Recreational fishing rules in Ceuta

Autonomous City of Ceuta

Summary for guidance, checked on 23 October 2026. The official rules are what count: when in doubt, check the source.

Today in Ceuta

No closed seasons for fish in force for recreational fishing.

Licences

Recreational sea fishing licence
Issued by the Autonomous City for the mode you practise.

Age and requirements: Check the requirements with the Autonomous City.

Apply to the Autonomous City (fisheries department).

Bag limits

5 kg per licence per day (or a single fish if heavier), under national rules.
More than 5 licences on board: 25 kg per boat per day.Boat

Closed seasons

No closed seasons for fish specific to recreational fishing in the rules we checked.

Also

Outside inner waters Royal Decree 347/2011 applies (see the national rules below).

All along the coast

Sea bass, pollack, sole, hake and albacore, among others: log every catch in the PescaREC app within 24 hours, including those you release.
Selling or trading your catch is banned.
If a fish is under the minimum size, return it alive.

Minimum sizes

Common species in Ceuta. Fish are measured from the snout to the tip of the tail; squid and cuttlefish by the mantle.

European seabassPescaRECMin. 25 cm White seabreamMin. 23 cm GarfishMin. 25 cm European squidNo size limit Sharpsnout seabreamMin. 18 cm BluefishNo size limit Gilthead seabreamMin. 20 cm Thicklip grey mulletMin. 16 cm Atlantic mackerelMin. 18 cm Atlantic horse mackerelMin. 15 cm Striped red mulletMin. 11 cm Common solePescaRECMin. 20 cm ComberNo size limit Saddled seabreamNo size limit Common two-banded seabreamMin. 18 cm Little tunnyNo size limit Common octopusMin. 1 kg Red porgyMin. 18 cm Common pandoraMin. 15 cm BogueMin. 11 cm SalemaMin. 15 cm Common dentexNo size limit Pearly razorfishNo size limit Painted comberNo size limit ForkbeardNo size limit Shi drumNo size limit European congerNo size limit European barracudaNo size limit Black seabreamNo size limit Common cuttlefishNo size limit European hakePescaRECMin. 20 cm Sand steenbrasMin. 20 cm Annular seabreamMin. 12 cm PompanoNo size limit Greater amberjackNo size limit Spotted seabassNo size limit Bastard gruntNo size limit Mahi-mahiNo size limit Zebra seabreamMin. 15 cm LeerfishNo size limit Greater weeverNo size limit Red scorpionfishNo size limit MeagreNo size limit Redbanded seabreamNo size limit Grey triggerfishNo size limit

See the species guide

Offshore: national rules

Beyond the baselines (the straight line joining the headlands) the waters are outer waters, ruled by Royal Decree 347/2011.

Licences are still issued by a region; from shore you follow the rules of the region whose coast you fish.
Sea bass: 42 cm in the Cantabrian Sea and Northwest.
From boats: handline, rod, trolling line, volantín and squid jig; at most 2 electric reels per boat.Boat
300 m from professional fishing boats (500 m from pole-and-line tuna fishing), 148 m from their gear and 200 m from aquaculture sites.BoatSpearfishing
Attracting fish is banned, especially with lights, except chumming with small pelagics.BoatSpearfishing
Spearfishing: free-diving by day only, buoy within 25 m, speargun unloaded out of the water and no diving gear on board; lights (except a hand torch) and scooters banned.Spearfishing
Species under special protection (annex II): the boat needs an authorisation from the General Secretariat for Fisheries.Boat

Official sources:Real Decreto 347/2011 (aguas exteriores) Real Decreto 2510/1977 (líneas de base rectas)

Recent changes

The latest changes to recreational fishing rules on the coast.

20 March 2026 · Spain
PescaREC becomes mandatory: sea bass, pollack, sole, hake and albacore must be logged within 24 hours, even when released.
Real Decreto 214/2026 (PescaREC)
28 July 2020 · Spain
Sea bass: 42 cm minimum size for recreational fishing in the Cantabrian Sea and Northwest.
Real Decreto 347/2011 (aguas exteriores)

Every morning we check the Spanish Official Gazette and the official bulletins of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands for changes; the other regions' rules are reviewed by hand periodically.

Rules: Ceuta recreational sea fishing rules (2003) and national rules

Official sources:Real Decreto 560/1995 (tallas mínimas por caladero) Reglamento (UE) 2019/1241 (tallas de referencia) Orden de 26 de febrero de 1999 (cupos estatales) Real Decreto 214/2026 (PescaREC)