# Can you fish from a charter yacht in Greece? Licence, flag rule and what you can catch > No licence is needed to fish in Greece, but only Greek-flagged boats may fish: guests on a foreign-flag charter yacht cannot. Rules, species, spots. Sourced. URL: https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/greece/ Last updated: 2026-10-28 Author: Catamaran Index editorial team You need no licence for recreational sea fishing in Greece, but only Greek-flagged vessels may fish in Greek waters, so guests on a foreign-flagged charter yacht may not fish at all. On a Greek-flagged yacht you may fish free of charge, but you may not keep bluefin tuna or swordfish, and you may not sell your catch. > **Important:** Foreign-flagged charter yachts may not fish in Greek waters. The Hellenic Coast Guard says only Greek-flagged vessels may fish there. Before you book, ask the charter company which flag the yacht flies. *Checked 28 Oct 2026 against 4 official sources and 4 secondary sources ([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 Greece? - **Licence needed:** No licence, but only Greek-flagged boats may fish. - **Authority:** No licence. Rules are enforced by the Hellenic Coast Guard (Λιμενικό Σώμα) ([Hellenic Coast Guard](https://alieia.hcg.gr/faq/faq_eng.php)). - **Cost:** Free. No licence needed for recreational sea fishing; individual and boat licences were abolished in 2014 (Law 4256/2014). - Only Greek-flagged vessels may fish in Greek territorial waters, so guests on a foreign-flagged yacht may not fish. - Bluefin tuna and swordfish may only be taken by professional vessels holding a special permit. - A bluefin caught by accident must be released; if it dies, tell the Port Authority. - From Jan 2026, catches of EU-regulated species must be reported through Greece's national e-reporting system. - **[Not verified]** The name of the app is not verified. 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 Greece](https://catamaranindex.com/greece/#licence). ## What can I catch in Greece? | Species | Scientific name | How it is caught | Best months | IUCN status | Endemic | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Greater amberjack | *Seriola dumerili* | jigging, live bait | Apr–Aug (Aegean) ([guide](https://fishfindr.eu/findr/species/seriola-dumerili/aegean)) | [Least Concern (LC)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Seriola-dumerili.html) | No | | Common dentex | *Dentex dentex* | jigging, bottom fishing | Mar–Jun ([guide](https://fishradar.ai/fishing/gr/cyclades-islands/)) | [Vulnerable (VU)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Dentex-dentex.html) | No | | Atlantic bonito | *Sarda sarda* | trolling | Jun–Sep (Ionian/Corfu) ([guide](https://www.fishingworldguide.com/en/blog/fishing-in-greece)) | [Least Concern (LC)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Sarda-sarda.html) | No | | Dusky grouper | *Epinephelus marginatus* | bottom fishing, spearfishing | Not verified | Not verified ([FishBase](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Epinephelus-marginatus.html)) | No | | Gilthead seabream | *Sparus aurata* | bottom fishing | Not verified | [Least Concern (LC)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Sparus-aurata.html) | No | | Silver-cheeked toadfish (invasive, toxic) | *Lagocephalus sceleratus* | bycatch — do not eat | Not verified | [Least Concern (LC)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lagocephalus-sceleratus.html) | No | | Atlantic bluefin tuna | *Thunnus thynnus* | not allowed for recreational fishers (release) | Not verified | [Least Concern (LC)](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Thunnus-thynnus.html) | No | Notes on these species (local rules and FishBase): - **Silver-cheeked toadfish (invasive, toxic):** Lessepsian invasive in the E. Mediterranean (FishBase). - **Atlantic bluefin tuna:** Professional permit only. Threatened on the IUCN Red List (global): Common dentex (VU). Best months are from fishing guides (secondary sources); IUCN status from FishBase ([how to read the labels](#labels)). ## Catch limits and fishing rules - Selling the catch is prohibited - Remote-controlled bait droppers and shore longlines are banned; electric reels are allowed for vertical lines - **[Not verified]** Daily catch limits and minimum sizes: not verified ## Where to fish from a charter yacht - **Cyclades (Naxos, Small Cyclades):** amberjack, dentex, grouper, bonito. *Source: secondary: fishradar.ai, local trip operators.* - **Ionian / Corfu:** amberjack, bonito, dentex in summer. *Source: secondary: fishingworldguide.com.* - **Northern Sporades (Alonissos) zone A9:** line fishing and trolling only. *Source: fishlab.bio.auth.gr flyer; 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 - **[Not verified]** National Marine Park of Alonissos & Northern Sporades: spearfishing banned in Zone A; recreational line fishing and trolling allowed only in sub-zone A9, excluding 1.5 nm around Psathoura (partially verified; park site returned 500) ## Spearfishing rules - **[Not confirmed in the official text]** Spearfishing (PD 373/1985, from a search summary; PDF not opened): banned in May and at night, banned for under-16s, and banned within 200 m of swimmers, ports or marked nets. Freediving only (no scuba). Marker buoy required and you must stay within 50 m of it - **[Not verified]** National Marine Park of Alonissos & Northern Sporades: spearfishing banned in Zone A; recreational line fishing and trolling allowed only in sub-zone A9, excluding 1.5 nm around Psathoura (partially verified; park site returned 500) ## On a charter yacht: what guests need to know No licence. Check that the charter yacht is Greek-flagged; a foreign-flagged boat may not fish. Do not keep bluefin tuna or swordfish, and do not sell the catch. **Foreign-flagged yacht = no fishing.