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Mexico · MX
Mexico
CONAPESCA — National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (SEMARNAT for protected species)
Rules change by area and can change mid-season. We explain what the rules mean and always link you to the official source — we never copy a limit table and call it current.
Licences — what you need
- • A federal sport fishing permit (permiso de pesca deportiva) from CONAPESCA is required to fish from any boat in Mexican waters, for residents and visitors alike; permits are sold online and through authorized agents.
- • Fishing from shore, without a boat, generally does not require the federal permit — but the moment you step onto a panga or charter boat, everyone aboard needs one.
- • Charter captains usually handle permits for their clients, but the permit is personal and non-transferable: carry it (or its digital proof) while fishing.
How the rules are organized
- • Federal rules govern salt water and federal zones; the states add their own rules for inland waters, reservoirs and some lagoon systems.
- • Under the federal fisheries law (LGPAS, Article 68), billfish, tarpon, roosterfish and dorado (mahi) are reserved for sport fishing within 50 nautical miles of the coast — they cannot be commercially fished or sold there.
- • Species protected under NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 — totoaba is the famous case — are fully closed: no targeting, no possession, and accidental catches must be released immediately.
Good to know — common mistakes
- • Closed seasons (vedas) apply to several inshore species and differ by coast — Gulf snook closures catch many visitors out; check the current CONAPESCA notices for your coast and month.
- • Marine protected areas (the Sea of Cortez islands, Yucatán and Quintana Roo reserves) layer park passes and sometimes gear or release rules on top of the federal permit.
- • There is no national rod licence for shore fishing, but harbour, marina and park fees are common and separate from CONAPESCA permits.
Official links
Fishing locations covered in this guide
This page is a plain-language summary, not the law. Regulations change — including in-season by official notice — and if anything here disagrees with the official source, the official source governs.
AnglerPlan is an information service, not a regulator. If anything here disagrees with an official source, the official source wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.