Island Spear Co.

Regulations Northern Mariana Islands

Spearfishing Regulations in Northern Mariana Islands

Checked against the primary source (DFW) on July 5, 2026territory

Governing agency: CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). Last verified July 5, 2026 by independent primary-source check.

Summary

Spearfishing is legal and culturally central in the Northern Mariana Islands' reef and ocean waters, and — unusually for a U.S. jurisdiction — no general recreational fishing license is required to spearfish for reef finfish. The single most important rule is that SCUBA (and hookah) spearfishing is banned CNMI-wide: you may only spearfish on breath-hold (free-diving) or from the surface. Fishing of any kind, including spearfishing, is completely prohibited inside the territory's marine reserves and no-take sanctuaries, and lobster may never be taken by spear (hand-only). There is effectively no freshwater sport fishery.

License

What you need to be legal

Not permittedNo license specifically required
License
No general recreational spearfishing/finfish license exists in the CNMI
Who needs it
No license is required to spearfish for reef finfish (breath-hold) in CNMI waters. Under CNMI Administrative Code § 85-30.1-201(a) a license is required only for enumerated takes — e.g., using a cast/throw net (talaya), collecting aquarium fish, taking sea crab / land crab / coconut crab, harvesting hard/soft corals, or taking a species 'by a method or for a purpose regulated by part 400' 2. Ordinary spearing of reef finfish is not among the licensed categories, and the fee schedule (§ 85-30.1-201(c)) lists no finfish/spearfishing license at all 2.
Resident cost
None for recreational spearfishing. (Related licenses, resident rate: cast/throw net 0–50 ft $10, 50–100 ft $25; aquarium fish $10; sea/land/coconut crab $10 each) (s1, s2).
Non-resident cost
None for recreational spearfishing. (Related licenses, non-resident rate: cast/throw net 0–50 ft $75, 50–100 ft $100; aquarium fish $100; sea/land/coconut crab $75 each) (s1, s2).
Where to buy
Not applicable for spearfishing. Species/gear-specific licenses (net, aquarium, crab, coral, scientific) are issued by the DFW via the 'Import, Scientific, Fishing, Harvesting and Hunting License Application' at the Division of Fish and Wildlife (s1, s3).

Exemptions

  • Everyone — no recreational finfish/spearfishing license is issued or required in the CNMI 2

The full story

The full story

Two points deserve a loud flag because they cut against what divers expect from a U.S. jurisdiction. First, on licensing: the CNMI does NOT have — and never created — a general recreational fishing or spearfishing license. The Non-Commercial Fish and Wildlife Regulations only require a license for a short, enumerated list of takes (cast/throw net use, aquarium fish, sea/land/coconut crab, corals, deer, doves, scientific research), and the official fee schedule contains no finfish or spearfishing line item at all 2. So the honest, practice-level answer is that a breath-hold spearo needs no license — this is not a paper-versus-practice gap, the requirement simply does not exist.

Second, on SCUBA: the CNMI-wide ban on using SCUBA or hookah while fishing is a genuine, enforced rule, not a dormant statute. It is a long-standing provision of § 85-30.1-401 (the section's history traces back to 1982–1983; the 2003 amendments added the net provisions, not the SCUBA ban) and is backed by island-level penalty laws with real teeth — fines up to $1,000, jail up to six months, and gear confiscation on Saipan, with parallel penalties on Rota and Tinian (s1, s2). DFW fields armed conservation officers and a violation-reporting hotline 1. The takeaway for a visiting diver: you can spearfish the Marianas' famous reefs, but only on a single breath — tanks and a spear in the water together will get you cited.

Where it's legal

Saltwater & freshwater

Saltwater

Legal

Legal and traditional throughout CNMI reef and ocean waters on breath-hold. 'Take' is defined to include 'spear' (§ 85-30.1-100(ss)), and spearfishing is treated by DFW as an allowed method (s1, s2). The controlling limits are: (1) NO SCUBA or hookah while fishing anywhere in the CNMI (§ 85-30.1-401) — spearfishing must be free-dive/surface only 2; (2) marine reserves and sanctuaries are total no-take zones (see area restrictions) (s1, s2); (3) lobster may not be speared 2. Minimum-size limits do NOT bind recreational spearos: the § 85-30.1-615 size table sits in Part 600 (Commercial Fishing Regulations) and § 85-30.1-610 states 'The regulation does not apply to fish harvested for non-commercial purposes' 2 — but take undersized/reproductive fish conservatively regardless. CNMI territorial waters extend to 3 nautical miles; beyond that the federal EEZ around the Mariana Archipelago is managed by NOAA Fisheries and the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council 4.

