Marine Park Laws

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Rules for Cayman Islands Marine Parks

• Marine Park Zone
  • No taking any marine life alive or dead, except:
  • line fishing from shore is permitted.
  • line fishing at and beyond the drop off is permitted.
  • taking fry and sprat with a fry or cast net is permitted.
    Note: Fish traps, spear guns, pole spears, seine nets totally prohibited.
  
  
  • No anchoring - use of fixed moorings only, except:
  • boats of sixty feet or less may anchor in sand, so long as no grappling hook is used and neither the anchor nor the rope or chain lies on coral.
  • anchoring permitted in designated Port anchorage areas.
  • anchoring prohibitions suspended during emergencies and by permission of Port Director.
  
  
  • Bloody Bay, Little Cayman - Special restrictions have been placed on the use of the Bloody Bay Marine Park; no commercial operators may use the park without prior permission from the Marine Conservation Board.
  
  
• Replenishment Zone
• No taking conch or lobster by any means.
• Line fishing and anchoring permitted.
• Spear guns, pole spears, fish traps and nets prohibited, except that fry and sprat may be taken with a fry or cast net.
  Note: These zones include the outside edge of the reef to a depth of ten feet.


• Environmental Zone
• No taking of any marine life, alive or dead with no exceptions.
• Public may access only at speeds of five m.p.h. or less.
• No anchoring of any boat.
• No in-water activities.
  Note: Line fishing, fish traps, seine nets, spear guns and pole spears totally prohibited.


• Animal Sanctuaries / RAMSAR Sites
• No hunting.
• No collecting of any species.
• No littering.

Summary of Cayman's Marine Conservation Laws

• Damaging coral by anchor, chains or any other means anywhere in Cayman waters is prohibited.
• No taking ANY marine life while on scuba.
• No taking any coral, sponges, etc. from Cayman waters.
• No one may use a spear gun, Hawaiian sling, pole spear or a seine net without a license from the Cayman marine Conservation Board.
• Export of live fish or other marine life prohibited.
• Fishing with gill nets, poison or other noxious substances prohibited.
• Dumping anything in Cayman Waters prohibited.



• Lobster
• closed season February 1 through July 31.
• six inch tail length minimum size.
• catch limit: five per person or fifteen per boat per day whichever is less.
• only spiny lobster (P. argus) may be taken.


• Conch
• catch limit: fifteen per person or twenty per boat per day whichever is less.
• no one may purchase or receive more than twenty conch from Cayman Waters per day.


• Turtle
• no one may disturb, molest or take turtle in Cayman Waters without a license from the Cayman marine Conservation Board.
• possession of turtle eggs prohibited.
• for licensed fisherman closed season is May 1 through October 31.


• Grouper
• grouper spawning sites off the East end of each of the three islands are protected.
• line fishing only permitted in these areas by individuals normally resident on the island.

Penalties: Violation of any of these laws is an offence carrying a maximum penalty of CI$500,000.00 fine and one year in jail. Upon conviction, forfeiture of the vessel or other equipment may also be ordered.

For further information, call Protection and Conservation Unit at (345) 949-8469, (345) 949-2557 or Cayman Channel 17.

Last updated by Ken Caldwell on March 4, 2003.

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