British Virgin Islands - Restrictions

National Park Mooring Permits:

A National Parks Permit allows you to pick up day-time mooring balls in any of the BVI’s fabulous marine parks. The BVI National Parks Trust has installed more than 200 mooring buoys (surface buoys attached to stainless steel pins set in bedrock) for daytime use only at many BVI dive sites. A few of the parks are The Baths, The Caves, The Indians, Monkey Point and the Dogs.

It is not permitted to overnight on these moorings.  In order to protect the Territory’s vulnerable reefs, anchoring is prohibited in these areas.

There is a 90-minute time limit on all moorings, and use is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A National Parks Permit can be purchased from Customs after clearing in, or from the National Parks Trust Office.

The cost of a National Parks Permit is dependent on the number in your party. Therefore, it will vary from $25 per week for 4 guests up to $55 per week for 10 guests. For a complete list of National Park locations visit the National Parks Trust website.

The mooring buoys are 13 inches in diameter and are color-coded as follows:

• ORANGE BUOYS: Non-diving, day use only
• YELLOW BUOYS: Commercial dive vessels only
• LARGE YELLOW BUOYS: Commercial vessels or vessels over 55 ft (35 tons) - 18-inch diameter buoys.
• WHITE BUOYS: Non-commercial vessels, for daytime dive use only
• BLUE BUOYS: For dinghy use only

For information on other mooring buoys in the BVIs see Yachting Essentials.

Fishing License:

The removal of any marine organism from BVI waters is illegal for non-British Virgin Islanders without a recreational fishing permit. A 30-day Pleasure (Temporary) Fishing Licence can be obtained by visiting the Department of Conservation and Fisheries in Tortola. See BVI gov website for info.

Note:

Spearfishing is not allowed. Fishing within the boundaries of any marine park is banned.

It is illegal to have in one’s possession billfish such as Blue and White Marlin, Sailfish, and Swordfish. It is also illegal to have more than thirty pounds of fish by weight in one’s possession on a boat.

Useful links:

• Department Of Conservation And Fisheries
• National Parks Trust of The Virgin Islands
• Wider Caribbean's Marine Protected Areas (CaMPAM)