Freshwater

Not permitted

There is effectively no freshwater sport fishery to spearfish. The CNMI's only lake, Lake Susupe on Saipan, is a shallow, tilapia-and-guppy wetland that is protected habitat for the endangered Mariana common moorhen and other wildlife; it is not a managed game-fish fishery. The CNMI Non-Commercial Fish and Wildlife Regulations (Title 85-30.1) contain no freshwater game-fish spearing/gigging/bowfishing regime — the fishing rules are marine/reef oriented 2. Because Lake Susupe is a wildlife conservation area, take there is restricted regardless of method — confirm with DFW before any activity (s2, s3).

Gear

What you can carry

Speargun
Permitted for breath-hold reef spearfishing. The CNMI code regulates 'spear' generically and does not restrict propulsion type for finfish, so hand spears and spearguns are treated the same 2. They may NOT be used while on SCUBA/hookah (§ 85-30.1-401), inside marine reserves/sanctuaries, or to take lobster 2.
Pole spear
Permitted on breath-hold, same as spearguns — the code says only 'spear' and does not distinguish pole spears 2.
Hawaiian sling
Not named in the CNMI regulations. A Hawaiian sling is a hand-propelled spear and is treated as a 'spear,' so it is allowed wherever spearfishing is allowed and banned where spearfishing is banned (SCUBA, reserves). Confirm with DFW — see unverified 2.
Spearfishing on SCUBA
NO — this is the headline rule. SCUBA (and hookah/surface-supplied air) while fishing is prohibited CNMI-wide under § 85-30.1-401(a)(1): 'No person shall use explosives, poisons, electronic shocking devices, SCUBA, or hookah while fishing' 2. The only exception is a Division employee or a holder of a scientific collection permit that specifically authorizes it (§ 85-30.1-401(c)) 2. Spearfishing must be done free-diving or from the surface. Island-level laws set the penalties: e.g., on Saipan up to $1,000 and/or 6 months with gear confiscation; on Rota up to $500 and/or 3 months; on Tinian/Aguiguan up to $500 or 3 months 1.

Gear restrictions

  • SCUBA and hookah are banned while fishing anywhere in the CNMI — spearfishing is breath-hold/surface only 2
  • Lobster may NOT be taken by spear — hand capture only; and no lobster under 3 in (76.2 mm) carapace, no egg-bearing or egg-stripped females (§ 85-30.1-425) 2
  • Explosives, poisons (cyanide, bleach, derris/saponin), and electric shocking devices are prohibited for taking fish (§ 85-30.1-401) (s1, s2)
  • Prohibited nets: drag nets/beach seines, trap nets, surround nets, and gill nets — only throw/cast (talaya) and scoop/landing nets are allowed, and net use requires a license (s1, s2)
  • Using any fishing gear in a manner substantially destructive to benthic substrate (reef) is prohibited (§ 85-30.1-401(b)) 2
  • Disturbing coral (live or dead) is prohibited (§ 85-30.1-401(d)) 2

Do not spear

Prohibited species

  • Lobster — may not be taken by spear at all (hand-only), and never if under 3 in carapace or carrying/stripped of eggs (§ 85-30.1-425) 2
  • Trochus (Trochus niloticus / aliling tulompo) — under harvest moratorium; may not be taken (s1, s2)
  • Sea cucumber (balati) — under harvest moratorium; may not be taken (s1, s2)
  • All corals — hard reef-building corals, soft corals, and stony hydrozoans may not be collected, removed, or disturbed without a license (§ 85-30.1-401(d), § 85-30.1-410) (s1, s2)
  • Any threatened, endangered, or protected species (§ 85-30.1-201, general prohibitions) 2
  • All marine life inside any marine reserve or sanctuary — no fish, coral, lobster, shellfish, clams, or octopus may be killed or removed (§ 85-30.1-450) 2

Where you can't

Area restrictions

  • Marine reserves are total no-take zones — Sasanhaya Fish Reserve (Rota) and Managaha (Mañagaha) Marine Conservation Area (Saipan): no killing or removing any marine animal or plant (§ 85-30.1-450) 2
  • No-take sanctuaries where all fishing is prohibited: Bird Island Sanctuary (Saipan), Forbidden Island Sanctuary (Saipan), and the Tinian Marine Reserve (except seasonal cast-netting) 1
  • Species-specific closed areas: Lighthouse Reef Trochus Sanctuary and Lau Lau Bay Sea Cucumber Sanctuary 1
  • Sanctuary/reserve violations carry escalating penalties depending on area, roughly $100 to $10,000 per day 1
  • Get current DFW marine-preserve boundary maps before diving — boundaries (often defined by shoreline-to-40-ft-depth contours) are enforced by armed conservation officers (s1, s2)

Worth knowing

Notable rules, seasons & limits

  • SCUBA/hookah spearfishing is banned CNMI-wide — free-dive/surface only. This is the rule most visiting divers get wrong 2.
  • No recreational spearfishing license exists — you do not (and cannot) buy one to spearfish reef finfish 2.
  • Lobster is hand-only — spearing a lobster is illegal even outside reserves 2.
  • Marine reserves and sanctuaries are strict no-take; enforcement and penalties are real (s1, s2).
  • Report violations to DFW conservation officers: (670) 287-1126 or (670) 664-6031 1.

