Recreational Fishers

PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19 EMERGENCY POWERS) REGULATIONS 2020

Phase 4- 30th June 2020

RECREATIONAL FISHERS

The Government has now issued the PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19 EMERGENCY POWERS) REGULATIONS 2020 and recreational fishing activities are permitted.

Permitted activities: Recreational fishers are allowed to fish from shore and from vessels during ‘Phase 4 of Reopening Bermuda’.   A nightly curfew continues from midnight until 5am but this will be reviewed weekly. During the permitted hours of operation, and subject to the size of the boat, recreational fishers may have up to 20 persons on a vessel provided appropriate physical distancing can be and is maintained at all times. No person shall use a boat for recreational purposes after 11pm.

Recreational fishers are advised that the Licensing Office at Botanical Gardens is open between 9am and 4:45pm from Monday to Friday to licence spearfishing activities.  Licensing of lobster divers will begin in August. The visitation restrictions have now been lifted for the Botanical Gardens office and recreational fishers will be served at any time during the hours of operation.  However, visits to the Coney Island facility must be made by appointment.  Please call 293-5600 or email fisheries@gov.bm for assistance with online statistical entry, general queries or to book an appointment.

Boat raft-ups and scuba diving for recreational purposes are now permitted activities.

Recreational fishers are also reminded that all conditions of any recreational fishing license or permit, as well as the Fisheries Act 1972 and attending Regulations and Orders must be adhered to.  Some of the key regulations for recreational fishers are as follows:

  • Bag limits (per vessel per 24hrs) – 10 Red hind; 30 Lane snapper; 1 Black grouper; 1 Yellowmouth grouper

  • Minimum legal fish sizes –

    • Red hind, 35cm/14in;

    • Lane snapper, 25cm/10in;

    • Black grouper, 95cm/37.5in;

    • Yellowmouth grouper, 50cm/20in;

    • Yellowtail snapper, 30cm/12in;

    • Hogfish, 45cm/18in;

    • Wahoo & Yellowfin tuna, 3.2kg/7lbs;

    • Blue marlin, 114kg/250lb;

    • White marlin, 23kg/50lbs

  • Closed areas – Seasonally protected grouper/hind grounds; permanent dive sites; no netting area  

  • Gear restrictions – casts nets up to 8ft in diameter; no fixed fishing gear of any kind; hook-and-line only for Bonefish and Pompano; spearfishing requires a licence; and lionfishing within a mile of shore requires a special permit

Copies of the fisheries legislation can be found at www.environment.bm/legislation-and-policy.

Recreational fishing activities will be monitored for compliance by the Fisheries Enforcement Section, as well as the Bermuda Police Service and Royal Bermuda Regiment.

click here to download the Seasonally Protected Areas Map as a PDF.

2020 Seasonally Protected Areas Map.jpg