As the third largest island in the Mediterranean, it’s hardly surprising that fishing plays an important role in the heritage and lifestyle of cyprus. Since nowhere on the island is that far from the Mediterranean coast, you have the choice of freshwater or saltwater / sea fishing.

cyprus has over 20 reservoirs open to freshwater anglers. These are usually stocked with more than 15 species of freshwater fish, which include trout, largemouth bass, carp, pikeperch, and roach.

Apart from enjoying the recreation of the pursuit, freshwater fishing in cyprus is a good excuse to get away from the more familiar holiday resorts on the coast. It gives you a chance to see some of the stunning scenery which adorns the beautiful and diverse terrain of this country.

A very helpful website about fishing in cyprus can be found at www.agrino.org/fishing.  There is useful information about where fishing is allowed, current water levels and directions on how to get there. When it comes to the size of the fish that have been caught, cyprus is no different from anywhere else ! On this site at least you can see the photographic evidence of the ‘record catches’ made by various anglers!

Sport fishing in cyprus reservoirs and dams is regulated by the government and you will need a licence, which can be obtained from the fisheries department offices of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR). Licences are personal - they cannot be shared or lent out - and are only issued to people over 12 years of age. The fee is £ 10 CYP for each reservoir separately and £ 20 CYP for all reservoirs. All licences are valid for 1 year and expire on the 31st of December of that year. Short term group licences are also available.

Licence holders must adhere to the regulations, which include restrictions on the following.
• Fishing hours: daylight only, including an hour before sunrise and the hour after sunset
• Fishing methods: single rod, line and hook per licence holder; no fishing aids or chemicals
• Fishing location: from dam banks only
• Catch limit per species
• Size limit per species
• Protection of the bank side soil and plant environment which includes a limit on the use of vehicles

These rules above are just an overview. It is always good practice to make sure you have up to date information on the various rules and regulations.

It’s important to note that fishing is forbidden - even to holders of valid licences - until the reservoir is declared open by the Director of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research.

Information on reservoirs, their locations, season openings and other useful information for anglers is provided by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research which can be contacted at:

• Head Office of Department of Fisheries and Marine Research
Aiolou 13, CY 1416 Nicosia
Tel: 22 807 862 / 22 783 032
Fax: 22 775 955

For further information, you can contact any of the following District Offices of the Department of Fisheries:

• Limassol
Tel: 25 305 470
Fax: 25 305 543

• Larnaca
Tel: 24 304 294 / 24 823 407/8
Fax: 24 304 575

• Paphos
Tel: 26 306 268 / 26 815 849/50
Fax: 26 306 361

• Paralimni
Tel: 23 834 170
Fax: 23 834 171

For the more adventurous in spirit, the lure of the saltwater / sea fishing is never far away in cyprus – and there still  remains a strong tradition of fishermen plying the open seas in their boats to harvest the ‘ catch of the day ’.  Species of sea fish that can be caught include sea-bream, groupers, amber jacks and sea-perch.

For the regular sea angler no licence is needed for fishing with vertical lines, trolling or spear fishing without Diving equipment. However, you will need a licence for fishing with aqualungs; fishing with nets, long-lines and traps; fishing at night with spear guns – or any kind of commercial fishing.

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