What divers here typically use

Gear up for Northern Mariana Islands spearfishing

Most divers working Northern Mariana Islands's coast start with a band speargun sized to the water and the fish they are after. Our honest guide to the Best Speargun for Beginners walks through what to look for — curated from published specs and community consensus, not paid placement.

If you break them

Penalties

Set by PL 2-51 § 10 / 2 CMC § 5109 and island-level laws (§ 85-30.1-620). SCUBA-spearfishing: up to $1,000 and/or 6 months plus gear confiscation on Saipan; up to $500 and/or 3 months on Rota; up to $500 or 3 months on Tinian/Aguiguan. Illegal nets: up to $5,000 plus up to 3 months and gear confiscation. Cyanide/poison fishing: up to $10,000 and/or 3 years. Moratorium (trochus/sea cucumber) violations: up to $500 and/or 6 months. Sanctuary/reserve violations: roughly $100–$10,000 per day depending on area (s1, s2).

Not yet independently confirmed — verify directly

  • Any distance-from-swimmers, distance-from-pier, or beach-buffer rule for spearfishing — none was found in Title 85-30.1; island-level ordinances were not fully reviewed.
  • Night-spearfishing restrictions — none found in the CNMI code; possible local rules not confirmed.
  • Whether pole spears, Hawaiian slings, and spearguns are legally distinguished — the code uses only the generic term 'spear.'
  • Whether humphead (Napoleon) wrasse or bumphead parrotfish carry a specific CNMI take/spear prohibition (they are protected in some neighboring jurisdictions); not confirmed in Title 85-30.1.
  • Exact current citation/text of the island-level SCUBA-spearfishing penalty laws (penalty figures are from the DFW summary page s1, not read verbatim from each local law).

Confirm these points directly with CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) before you rely on them.

Primary sources

Sources

Every fact above is drawn from these official sources. Each was retrieved on the date shown; regulations can change after that date.

  4. Source 4: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council — Northern Mariana Islands (Mariana Archipelago) federal-waters management

    Retrieved July 5, 2026https://www.wpcouncil.org/fisheries/northern-mariana-islands-mariana-archipelago/

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Is spearfishing legal in Northern Mariana Islands?
Yes — spearfishing is legal in Northern Mariana Islands's saltwater, but it is not permitted in fresh water, subject to license, gear, species, and area rules. Legal and traditional throughout CNMI reef and ocean waters on breath-hold. 'Take' is defined to include 'spear' (§ 85-30.1-100(ss)), and spearfishing is treated by DFW as an…
Do you need a license to spearfish in Northern Mariana Islands?
No license is specifically required to spearfish in Northern Mariana Islands, but other rules still apply. No license is required to spearfish for reef finfish (breath-hold) in CNMI waters. Under CNMI Administrative Code § 85-30.1-201(a) a license is required only for enumerated takes — e.g., using a cast/throw net (talaya), collecting aquarium fish, taking sea crab / land crab / coconut crab, harvesting hard/soft corals, or taking a species 'by a method or for a purpose regulated by part 400'. Ordinary spearing of reef finfish is not among the licensed categories, and the fee schedule (§ 85-30.1-201(c)) lists no finfish/spearfishing license at all.
Can you spearfish on scuba in Northern Mariana Islands?
NO — this is the headline rule. SCUBA (and hookah/surface-supplied air) while fishing is prohibited CNMI-wide under § 85-30.1-401(a)(1): 'No person shall use explosives, poisons, electronic shocking devices, SCUBA, or hookah while fishing'. The only exception is a Division…
What can't you spear in Northern Mariana Islands?
Protected or no-take species you may not spear in Northern Mariana Islands include: Lobster — may not be taken by spear at all, Trochus, Sea cucumber, All corals — hard reef-building corals, soft corals, and stony hydrozoans may not be collected, removed, or disturbed without a license, Any threatened, endangered, or protected species, All marine life inside any marine reserve or sanctuary — no fish, coral, lobster, shellfish, clams, or octopus may be killed or removed. Always check the full prohibited-species list and current seasons before diving, and confirm with CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).

Stay current

Get an email when Northern Mariana Islands's size & bag limits change

Regulations shift between seasons. We re-check Northern Mariana Islands's rules against the primary source and send a short note when the limits, seasons, or licensing move — nothing else.

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Last verified July 5, 2026. Regulations change — always confirm the current rules with CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) before you dive.

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