** Only Greek-flagged vessels may fish in Greek waters (Hellenic Coast Guard). This is the first thing to check if fishing matters to you. Planning the trip around the fish? See the [best time to charter in Greece](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/greece/), month by month, and the [Greece charter overview](https://catamaranindex.com/greece/). ## See boats in Greece **[See catamarans for rent in Greece on SamBoat](https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=greece&pos=fishing)** If you plan to fish, ask the owner which flag the boat flies before you book. 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 - The name of the app is not verified. - Daily catch limits and minimum sizes: not verified - National Marine Park of Alonissos & Northern Sporades: spearfishing banned in Zone A; recreational line fishing and trolling allowed only in sub-zone A9, excluding 1.5 nm around Psathoura (partially verified; park site returned 500) - Best months for Dusky grouper, Gilthead seabream, Silver-cheeked toadfish (invasive, toxic), Atlantic bluefin tuna ## 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 - [Hellenic Coast Guard: Hellenic Coast Guard fishing FAQ](https://alieia.hcg.gr/faq/faq_eng.php) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace: PAMTH – abolition of amateur licence (2014)](https://www.pamth.gov.gr/katargisi-tis-erasitechnikis-adeias-alieias-atomiki-kai-skafoys-sti-thalassa/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food: Ministry: Ερασιτεχνική Αλιεία](http://www.alieia.minagric.gr/node/19) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [Hellenic Coast Guard: PD 373/1985](https://alieia.hcg.gr/NOMOTHESIA/PD373-85_enop.pdf) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026. We could not read this page; facts from it are marked as not verified. - [National Marine Park of Alonissos: Alonissos park zones](https://alonissos-park.gr/en_US/%ce%b6%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%b7-%ce%b1-%ce%b6%cf%8e%ce%bd%ce%b7-%ce%b2/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026. We could not read this page; facts from it are marked as not verified. - [European Commission: EU RecFishing Q&A](https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/questions-and-answers-recfishing-2026-01-12_en) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (FishLab): NMPANS flyer (AUTh)](https://fishlab.bio.auth.gr/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/NMPANS_flyer_English.pdf) (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [Fishradar (fishing guide): Fishradar Cyclades](https://fishradar.ai/fishing/gr/cyclades-islands/) (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [Fishfindr (fishing guide): Page cited for best months by species](https://fishfindr.eu/findr/species/seriola-dumerili/aegean) (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [Fishing World Guide: Page cited for best months by species](https://www.fishingworldguide.com/en/blog/fishing-in-greece) (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - FishBase species summaries (reference database, IUCN status as shown, Red List 2025-2), checked 28 Oct 2026: [Seriola dumerili](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Seriola-dumerili.html), [Dentex dentex](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Dentex-dentex.html), [Sarda sarda](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Sarda-sarda.html), [Epinephelus marginatus](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Epinephelus-marginatus.html), [Sparus aurata](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Sparus-aurata.html), [Lagocephalus sceleratus](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lagocephalus-sceleratus.html), [Thunnus thynnus](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Thunnus-thynnus.html). Method: [methodology](https://catamaranindex.com/methodology/#fishing). Data: [JSON](https://catamaranindex.com/api/fishing/greece.json). ## More on fishing and Greece - [Fishing on a yacht charter: every destination compared](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/) - [Best time to charter in Greece](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/greece/) - [Greece yacht and catamaran charter: prices, season and licence](https://catamaranindex.com/greece/) ## FAQ ### Do I need a fishing licence on a charter yacht in Greece? You need no licence for recreational sea fishing in Greece, but only Greek-flagged vessels may fish in Greek waters, so guests on a foreign-flagged charter yacht may not fish at all. On a Greek-flagged yacht you may fish free of charge, but you may not keep bluefin tuna or swordfish, and you may not sell your catch. ### How much does a fishing licence cost in Greece? Free. ### What fish can you catch in Greece? Common targets include greater amberjack, common dentex, Atlantic bonito, dusky grouper, gilthead seabream. Local rules: Silver-cheeked toadfish: lessepsian invasive in the E. Mediterranean (FishBase); Atlantic bluefin tuna: professional permit only. ### Can you spearfish in Greece? Spearfishing (from a search summary; we could not open the official text): banned in May and at night, banned for under-16s, and banned within 200 m of swimmers, ports or marked nets. Freediving only (no scuba). Marker buoy required and you must stay within 50 m of it National Marine Park of Alonissos & Northern Sporades: spearfishing banned in Zone A; recreational line fishing and trolling allowed only in sub-zone A9, excluding 1.5 nm around Psathoura (partially verified; park site returned 500) ### Can you fish from a foreign-flagged charter yacht in Greece? No. The Hellenic Coast Guard says only Greek-flagged vessels may fish in Greek territorial waters, so guests on a foreign-flagged yacht may not fish. Ask the charter company which flag the yacht flies. --- Affiliate disclosure: some links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See /affiliate-disclosure/.