Fishing on a charter yacht in French Polynesia: licence, minimum sizes and restricted zones
Fishing in French Polynesia on a charter: no licence found (not verified). Minimum sizes, spearfishing rules, ZPR and Moorea zones, rahui. Sourced.
Fishing licence needed?
None found
None found (not verified)
Source: Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia), checked
Catch limit
Minimum sizes, e.g. spiny lobster 20 cm
Source: Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia), checked
Checked
28 Oct 2026
5 official, 0 secondary sources
We found no recreational fishing licence in French Polynesia, but we could not confirm that none exists, so ask your charter base. Minimum sizes apply (for example spiny lobster 20 cm and giant clam 12 cm, with a fine of 179,000 F CFP), spearfishing with breathing apparatus is banned, and local zones (ZPR fishing zones, Moorea's marine areas and rahui closures) restrict where you may fish.
Checked 28 Oct 2026 against 5 official sources (sources). Anything we could not confirm is labelled (how to read the labels). Rules change: check with the authority or your charter company before you fish.
Do I need a fishing licence on a charter in French Polynesia?
Licence needed: None found (not verified).
Authority: Direction des Ressources Marines (DRM) sets the rules; no recreational licence found (Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia)).
Cost: [Not verified] No licence found for recreational fishing (not verified; licences seem to apply to professionals)
Délib. 88-184 AT (8 Dec 1988, amended) sets the regulated species and sizes, plus Arrêté 573 CM (2013).
Fine: 5th-class contravention, 179,000 F CFP, plus seizure of the catch.
Local PGEM plans (Moorea) and rahui (Fakarava etc.) add zones.
The 'recueil' compendium dates from 2017 and may be outdated.
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 French Polynesia.
What can I catch in French Polynesia?
| Species | Scientific name | How it is caught | Best months | IUCN status | Endemic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant trevally (ulua) | Caranx ignobilis | popping, jigging | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Bluefin trevally | Caranx melampygus | lure/fly | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Roundscale bonefish | Albula glossodonta | flats/fly | Not verified | Vulnerable (VU) | No |
| Dogtooth tuna | Gymnosarda unicolor | jigging on pass drop-offs | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Wahoo | Acanthocybium solandri | trolling | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Yellowfin tuna | Thunnus albacares | trolling | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Blue marlin | Makaira nigricans | trolling | Not verified | Vulnerable (VU) | No |
| Two-spot red snapper | Lutjanus bohar | bottom/jigging (ciguatera risk — not verified) | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
Notes on these species (local rules and FishBase):
- Giant trevally (ulua): Moorea Papetoai advised min 40 cm.
- Bluefin trevally: Moorea advised min 50 cm.
- Roundscale bonefish: Moorea advised min 50 cm.
Threatened on the IUCN Red List (global): Roundscale bonefish (VU), Blue marlin (VU). Best months are from fishing guides (secondary sources); IUCN status from FishBase (how to read the labels).
Catch limits and fishing rules
- [Not verified] Minimum sizes (DRM poster, 2022 edition): spiny lobster 20 cm; slipper lobster 14 cm; mantis shrimp 18 cm; green crab 12 cm; freshwater prawn 6 cm; giant clam (pahua) 12 cm; burgau 16–18 cm; troca banned except during fishing campaigns; jungle perch (nato) 12 cm; egg-bearing female crustaceans banned at all times. Closed-month colours on the poster were not readable
- Moorea PGEM: spearfishers over 50 m from bathers and 100 m from busy beaches; 'pêche de loisir' means rod, line or speargun only, no nets at night, no sale. Advised sizes (Papetoai): Napoleon wrasse 80 cm, bluefin trevally 50 cm, GT 40 cm, bonefish 50 cm, Plectropomus laevis 50 cm
- Fakarava: night spearfishing banned; Niau lagoon: spearfishing banned day and night; Aratika: spearfishing banned (with exceptions)
Where to fish from a charter yacht
- Moorea (outside PGEM AMPs): lagoon and outer reef; zones under the PGEM. Source: DRM recueil 2017.
- Fakarava (check rahui and the night spearfishing ban): atoll passes. Source: DRM recueil 2017.
