seeking advice for beach fishing in Spain

[caster]

Hello there

I am going to Spain next week and fancy doing a bit of fishing from the beach on the costa blanca, i have been told that i need a licence to fish from the beach and i could do with a little advice, where from, how much etc.

Any advice would be much appreciated

[arvanduin]

Licence requirements
In Spain there is no true national licencing system but you do need a regional licence. The price of the licence will vary from 5€ - 12€. You can buy a Spanish licence (licencia de pesca) at the fishing department of the regional administrative office.

SEA FISHING in Torrevieja

In order to fish from a small boat, in the harbour or off the breakwater or rocks along the coastline, you should first be in possession of a licence to carry out the activity. The licence, called a 'Licencia de Pesca - Maritima de Recreo' costs a little less than a freshwater licence and is valid for a period of either one or three years. There are no 'short term' licences available.

In order to apply for a sea fishing licence, a visit to the provincial capital is necessary. Application should be made at:

Servicio Territorial de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentacion',
Calle Profesor Manuel Sala, no. 2,
Alicante.

Applicants are required to fill out the fairly simple application form and to produce a current identity card, resident's card or passport. the relevant fee will have to be paid in to a local bank and a paying-in slip will be provided at the time of application.

If you have some Spanish then the process should be easier. However, bureaucracy in Spain can be a bit of an ordeal so be prepared for a fairly lengthy procedure and perhaps talking to more than one official.

I can't say that enforcement of licences in the Torrevieja area is carried out but if you have one then you can relax and enjoy your fishing.


Buena Suerte!

[caster]

Thats excellent information, thanks very much, i did not miss the gist of the last sentence, and as i will be fishing from a quiet part of Playa Flamenca or Cabo Roig i will give that some thought, otherwise it's a 45 min drive to Alicante, finding somewhere to park running around between government building and bank, god, would it be worth the hassle ?

Again many thanks for your invaluable input

gracias tanto, puede su barra sea doblada para siempre y su línea apretada

[garyagreen]

it took me 5 months to get my liscence caster so .

[Vagabond]

otherwise it's a 45 min drive to Alicante, finding somewhere to park running around between government building and bank, god, would it be worth the hassle ?

Err, yes. We had to do just that in Santa Cruz (Teneriffe) - spent a whole morning, not helped by the licensing office sending us to the wrong bank first off.

However, the licences for the Canaries are valid for FIVE years, so the exercise doesn't have to be repeated very often.

Although we have never been asked to show our licences, falling foul of Spanish law is definitely to be avoided.

[caster]

begining to wonder if it's worth the trouble

La pena buena,

[johnno]

I managed to get a license to fish from the shore in Murcia fairly easily in just 4 days.
I got mine from the Aventilla? Unica desk in the local town hall. They require passport, 2 fotocopies of passport (1 if under 14s) 2 passport photos, filling in of a form (2 for under 14s, by parent) they then give you 2 printouts of the details which you then take to one of the banks listed on the bottom of the form. At the bank you pay the tax shown on the form, in my case 3 euros 50 for 5 years!! (under 14s only get 1 year license but it is free!). Once paid you return to the town hall and they give you a piece of paper which allows you to fish from that day (get there early and you can do it in less than half a day. Some desks for this close at lunch time for the day so first thing in the morning is best). Tell them you want to collect the license rather them post it (they will only post to Spanish addresses anyway and they do need a Spanish address to process the application. So you may need to use the holiday address). I was told to collect in 3 -4 days and I did.
Bear in mind a license bought in Murcia is not valid in for example, Alicante. So if you want to fish in more than one region, you must obtain that regions license. So before you start fishing check the regions borders on a local tourist map (easily obtained from a gift shop etc.) Also a boat or coarse etc license does not cover shore or vice versa, so be sure to be clear about the type of fishing you want to do. My guess is that diffrent town halls operate differently and so if you are looking at another region other than Murcia you may have to pay more or wait longer etc. The staff on the desk I bought mine from did not speak English either, so if you can speak Spanish, it will be a bonus!
I have heard that the Policia do regularly check for licenses with a 90 euros fine if you don't have one so I would recommend getting one.
You also require a license for spear fishing.
Buena suerte!

[Para Handy]

I fished off the Spanish coast on and off for fifteen years with a French registered boat. It was impossible to get a Spanish inshore licence with a French registration, so we relied on my 400hp to beat the guarda costa, and it worked on the one occasion in those fifteen years they bothered to try to intercept before we reached French waters.

Not terribly relevant to your case, but from friend's experience in Catalonia, as long as you shore fish well away from the tourist beaches you shouldn't be troubled by officialdom.

I used to come close (20-30 metres) under the Rosas bay cliffs to catch Gilthead Bream on Hokkai for livebait for tuna, well within shore casting range; It's deep water, but the shoals are usually found at 10-20 metres. If you're further down the coast, I can't help.