Sport Fishing in Panama: What Changes on 10 December 2026

The sport fishing card

From the age of 12, anyone who fishes needs a sport fishing card (carné de pescador deportivo), Panamanian or foreign, from a boat, from shore or from a kayak (Decree 9, art. 5). Spearfishing is included: the decree defines it as a form of sport fishing (art. 4).

Two cases are exempt. A client fishing aboard an authorised tourist fishing boat, with a captain who holds his own card, is covered by the captain's card (art. 6 and 7). An occasional guest, who does not direct the fishing and does not regularly use his own gear, is covered too (art. 5).

For a foreigner, the card costs 20 balboas for 7 days, 60 for 30 days and 150 for 180 days (Annex IV). The balboa is pegged one to one to the US dollar. It is issued through the online platform of ARAP, Panama's aquatic resources authority, at its one-stop counter or at its regional offices (art. 17), with the form, a passport and the payment (art. 6). For a minor aged 12 to 17, a parent signs the application.

One practical point: ARAP has six months to bring the platform online, a deadline that can be extended by six more months (art. 36). The list of marinas where foreigners will have their card validated is still to be published by resolution.

The card gives no right to fish inside a marine protected area whose management plan forbids it (art. 6).

Fishing with a captain

Paid tourist fishing takes place on a Panamanian-flagged boat holding a tourist fishing license (art. 13), run by a Panamanian or resident captain who holds the tourist sport fishing card (art. 7). That card requires a boat operator or fishing skipper certificate, and a guide certificate issued by the tourism authority (art. 9). The boat needs a working satellite tracking system, a tourist operation notice and a passenger transport license (art. 14). After each trip, the captain reports to ARAP the passengers, their nationality and the catch (art. 8).

What can be kept

The limit is 25 fish per boat per day in private fishing, and 15 in tourist fishing (art. 21). It counts per boat, not per angler. Once it is reached, fishing goes on as catch and release only. Every fish kept is reported and stored whole, or as skin-on fillets, so that it stays identifiable.

A fish caught in sport fishing cannot be sold, traded or given in exchange for any benefit (art. 20). The buyer and the restaurant are in breach as well.

The decree sets no minimum size and no quota per species. ARAP will set them by resolution (art. 22).

Eleven species to release

Eleven species are reserved for sport fishing and may only be fished catch and release (art. 18): roosterfish, tarpon, Atlantic cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus), blue, white, black and striped marlin, shortbill and longbill spearfish, sailfish and swordfish.

One exception: one swordfish or one tarpon per boat per day may be kept to be eaten, never to be sold or given away. A listed fish that dies during the fight goes back to the sea and is reported.

The Pacific cubera snapper, pargo dientón, is not on the list. It can be kept within the general limit.

Roosterfish, in the field: Roosterfish in the Gulf of Chiriqui.

Sharks and rays

The decree bans fishing, keeping, handling for sport or landing any shark or ray in sport fishing (art. 19). An accidental catch is released at once, without taking the animal out of the water. Sharks and rays cannot be the target of a tournament, an advert or a tourist offer either.

For a full presentation of the species and their protection status: Sharks and rays of the Gulf of Chiriquí.

Marlin, sailfish, swordfish

Decree 10 adds handling rules. With natural bait, dead or alive, a non-offset circle hook is mandatory, and J hooks and trebles are banned (art. 16). With artificial lures, they remain allowed (art. 17).

The fish does not come out of the water, alive or dead, for a photo, a video or social media (art. 15). It is not held by the bill, dragged or knocked against the boat (art. 12 and 14). If it is exhausted, it is revived by moving water over its gills before release (art. 13). Every trip is reported: place, species, estimated size and condition of the fish at release (art. 19).

A fish that could break a world record may be kept and weighed (art. 18). It is reported within 15 working days, with a fee of 1,000 balboas per fish, waived if it ranks in the world's top three.

Spearfishing

Breath-hold only, with a band or pneumatic speargun or a pole spear (Decree 9, art. 4). Scuba tanks and any breathing apparatus are banned, as are guns with a detonating or explosive mechanism (art. 32). The card is the same as for rod and line. All other rules apply: no sharks or rays, mandatory release of roosterfish, tarpon and Atlantic cubera snapper.

What other texts cover

Caribbean spiny lobster is closed from 1 March to 30 June, with a minimum tail length of 140 mm, and berried females are protected (OSPESCA regulation OSP-02-09). Queen conch, Pacific giant conch and all Strombidae are closed for ten years, shells included, on both coasts (ARAP Resolution 047 of 20 May 2026). Taking and selling parrotfish, surgeonfish and other reef fish covered by Law 304 of 2022 is prohibited (art. 17). In protected areas, the founding text or the management plan of each area decides whether fishing is allowed (Decree 9, art. 24).

Fines

Fishing without a card costs 50 balboas from shore, 100 from a boat. Exceeding the catch limit, 100 balboas in private fishing and 500 in tourist fishing, plus seizure. Keeping a listed species or a shark, 500 balboas and seizure. Selling the catch, 30 balboas per pound, for the buyer too (Decree 9, art. 32). For repeat offences, the fine doubles and the card is suspended for six months.

For billfish, keeping a fish, using the wrong hook or taking it out of the water for a photo is a serious offence: 1,000 to 3,000 balboas, plus seizure (Decree 10, art. 24).

Sources

Executive Decree 9 and Executive Decree 10 of 10 June 2026, Gaceta Oficial 30543-E, verification code GO6A29D9D6CF21D. ARAP Resolution 047 of 20 May 2026, Gaceta Oficial 30531-C. Law 304 of 31 May 2022. OSPESCA regulation OSP-02-09.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a fishing license when fishing with a captain in Panama?

No, if the boat holds its tourist fishing license and the captain holds his tourist sport fishing card: the client is covered by the captain's card (Decree 9, art. 6 and 7).

How much is the fishing card for a foreigner?

20 balboas for 7 days, 60 for 30 days, 150 for 180 days. One balboa equals one US dollar.

Can I keep a roosterfish or a tarpon?

Roosterfish, no: release is mandatory. Tarpon too, with one exception: one tarpon or one swordfish per boat per day may be kept to be eaten.

Can you fish for sharks in Panama?

No. From 10 December 2026, all sharks and rays are banned in sport fishing. An accidental catch is released without taking the animal out of the water.

Is spearfishing allowed in Panama?

Yes, breath-hold only, with the sport fishing card. Scuba is banned.

Can I take a photo with a marlin or a sailfish?

Yes, as long as the fish stays in the water. Taking it out of the water for a photo is a serious offence.

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