Fishing in Spain
Minimum fish sizes
Identify fish, check minimum sizes and follow the rules for your fishing area.
Minimum sizes vary by region and waters. Here is the Canary Islands overview and a separate table for Mallorca and the Balearic Islands.
Mallorca & Balearics: minimum sizes by species ↗Canary Islands: minimum sizes by species
This overview concerns the Canary Islands. Additional local rules may apply in internal waters (aguas interiores) and protected areas.
National rules for Canary Islands external waters
| Fish species | Scientific name | Minimum size / weight |
|---|---|---|
| Belone belone | Belone belone | 25 cm |
| Pagellus acarne | Pagellus acarne | 20 cm * |
| Thunnus thynnus | Thunnus thynnus | 30 kg / 115 cm ** |
| Boops boops | Boops boops | 11 cm |
| Engraulis encrasicolus | Engraulis encrasicolus | 9 cm *** |
| Serranus cabrilla | Serranus cabrilla | 19 cm * |
| Dentex macrophtalmus | Dentex macrophtalmus | 22 cm * |
| Spondyliosoma cantharus | Spondyliosoma cantharus | 23 cm * |
| Sparus auratus | Sparus auratus | 19 cm |
| Scomber colias | Scomber colias | 20 cm **** |
| Mycteroperca fusca | Mycteroperca fusca | 35 cm |
| Trachurus trachurus | Trachurus trachurus | 15 cm **** |
| Mugil auratus | Mugil auratus | 14 cm |
| Sparisoma cretense | Sparisoma cretense | 22 cm * |
| Dicentrarchus labrax | Dicentrarchus labrax | 36 cm **** |
| Epinephelus marginatus | Epinephelus marginatus | 45 cm |
| Diplodus vulgaris | Diplodus vulgaris | 22 cm |
| Pagellus erytrinus | Pagellus erytrinus | 22 cm |
| Brama brama | Brama brama | 16 cm |
| Pagrus pagrus | Pagrus pagrus | 28 cm * |
| Thunnus obesus | Thunnus obesus | 3.2 kg |
| Thunnus albacares | Thunnus albacares | 3.2 kg |
| Sarpa salpa | Sarpa salpa | 24 cm |
| Mullus spp. | Mullus spp. | 15 cm |
| Dentex gibosus | Dentex gibosus | 35 cm |
| Sardina pilchardus | Sardina pilchardus | 11 cm |
| Diplodus sargus | Diplodus sargus | 22 cm |
| Serranus atricauda | Serranus atricauda | 20 cm * |
| Muraena augusti | Muraena augusti | 56 cm |
| Gymnothorax unicolor | Gymnothorax unicolor | 57 cm |
Other species under EU rules
| Fish species | Scientific name | Minimum size / weight |
|---|---|---|
| Merlucius merlucius | Merlucius merlucius | 27 cm |
| Pagellus bogaraveo | Pagellus bogaraveo | 33 cm |
| Xiphias gladius | Xiphias gladius | 25 kg or 125 cm |
No results. Try another term.
A minimum size alone is not permission to catch a fish. Closed seasons, protected species, additional permits and the rules for the specific waters still apply. Asterisks refer to the legal sources in the linked official overview.
Identify fish: illustrated guides
