A fishing charter in Panama needs the same company, ATP, AMP, captain and insurance paperwork as any boat tour, plus sport-fishing licences from ARAP, the aquatic resources authority. Two decrees of June 2026 rewrote the rules: billfish are catch-and-release only, sport catch cannot be sold, and Coiba's waters need MiAmbiente authorization. The famous grounds are Piñas Bay, Hannibal Bank, Isla Montuosa and Coiba.
Licences: the business chain plus ARAP
Start with the chain every paying boat trip needs: a company, an aviso de operación from MICI, AMP registration and inspection for passenger service, ATP registration as a marine tourism operator, a licensed captain and liability insurance. The detail is in every licence and permit a Panama charter needs.
Fishing adds a layer from the Autoridad de los Recursos Acuáticos de Panamá (ARAP). On 10 June 2026 the government published two decrees in the Gaceta Oficial: Decreto Ejecutivo 9, regulating sport fishing in Panamanian waters, and Decreto Ejecutivo 10, regulating sport fishing for billfish (peces pico). Press reports give 10 December 2026 as the date the rules take full effect, after a six-month adaptation period.
The consultation drafts ARAP published in November 2025 set out the structure an operator should expect:
- an angler's carné for everyone over 12 who fishes, with short-term versions for foreign visitors;
- a tourist-captain carné for the captain who runs a paying fishing trip;
- a tourist sport-fishing licence for the vessel, which in the draft required the AMP passenger licence, the aviso de operación, an ARAP inspection and a working vessel monitoring system;
- a daily per-boat bag limit, after which fishing is release-only.
Confirm against the final text and ask ARAP for the current fees before you price a trip. We have not listed them.
Sport, not commercial: what you can keep and sell
Executive Decree 4 of 2025 defines sport fishing as fishing for sport, recreation or tourism without sale of the catch. A charter is a sport-fishing business. Selling the guests' tuna to a restaurant turns it into commercial fishing, which needs a different ARAP licence, and the draft sport-fishing decree prohibited selling sport catch outright.
Billfish are the clearest case. The billfish draft covered blue, black and striped marlin, sailfish, spearfish and swordfish, and made catch and release mandatory. It also required:
- non-offset circle hooks (maximum 18/0) whenever natural bait is used;
- reviving the fish before release;
- no lifting a billfish out of the water for photographs;
- prior written ARAP authorization, and a per-fish fee, to retain one at an international tournament or for a record.
Write your trip policy to match: what guests may keep (species and number), what is always released, and how you handle a fish that dies. Tournament organisers need ARAP authorization in advance.
Grounds and seasons
| Ground | Where | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Piñas Bay | Darién, near the Colombian border | Black and blue marlin, sailfish, tuna; remote, run from a lodge |
| Hannibal Bank | Offshore seamount west of Coiba | Black marlin, big yellowfin tuna, wahoo |
| Isla Montuosa | West of Coiba | Tuna, wahoo, roosterfish; long run, often overnight |
| Coiba | Veraguas, national park | Roosterfish, cubera snapper, tuna; strict rules (below) |
| Bahía de Panamá and Las Perlas | From Panama City | Inshore snapper, roosterfish, corvina; dorado and tuna offshore |
Seasons, as commonly reported by charter fleets: black marlin and sailfish are best in the dry season (about December to April); yellowfin tuna run year round with big fish often reported from spring; inshore species are there all year. Rainy-season mornings are flat, so long offshore runs are easier from May to November. Check the draft lists before keeping cubera snapper: the sport-fishing draft placed it with marlin and swordfish as release-only.
Coiba, Hannibal Bank and Montuosa: MiAmbiente rules
Ley 44 of 2004 created Coiba National Park and a Special Marine Protection Zone that takes in Isla Montuosa and Hannibal Bank. Fishing is prohibited in the park except sport and artisanal fishing authorized and regulated by the management plan, in defined zones and with approved gear. The Ministerio de Ambiente (MiAmbiente) runs the park.
