What is Fishing License?
A fishing license, fishing licence, or fishing permit is an administrative or legal mechanism employed by local governments to regulate fishing.
Licensing is one mechanism of fisheries management commonly used in Western countries, and may be required for either commercial or recreational fishing.
Where To Get A Fishing License In South Africa?
Fishing is one of the oldest activities in human history. As long as people have had access to a large enough body of water, they’ve been fishing.
Perhaps you want to continue this hallowed tradition, maybe you hope to make a profit from your catch and start a business, or possibly you just need a new hobby to relax, regardless of your choice, you’ll need a fishing license.
If you don’t feel like standing in queues at the post office for hours on end (smart choice) you can also register for most recreational permits online via the virtual post office. As with most services in South Africa, this service has been known to temporarily work and is not reliable.
The most common permits are priced as follows –
| Permit Type | Monthly Rate | Yearly Rate |
| Angling | R52 | R76 |
| Spearfishing | R57 | R94 |
| Cast net | R57 | R94 |
| Drag Net (prawn catch limit determined by province) | No monthly permit | R94 |
| Mussels (catch limit determined by province) | No monthly permit | R94 |
| Oysters (catch limit determined by province) | No monthly permit | R94 |
| Scuba Diving | R49 | R92 |
| West + East Coast Lobsters (Crayfish) | No monthly permit | R94 |
What are the Different types of Fishing Licenses?
Most of the permits mentioned so far are referred to as Recreational Fishing Licences which are generally administered for fishing done for sport or pleasure.
There are, however, other types of fishing permits that may be required depending on the fishing you intend to do, some of these permits are listed below along with the relevant contact and application information –
- Local fishing vessel license – If you wish to operate a local fishing vessel you will need both a safety certification from the South African Maritime Safety Authority as well as a DEFF license.
- Foreign fishing vessel license – Fishing with a vessel registered with a different country will also require its own permit
- Fish processing establishment (FPE) permit – Opening an FPE first requires a fishing right, once this right is acquired you may apply for a permit that will allow the operation of such an establishment.
- Subsistence and small-scale fishing license – Much like recreational fishing permits, subsistence fishing licenses are much easier and cheaper to obtain and will allow the recipient to engage in various small-scale fishing operations.
What are the limits to Recreational Fishing Licenses?
Most readers are probably not in the market for opening large-scale fish processing plants. No doubt, the majority of you will simply be wondering how many Shad or Crayfish you can take off your local beach and what license you need to do that.
Such readers may wish to consult the Marine Recreational Activity Brochure, this handy (if somewhat cluttered) informational document offers all the relevant details regarding what you can and cannot catch, where to do it, when to do it and even how to do it.
The most relevant limits to the average fisher/diver are as follows –
| Name | Minimum Size | Bag limit (per day) |
| Shad | 30cm | 4 |
| Hake | none | 5 |
| Kingklip | None | 1 |
| Snoek | 60cm | 10 |
| Crayfish | 80mm | 4 |
| Clam | none | 8 (only by hand) |
| Octopus | none | 2 (only by hand, rod or line) |
| Prawn | none | 50 (only by hand and certain traps) |
| Mussels | 35mm | 50 (only with hand, blade or flat edge >12mm) |
Keep in mind, much of the marine life mentioned as well as many others have specific areas and times at which they may be caught. Make sure you check the relevant information before attempting capture.
What Fines will I face if I Fish Without a License?
So let’s say you’re caught fishing without the proper permit, or maybe you have a license but you went over the bag limit. What kind of punishment are you in for?
So if, for example, you catch 1 crayfish over your bag limit or without a license, you will probably be looking at a fairly small fine. If however, you manage to pull in 100 extra crayfish over your bag limit, the subsequent fine will most likely be much, much harsher
Recreational fishers have often reported fines of around R250 when caught without a license. While others, who were caught with 10 fish over the bag limit as well as excess crayfish reported a fine of R5000.
On the other hand, foreign commercial fishing vessels found illegally fishing off South Africa’s coast were fined well over R1 000 000 for their troubles. If you do find yourself on the receiving end of a recreational fishing fine, you can usually treat it like a speeding fine. Either make your payment and be done with it or show up to court and plead your case in person.
If instead you’re caught illegally operating a fleet of unregistered fishing vessels as well as multiple fish processing plants, it would probably be in your best interest to hire a very talented lawyer.
How do I get a fishing license in SA?
Most recreational fishing licenses and permits can be obtained either at your local post office or online via the digital post office (their online systems are often offline).
How much is a fishing permit in South Africa?
| Permit type | Rate Monthly | Rate Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Spearfishing | R57.00 | R94.00 |
| Cast/Throw Net | R57.00 | R94.00 |
| Marine Aquarium Fish | R57.00 | R94.00 |
| Scuba Diving | R49.00 | R92.00 |
How long does it take to get a fishing license in South Africa?
How long does it take. The application may take three working days or more, from date of confirmation of payment, provided you have lodged your application properly.