# Belize fishing licence and catch-and-release rules for bonefish, tarpon and permit

> Belize fishing licence: BZ$20/day, BZ$50/week. Bonefish, tarpon and permit are catch and release only. Closed seasons, reserve zones, charter tips. Sourced.

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

Yes: every guest who fishes in Belize needs a CZMAI sport fishing licence, which costs BZ$20 for a day or BZ$50 for a week, both sold online. Bonefish, tarpon and permit are strictly catch and release, and keeping one is illegal.

*Checked 28 Oct 2026 against 8 official sources and 1 secondary source ([sources](#sources)). Anything we could not confirm is labelled ([how to read the labels](#labels)). Rules change: check with the authority or your charter company before you fish.*

## Do I need a fishing licence on a charter in Belize?

- **Licence needed:** Yes, every angler (CZMAI sport licence).
- **Issued by:** Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute (CZMAI) – Sport Fishing Program ([CZMAI (Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute)](https://apps.coastalzonebelize.org/)).
- **Cost:** **[Not confirmed in the official text]** BZ$20 for 1 day, BZ$50 for 1 week, BZ$100 for 1 year (Sport Fishing Regulations 2009, Schedule II). The annual licence is reportedly residents-only and in person (search summary).
- **Valid for:** 1 day / 1 week / 1 year

- Sport Fishing Regulations S.I. 114/2009 (in force 14 Sep 2009).
- The licence must be shown on request; the Minister may waive fees.
- Day and week licences are sold online.

This is a fishing licence. To skipper the yacht yourself you need a sailing licence or résumé, which is a different document: [sailing licence requirements in Belize](https://catamaranindex.com/belize/#licence).

## What can I catch in Belize?

| Species | Scientific name | How it is caught | Best months | IUCN status | Endemic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit | *Trachinotus falcatus* | flats/fly — C&R only | Apr–Sep (peak Jun–Aug) ([guide](https://bluebonefishbelize.com/2020/09/the-best-times-to-fish-belize-with-calendar-tides/)) | [Least Concern (LC)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Trachinotus-falcatus.html) | No |
| Bonefish | *Albula vulpes* | flats/fly — C&R only | year-round ([guide](https://bluebonefishbelize.com/2020/09/the-best-times-to-fish-belize-with-calendar-tides/)) | [Near Threatened (NT)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Albula-vulpes.html) | No |
| Tarpon | *Megalops atlanticus* | flats, lagoon and river — C&R only | migratory peak Jun–Aug; residents year-round ([guide](https://bluebonefishbelize.com/2020/09/the-best-times-to-fish-belize-with-calendar-tides/)) | [Vulnerable (VU)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Megalops-atlanticus.html) | No |
| Nassau grouper | *Epinephelus striatus* | bottom | Not verified | [Critically Endangered (CR)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Epinephelus-striatus.html) | No |
| Great barracuda | *Sphyraena barracuda* | flats/trolling | Not verified | [Least Concern (LC)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Sphyraena-barracuda.html) | No |
| Mutton snapper | *Lutjanus analis* | bottom/flats | Not verified | [Near Threatened (NT)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-analis.html) | No |
| Yellowtail snapper | *Ocyurus chrysurus* | bottom | Not verified | [Data deficient (DD)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Ocyurus-chrysurus.html) | No |
| Sailfish | *Istiophorus platypterus* | offshore trolling | Not verified | [Vulnerable (VU)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Istiophorus-platypterus.html) | No |

Notes on these species (local rules and FishBase):

- **Nassau grouper:** Belize closed 1 Dec–31 Mar, slot 20–30 in.

Threatened on the IUCN Red List (global): Tarpon (VU), Nassau grouper (CR), Sailfish (VU). Best months are from fishing guides (secondary sources); IUCN status from FishBase ([how to read the labels](#labels)).

## Catch limits and fishing rules

- Bonefish, tarpon and permit: catch & release only; possession is illegal
- Nassau grouper: closed 1 Dec–31 Mar; slot 20–30 in; landed whole
- Lobster: closed 1 Mar–30 Jun; carapace ≥3.25 in; tail ≥4.5 oz
- Conch: closed 1 Jul–30 Sep; shell >7 in
- Protected: parrotfish, tangs/surgeonfish, angelfish, triggerfish, all rays, whale and nurse sharks. Other sharks need a special licence and are closed 1 May–31 Oct
- Within 2 miles of Turneffe, Glover's and Lighthouse atolls: no shark fishing, no hooks over 12/0, no drifting longlines
- No fishing with scuba, poison or explosives (Turneffe)

## Where to fish from a charter yacht

- **Turneffe Atoll:** permit, grand slam; conservation zones are C&R. *Source: Belize booklet + secondary.*
- **Placencia:** permit flats, river tarpon May–Jun. *Source: secondary: oneoutdoors.org, marlonleslie.com.*
- **Ambergris Caye / Hol Chan Bajos:** accessible flats; C&R in conservation zones. *Source: secondary + holchanmarinereserve.org.*
- **Glover's Reef (General Use Zone only):** atoll. *Source: fisheries.gov.bz/grmr (via search summary).*

Spots are suggestions from fishing guides and operators unless an official text is named. Check protected areas before you anchor to fish.