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
- ZPR (Zones de Pêche Réglementée), marked by signs and yellow markers (DRM map, updated 18 Sep 2026)
- Moorea PGEM AMPs: Maatea/Afareaitu, Taotaha, Tetaiuo, Pihaena, Aroa
- Fakarava rahui (lobster, coconut crab, pahua)
- Niau lagoon (no spearfishing)
Spearfishing rules
- Spearfishing (Délib. 88-183): no breathing apparatus, and no scuba combined with a speargun; stay over 150 m from water intakes, farms and marked nets; gun not loaded out of the water
- Moorea PGEM: spearfishers over 50 m from bathers and 100 m from busy beaches; 'pêche de loisir' means rod, line or speargun only, no nets at night, no sale. Advised sizes (Papetoai): Napoleon wrasse 80 cm, bluefin trevally 50 cm, GT 40 cm, bonefish 50 cm, Plectropomus laevis 50 cm
- Fakarava: night spearfishing banned; Niau lagoon: spearfishing banned day and night; Aratika: spearfishing banned (with exceptions)
- Niau lagoon (no spearfishing)
On a charter yacht: what guests need to know
No licence was found. Respect the ZPR and PGEM zones and rahui, minimum sizes, and the spearfishing rules (no scuba, daylight only at Fakarava).
Planning the trip around the fish? See the best time to charter in French Polynesia, month by month, and the French Polynesia charter overview.
See boats in French Polynesia
See catamarans for rent in French Polynesia on SamBoat
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).
What we could not verify
- No licence found for recreational fishing (not verified; licences seem to apply to professionals)
- Minimum sizes (DRM poster, 2022 edition): spiny lobster 20 cm; slipper lobster 14 cm; mantis shrimp 18 cm; green crab 12 cm; freshwater prawn 6 cm; giant clam (pahua) 12 cm; burgau 16–18 cm; troca banned except during fishing campaigns; jungle perch (nato) 12 cm; egg-bearing female crustaceans banned at all times. Closed-month colours on the poster were not readable
- Best months for Giant trevally (ulua), Bluefin trevally, Roundscale bonefish, Dogtooth tuna, Wahoo, Yellowfin tuna, Blue marlin, Two-spot red snapper
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
- Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia): DRM – Espèces réglementées (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia): DRM poster 'Espèces réglementées' (2022) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia): DRM – ZPR map (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Direction des Ressources Marines (French Polynesia): DRM – Recueil de textes pêche (2017) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- DPAM (French Polynesia): DPAM – plaisance regulations (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- FishBase species summaries (reference database, IUCN status as shown, Red List 2025-2), checked 28 Oct 2026: Caranx ignobilis, Caranx melampygus, Albula glossodonta, Gymnosarda unicolor, Acanthocybium solandri, Thunnus albacares, Makaira nigricans, Lutjanus bohar.
Method: methodology. Data: JSON.
More on fishing and French Polynesia
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a fishing licence on a charter yacht in French Polynesia?
We found no recreational fishing licence in French Polynesia, but we could not confirm that none exists, so ask your charter base. Minimum sizes apply (for example spiny lobster 20 cm and giant clam 12 cm, with a fine of 179,000 F CFP), spearfishing with breathing apparatus is banned, and local zones (ZPR fishing zones, Moorea's marine areas and rahui closures) restrict where you may fish.
How much does a fishing licence cost in French Polynesia?
None found.
What fish can you catch in French Polynesia?
Common targets include giant trevally, bluefin trevally, roundscale bonefish, dogtooth tuna, wahoo. Local rules: Giant trevally: moorea Papetoai advised min 40 cm; Bluefin trevally: moorea advised min 50 cm; Roundscale bonefish: moorea advised min 50 cm.
Can you spearfish in French Polynesia?
Spearfishing (Délib. 88-183): no breathing apparatus, and no scuba combined with a speargun; stay over 150 m from water intakes, farms and marked nets; gun not loaded out of the water Moorea PGEM: spearfishers over 50 m from bathers and 100 m from busy beaches; 'pêche de loisir' means rod, line or speargun only, no nets at night, no sale. Advised sizes (Papetoai): Napoleon wrasse 80 cm, bluefin trevally 50 cm, GT 40 cm, bonefish 50 cm, Plectropomus laevis 50 cm