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.
Licence per angler
Croatia, Italy, Belize, BVI
Italy: annual online registration
Boat licence
Balearics
Covers the people aboard
No licence
Greece, Thailand
Greece: Greek-flagged boats only
Checked
28 Oct 2026
10 destinations
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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | From a boat only (avlanma fişi) | Not verified | 5 kg per person, or one fish over 5 kg | Bluefish, Greater amberjack, Common dentex |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | None found (not verified) | None found | Minimum sizes, e.g. spiny lobster 20 cm | Giant trevally, Bluefin trevally, Roundscale bonefish |
| 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).
- 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).
- 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).
Also: in Croatia the licence is personal, so the skipper's licence does not cover guests (Croatia fishing licence), and in Belize bonefish, tarpon and permit must be released (Belize catch and release).
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. If no one aboard has the right sailing licence, book a skipper: bareboat vs skippered.
See boats for rent
See catamarans for rent on SamBoat
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).
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 (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- Greece: Hellenic Coast Guard: Hellenic Coast Guard fishing FAQ (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- British Virgin Islands: Government of the Virgin Islands: Gov VI – How do I obtain a fishing licence (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- Bahamas: Government of The Bahamas: Gov – Sport Fishing Permit (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- Turkey: Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye): Resmî Gazete – Tebliğ 6/2 (2024/21) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- Italy: SIAN (MASAF online services): SIAN – pesca sportiva foreign users (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- Balearic Islands: Govern de les Illes Balears (CAIB): CAIB trámite licencia (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- Thailand: FAOLEX (FAO legal database): Fisheries Act B.E. 2558 (FAOLEX) (official text, hosted by a third party), checked 28 Oct 2026
- French Polynesia: Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia): DRM – Espèces réglementées (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
- Belize: CZMAI (Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute): CZMAI licence portal (official), checked 28 Oct 2026
Species status: FishBase species summaries. Data: JSON · methodology.
Fishing rules by destination
Croatia · Greece · British Virgin Islands · Bahamas · Turkey · Italy · Balearic Islands · Thailand · French Polynesia · Belize
Frequently asked questions
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.