The fishing licence and the rules of the catch: where no licence is needed, what you may keep at a reservoir, how much you may land from a boat and what is banned underwater.
Where to start and what comes next
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Do you need a licence
From the sea shore with a rod — no. In every other case — yes, and the type of licence depends on what you fish with and where from.
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Reservoirs
Not all are open, and Achna and Polemidia are catch-and-release only. You may keep only zander, trout and sturgeon; carp and bass always go back.
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At sea from a boat or kayak
A kayak is a vessel too. The catch limit is for the whole boat, every fish has its tail clipped, and every trip is logged in the app.
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Spearfishing
Breath-hold and daylight only, with a float and outside bathing areas. A teenager hunts only with an adult holding the same licence.
How it works
Fishing in Cyprus starts with the question of where you fish from. From the sea shore with a rod no licence is needed at all. Boats and kayaks, spearguns and reservoirs each have their own licence and their own rules: what you may keep, how much and when.
Every licence is taken out online with the Department of Fisheries and runs to the end of the calendar year. Mistakes are made less in the paperwork than in the catch: the boat limit counts for the whole boat, and the commonest reservoir fish must be released.
What is most often misunderstood
- Only the shore is licence-free, and applying needs neither CY Login nor a middlemanDo you need a fishing licence in Cyprus and how to get one
- The quota is five fish of three species, and the commonest fish all go backReservoir fishing in Cyprus: which are open and what you may keep
- The limit is per boat, not per angler, and there are more than a dozen protected areas along the coastFishing from a boat or kayak in Cyprus: licence, catch limit and no-go zones
- You can break the rules without entering the water: at night a speargun and the catch are not kept together on a boatSpearfishing in Cyprus: the licence, the age limit and what is banned
Common situations
- A kayak with a rod right by the shore: that is fishing from a vessel and needs a licenceFishing from a boat or kayak in Cyprus: licence, catch limit and no-go zones
- Caught a bass or a carp at a reservoir: release it alive — but a pike must not go backReservoir fishing in Cyprus: which are open and what you may keep
- A child wants to come fishing: at a reservoir they are entered on a parent’s licenceDo you need a fishing licence in Cyprus and how to get one
- Planning to spearfish in May: the old May ban no longer existsSpearfishing in Cyprus: the licence, the age limit and what is banned