Enforcement is real. Since February 2026 MiAmbiente rangers and SENAN have patrolled the zone, checking vessel papers, fishing permits and authorization to operate in protected waters. In July 2026 La Estrella reported a sport-fishing yacht ordered out of the park for fishing without authorization. Before you sell a Coiba, Hannibal or Montuosa trip, get MiAmbiente's current park permit and zoning in writing, and confirm the current entry fee with MiAmbiente. Never fish the no-take zones, however good the marks look.
Bases, boats and gear
- Boca Chica (Chiriquí). The base for the Gulf of Chiriquí, Hannibal Bank and Montuosa. See Boca Chica and Pedregal marinas.
- Pedasí (Los Santos). The Azuero "tuna coast", with Isla Iguana and Frailes close by. Launching is from the beach and small harbours rather than a full-service marina, so plan fuel and boat storage before you commit.
- Panama City. Flamenco Marina and La Playita for bay, Taboga and Las Perlas trips. The run is shorter but so are the big-game options.
Inshore work suits a 25 to 30 ft centre-console. Offshore banks are 40 nm or more from shore, so you need a 30 ft-plus sportfisher with range, a life raft or adequate flotation, an EPIRB, long-range VHF and a fuel reserve. Rig circle hooks, carry dehookers and a release tool, and log catches; ARAP's rules point toward catch reporting, and the draft linked licence renewal to it. For the safety equipment side, see charter boat safety inspections.
Your practical starting checklist
- Complete the charter chain first: company, aviso de operación, AMP passenger registration, ATP registration, licensed captain, insurance.
- Apply to ARAP for the vessel's tourist sport-fishing licence and the captain's carné, and confirm the current fees.
- Make sure every guest has an angler's carné before the boat leaves.
- Rig circle hooks for natural bait and write a release-only policy for billfish.
- Get MiAmbiente authorization in writing before fishing Coiba, Hannibal Bank or Montuosa.
- Tell guests in writing what they may keep; never sell the catch.
- Log catches and releases in the format ARAP asks for.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to run a fishing charter in Panama?
Yes. On top of the ATP, AMP, captain and insurance requirements for any paying boat trip, ARAP licenses sport-fishing vessels, captains and anglers under Executive Decrees 9 and 10 of 2026. Confirm current fees with ARAP.
Can guests keep a marlin or sailfish in Panama?
No. Billfish are catch-and-release under Panama's sport-fishing rules. Retaining one at a tournament or for a record needs prior written ARAP authorization and a fee.
Can you fish in Coiba National Park?
Only sport or artisanal fishing authorized under the park's management plan, in defined zones. Hannibal Bank and Isla Montuosa are in Coiba's Special Marine Protection Zone. Get MiAmbiente's permit before you go.
When is the best fishing season in Panama?
Charter fleets report the dry season, about December to April, as best for black marlin and sailfish, with tuna and inshore species year round. Rainy-season mornings are calmer for long offshore runs.
¿Qué licencia necesita un chárter de pesca deportiva en Panamá?
Además del registro en la ATP, la AMP, el capitán con licencia y el seguro, la ARAP expide la licencia de la embarcación de pesca turística, el carné de capitán y el carné de pescador, según los Decretos Ejecutivos 9 y 10 de 2026.
The next question to answer
Every trip type sold from Amador, fishing included. Read Yacht charters from Panama City.
The other Coiba product, with its own permits. Read Dive and snorkel charters in Panama.
For Montuosa and Hannibal trips that sleep aboard. Read Overnight and multi-day charters.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Fishing Charter Setup and Permit Research.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- ARAP: consultation draft, Executive Decree on sport fishing (Nov 2025) ↗
- ARAP: consultation draft, Executive Decree on billfish sport fishing (Nov 2025) ↗
- La Estrella de Panamá: Decrees 9 and 10 of 2026 take effect in December (secondary, press) ↗
- Ley 44 of 2004, Coiba National Park (Justia copy of the Gaceta text) ↗
- La Estrella de Panamá: MiAmbiente intercepts yacht fishing in Coiba, July 2026 (secondary, press) ↗
- Gaceta Oficial: Decreto Ejecutivo 4 of 2025, nautical tourism (sport fishing defined without sale) ↗