## Protected areas and no-take zones

- Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve: conservation zones (Mauger Caye, Dog Flea & Blackbird Caye, Calabash Reef, Long Bogue, Caye Bokel) allow catch & release with a sport licence; Zone VII Preservation is no entry
- Hol Chan Marine Reserve: no-take zones; Bajos conservation zones allow catch & release
- Glover's Reef Marine Reserve: fishing only in the General Use Zone
- Port Honduras Marine Reserve: replenishment zone (non-extractive)
- Lighthouse Reef (2-mile shark/hook rules)

## Spearfishing rules

We could not confirm spearfishing rules for Belize.

## On a charter yacht: what guests need to know

Every guest who fishes buys a CZMAI sport licence online for a day or a week. Release all bonefish, tarpon and permit. Check the reserve zone before anchoring.

Planning the trip around the fish? See the [best time to charter in Belize](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/belize/), month by month, and the [Belize charter overview](https://catamaranindex.com/belize/).

## See boats in Belize

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

Fishing rules apply whoever you book with; listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you ([disclosure](https://catamaranindex.com/affiliate-disclosure/)).

## What we could not verify

- Best months for Nassau grouper, Great barracuda, Mutton snapper, Yellowtail snapper, Sailfish

## How to read the labels

- **[Secondary source]**: From a non-government source (guide, club, operator or news); not official.
- **[Not confirmed in the official text]**: An official rule we could only read in a search summary, because we could not open the official text.
- **[Not verified]**: We could not confirm it.
- No label: Read in an official source (government, statutory body or the legal text).

Best months come from fishing guides and charter operators (secondary sources), not from regulators: treat them as a guide. IUCN status is the species' global Red List category as FishBase shows it (Red List 2025-2), not a local fishing rule. "Endemic" means FishBase gives a range limited to one sea; "No" means FishBase shows a wide distribution.

## Sources

- [FAOLEX (FAO legal database): Sport Fishing Regulations 2009 (FAOLEX)](https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/BLZ223980.pdf) (official text, hosted by a third party), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- [Turneffe Atoll Trust (hosts the Belize Fisheries booklet): Fishing Regulations of Belize booklet (2022)](https://visitturneffe.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Fishing-Regulations-of-Belize-Booklet-New-Map_Final_2022_compressed.pdf) (official text, hosted by a third party), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- [CZMAI (Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute): CZMAI licence portal](https://apps.coastalzonebelize.org/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- [CZMAI (Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute): CZMAI Sport Fishing Program](https://www.coastalzonebelize.org/sports-fishing-program-unit/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- [Belize Fisheries Department: Fisheries Dept – Hol Chan](https://fisheries.gov.bz/hcmr/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- [Belize Fisheries Department: Fisheries Dept – Glover's Reef](https://fisheries.gov.bz/grmr/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- [Belize Fisheries Department: Fisheries Dept – Port Honduras](https://fisheries.gov.bz/phmr/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- [Hol Chan Marine Reserve: Hol Chan zones](https://www.holchanmarinereserve.org/zones/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- [Blue Bonefish Belize (fishing guide): Blue Bonefish calendar](https://bluebonefishbelize.com/2020/09/the-best-times-to-fish-belize-with-calendar-tides/) (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- FishBase species summaries (reference database, IUCN status as shown, Red List 2025-2), checked 28 Oct 2026: [Trachinotus falcatus](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Trachinotus-falcatus.html), [Albula vulpes](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Albula-vulpes.html), [Megalops atlanticus](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Megalops-atlanticus.html), [Epinephelus striatus](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Epinephelus-striatus.html), [Sphyraena barracuda](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Sphyraena-barracuda.html), [Lutjanus analis](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-analis.html), [Ocyurus chrysurus](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Ocyurus-chrysurus.html), [Istiophorus platypterus](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Istiophorus-platypterus.html).

Method: [methodology](https://catamaranindex.com/methodology/#fishing). Data: [JSON](https://catamaranindex.com/api/fishing/belize.json).

## More on fishing and Belize

- [Fishing on a yacht charter: every destination compared](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/)
- [Best time to charter in Belize](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/belize/)
- [Belize yacht and catamaran charter: prices, season and licence](https://catamaranindex.com/belize/)

## FAQ

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

Yes: every guest who fishes in Belize needs a CZMAI sport fishing licence, which costs BZ$20 for a day or BZ$50 for a week, both sold online. Bonefish, tarpon and permit are strictly catch and release, and keeping one is illegal.

### How much does a fishing licence cost in Belize?

BZ$20 for 1 day; BZ$50 for 1 week (both online).

### What fish can you catch in Belize?

Common targets include permit, bonefish, tarpon, Nassau grouper, great barracuda. Local rules: Nassau grouper: belize closed 1 Dec–31 Mar, slot 20–30 in.

### Can you spearfish in Belize?

We could not confirm spearfishing rules for Belize.

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