The Ministry of Public Works and Environment advises the public of the process for obtaining a recreational lobster diver licence for the 2025–26 season.
A total of 175 licences will be available, with 150 reserved for returning licence holders and 25 available to new applicants.
To ensure fairness, applications will be accepted online for a nine-day period and the available licences will then be assigned via a random lottery draw.
The application period will open at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 15 August and close at midnight on Sunday, 24 August. Applications may be submitted online at:
https://forms.gov.bm/Apply-for-lobster-diving-spearfishing-licence
Applying does not guarantee a licence. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will verify the eligibility of all applicants before the lottery is conducted on Monday, 25 August.
Successful applicants will be notified via email by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 26 August. They must then visit the DENR offices in the Botanical Gardens to complete the paperwork and pay for their licence before 4:30 p.m. on Friday, 5 September.
Applicants who are overseas during this period may nominate someone to pay on their behalf, provided that person brings the applicant’s licence card to receive the current season’s sticker.
If a new licence card is required, the applicant must attend the DENR offices in person to have a new photo taken before fishing may begin.
Any licences not paid for by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, 5 September, will be placed in a secondary lottery draw for remaining eligible applicants on Monday, 8 September.
Anyone intending to fish from the 1st Sept must have their Photo ID card issued by DENR with them ready for inspection.
As in previous years, anyone who held a lobster diver licence for the 2024–25 season but did not submit their catch reports by the 30 April deadline will not be eligible for a licence in the upcoming season. Applicants may also apply for a spearfishing licence through the same online form.
While there is no limit or defined application period for spearfishing licences, licence holders from the 2024–25 season must have submitted all required fishing activity and catch records to be eligible for renewal.