024/08/20240811-4.htm) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **Italy:** [SIAN (MASAF online services): SIAN – pesca sportiva foreign users](https://www.sian.it/portale/servizi/pesca-sportiva/comunicazione-pesca-sportiva-foreign-users) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **Balearic Islands:** [Govern de les Illes Balears (CAIB): CAIB trámite licencia](https://www.caib.es/seucaib/es/tramites/tramite/98088/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **Thailand:** [FAOLEX (FAO legal database): Fisheries Act B.E. 2558 (FAOLEX)](https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tha159734.pdf) (official text, hosted by a third party), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **French Polynesia:** [Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia): DRM – Espèces réglementées](https://www.ressources-marines.gov.pf/pecheurs/peche-lagonaire/peche-lagonaire-reglementation/especes-marines-et-deau-douce-reglementees-en-pf/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- **Belize:** [CZMAI (Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute): CZMAI licence portal](https://apps.coastalzonebelize.org/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026

Species status: [FishBase](https://www.fishbase.se/) species summaries. Data: [JSON](https://catamaranindex.com/api/fishing.json) · [methodology](https://catamaranindex.com/methodology/#fishing).

## Fishing rules by destination

[Croatia](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/croatia/) · [Greece](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/greece/) · [British Virgin Islands](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/bvi/) · [Bahamas](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/bahamas/) · [Turkey](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/turkey/) · [Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/italy/) · [Balearic Islands](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/balearics/) · [Thailand](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/thailand/) · [French Polynesia](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/french-polynesia/) · [Belize](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/belize/)

## FAQ

### Do I need a fishing licence on a yacht charter?

Whether you need a fishing licence on a yacht charter depends on the country: every angler needs one in Croatia, Italy (an annual online registration), Belize and the BVI, the Balearics license the boat, Turkey requires a document only for fishing from a boat, and Greece and Thailand have no licence (in French Polynesia we found none, but could not confirm it). The traps are elsewhere: in Greece only Greek-flagged boats may fish, in the Bahamas a permit depends on who owns the boat and official pages disagree on its price, and Thailand bans all fishing in its marine national parks, according to secondary sources and a summary of its National Park Act.

### Can you fish from a charter yacht in Greece?

Only if the yacht is Greek-flagged. No licence is needed for recreational sea fishing in Greece, but the Hellenic Coast Guard says only Greek-flagged vessels may fish in Greek waters, so guests on a foreign-flagged yacht may not fish.

### Does the charter boat's fishing licence cover the guests?

It depends on the country. In the Balearics the boat licence covers the people aboard, within the per-boat limits. In Croatia, Belize and Italy every angler needs their own licence or registration. In the Bahamas the permit belongs to a foreign-owned boat, and guests on a Bahamian-owned boat need none.

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