Fishing from a charter yacht in Turkey: licence, catch limits and no-fishing bays
Fishing in Turkey from a charter yacht: guests need an avlanma fişi unless the boat has a fishing-tourism permit. 5 kg limit, no-fishing bays. Sourced.
Fishing licence needed?
From a boat
From a boat only (avlanma fişi)
Source: Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye), checked
Catch limit
5 kg per person, or one fish over 5 kg
Source: Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye), checked
Checked
28 Oct 2026
2 official, 4 secondary sources
Tourists may fish from the shore in Turkey without a document, but to fish from a charter yacht guests need an amateur fishing slip (avlanma fişi) from the provincial agriculture directorate, unless the boat holds a fishing-tourism permit; we could not confirm what the slip costs. Each person may keep 5 kg (or one fish over 5 kg), and several popular charter bays in the Gökova and Hisarönü gulfs and around Kaş are closed to fishing.
Checked 28 Oct 2026 against 2 official sources and 4 secondary 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 Turkey?
Licence needed: From a boat only (avlanma fişi).
Issued by: Provincial/district Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry (Tarım ve Orman Müdürlüğü) (Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye)).
Cost: [Not verified] not verified
Valid for: [Not verified] Avlanma fişi: validity not verified. Tebliğ 2024/21 is valid 1 Sep 2024–31 Aug 2028.
Tebliğ 6/2 (No 2024/21), Art. 5: tourists may fish from the shore without a document.
To fish at sea from a boat they need either a vessel holding a 'Ticari Amaçlı Amatör Balıkçılık Turizm İzni' (commercial amateur-fishing tourism permit) or an avlanma fişi (Annex 3) from the directorate.
[Not confirmed in the official text] Foreign residents can get a 2-year Misafir Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi (search summary).
[Secondary source] Amendment 2026/26: from 1 Sep 2027 amateur fishing vessels need a Vessel Permit Certificate (secondary: denizde.com.tr).
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 Turkey.
What can I catch in Turkey?
| Species | Scientific name | How it is caught | Best months | IUCN status | Endemic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefish (lüfer) | Pomatomus saltatrix | trolling, spinning | Sep–Mar (guide) | Vulnerable (VU) | No |
| Greater amberjack (akya/sarıkuyruk) | Seriola dumerili | jigging | Sep–Oct (guide) | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Common dentex (sinarit) | Dentex dentex | jigging | Not verified | Vulnerable (VU) | No |
| Atlantic bonito (palamut) | Sarda sarda | trolling | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Leerfish (akya) | Lichia amia | spinning, live bait | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Lionfish (invasive) | Pterois miles | spearfishing removal | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Silver-cheeked toadfish (invasive, toxic) | Lagocephalus sceleratus | bycatch — do not eat | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
Notes on these species (local rules and FishBase):
- Lionfish (invasive): Invasive in the E. Mediterranean (FishBase).
Threatened on the IUCN Red List (global): Bluefish (lüfer) (VU), Common dentex (sinarit) (VU). Best months are from fishing guides (secondary sources); IUCN status from FishBase (how to read the labels).
Catch limits and fishing rules
- Sea catch: 5 kg total per person, or one fish over 5 kg; if the largest fish is excluded, the rest must be ≤4 kg. Species counted by number: max 3 in total
- [Secondary source] Minimum sizes in Çizelge 7 (image tables, not extracted); 5% tolerance. Secondary (fishradar.ai): bluefish 18 cm, dentex 35 cm; greater amberjack 30 cm, 1/day, closed 15 Apr–15 May (not verified against the official text)
- Max 4 lines with ≤6 hooks each, plus 1 çapari (≤15 hooks). Traps, longlines (parakete) and drop lines banned
- No fishing in buoyed swim areas or within 200 m of shore, 1 Apr–15 Nov; no fishing within 100 m of fish farms; lights for fishing banned; sale banned
Where to fish from a charter yacht
- Gökova Gulf (outside no-take bays): popular charter cruising ground; several bays are no-fishing under Art. 17. Source: Tebliğ 2024/21.
- Hisarönü Gulf / Bozburun: charter area with listed no-fishing bays. Source: Tebliğ 2024/21.
- Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye offshore: bluefish, amberjack. Source: secondary: fishingworldguide.com.
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
- Kaş: Bohça İskelesi, Ufakdere, Beşadalar, İnceburun, Çondur Burnu, Bucak Denizi
- Kumluca Üç Adalar (line fishing allowed)
- Fethiye harbour (except shore lines)
- İztuzu/Dalyan (1 Nov–30 Apr)
- Hisarönü Gulf: Kurucabük and Çiftlik bays, Kargı Koyu, Selimiye Koyu, Bozburun–Söğüt line
- Gökova Gulf: Bördübet Limanı, Boncuk Koyu/Karaca Limanı, Çamlı Limanı, Akyaka, Akbük Limanı
- Gökçeada underwater park, Yıldız–Çiftlik Koyu (1 mile)
- Güllük Dalyanı (500 m)
- Mediterranean monk seal caves: no entry, anchoring or fishing
Spearfishing rules
- Spearfishing: sunrise to sunset only, no lights, no scuba or hookah, buoy required; guns and air pressure banned
On a charter yacht: what guests need to know
From a charter yacht, guests need an avlanma fişi from the directorate unless the boat holds a fishing-tourism permit. Keep clear of the Art. 17 bays in Gökova, Hisarönü and Kaş.
Planning the trip around the fish? See the best time to charter in Turkey, month by month, and the Turkey charter overview.
See boats in Turkey
See boats for rent in Turkey 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
- not verified
- Avlanma fişi: validity not verified. Tebliğ 2024/21 is valid 1 Sep 2024–31 Aug 2028.
- Best months for Common dentex (sinarit), Atlantic bonito (palamut), Leerfish (akya), Lionfish (invasive), Silver-cheeked toadfish (invasive, toxic)
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
- Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye): Resmî Gazete – Tebliğ 6/2 (2024/21) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Trabzon Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry: Trabzon İl Tarım – announcement (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Deniz Ticaret Odası (Chamber of Shipping): Deniz Ticaret Odası – amendment 2026/26 (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- denizde.com.tr (news): denizde.com.tr – vessel permit (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Fishradar (fishing guide): Fishradar Türkiye regs (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Fishing World Guide: Fishing World Guide Turkey (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- FishBase species summaries (reference database, IUCN status as shown, Red List 2025-2), checked 28 Oct 2026: Pomatomus saltatrix, Seriola dumerili, Dentex dentex, Sarda sarda, Lichia amia, Pterois miles, Lagocephalus sceleratus.
Method: methodology. Data: JSON.
More on fishing and Turkey
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a fishing licence on a charter yacht in Turkey?
Tourists may fish from the shore in Turkey without a document, but to fish from a charter yacht guests need an amateur fishing slip (avlanma fişi) from the provincial agriculture directorate, unless the boat holds a fishing-tourism permit; we could not confirm what the slip costs. Each person may keep 5 kg (or one fish over 5 kg), and several popular charter bays in the Gökova and Hisarönü gulfs and around Kaş are closed to fishing.
How much does a fishing licence cost in Turkey?
Not verified.
What fish can you catch in Turkey?
Common targets include bluefish, greater amberjack, common dentex, Atlantic bonito, leerfish. Local rules: Lionfish: invasive in the E. Mediterranean (FishBase).
Can you spearfish in Turkey?
Spearfishing: sunrise to sunset only, no lights, no scuba or hookah, buoy required; guns and air pressure banned