Until 2018, foreign investors, including foreign majority-owned companies established in Mozambique, were not eligible for holding commercial fishing licences. Since then, commercial fishing rights may be granted to a legal person whose share capital is mostly held by foreigners (under joint venture with Mozambican investor). Foreign-established companies may only be granted fishing rights via international agreements to which Mozambique is a party.
"ARTICLE 29 (Concession and duration)
1. Fishing rights are only granted to nationals for periods of up to twenty years, renewable, except as provided for in fishing agreements and contracts entered into under this Law.
2. The Government establishes the criteria, requirements and periods for granting fishing rights for each fishery.
ARTICLE 30  (Ownership)
1. Ownership of fishing rights is constituted through:
a) the Fishing Rights Title, for industrial and semi-industrial commercial fishing;
b) registration on the fishing license for small-scale fishing;
c) registration of fishing gear for subsistence fishing;
2. The Government establishes the forms and modalities of the administrative registration of the ownership of the fishing rights referred to in this article.
3. Commercial fishing rights are only granted to national natural or legal persons with good repute and technical capacity for the type of fishing they intend to carry out and who fulfill the other requirements set out in this Law and in a regulation to be approved by the Government.
[...]
ARTICLE 41
(License for foreign person)
1. A fishing license may be granted to a foreign person under the terms of this law and other applicable legislation.
2. With the exception of the license for recreational and sport fishing, the fishing license for a foreign person is granted to operate outside the territorial sea, for a renewable period not exceeding one year.
3. The Government establishes the conditions for granting a fishing license to a foreign person to operate in continental waters.
[...]
ANNEX - GLOSSARY [...]
National legal person: one that is registered in Mozambique and has its headquarters and effective management in national territory and whose capital is majority and effectively held by Mozambicans.
National natural person: person of Mozambican citizenship.[...]" (Fisheries Law No. 22/2013 [google translation])
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"Article 7 (Forms and modalities)
1. The constitution of fishing rights for commercial fishing operates, as appropriate:
a) By act of concession granted by the Council of Ministers, in the case of industrial fishing, and in the case of semi-industrial fishing, by the Minister who oversees the fisheries area;
b) By act of registration, in the fishing license, granted by the competent district authority, in the case of artisanal fishing.
[...]
Article 8 (Ownership of Fishing Rights)
1. Natural or legal persons, nationals, who fulfill the requirements set out in the Fisheries Law and in these Regulations may be holders of fishing rights.
2. Fishing rights for foreign operators are granted through fishing agreements and contracts concluded under the Fisheries Law.
3. Fishing rights for subsistence fishing and artisanal fishing are only granted to nationals.
[...]
Article 11 (Request for concession)
1. The national or foreign natural or legal person, who intends to carry out any type of fishing activity, must apply to the Minister who oversees the fisheries area to grant fishing rights.
2. The model for the request for the granting of fishing rights is set out in Annex I, which is an integral part of these Regulations.
3. At the request of interested parties, fishing rights may be granted to a legal person whose share capital is mostly held by foreigners, provided that they present a shareholder agreement signed between the Mozambican and foreign parties, based on a business plan, to be submitted in the form of a annex, which sets out the terms and conditions, the deadline and the form to be observed in the transmission of the social part for the purposes of compliance with the Fisheries Law.[...]" (Decree No. 74/2017 approving the Regulation for the Concession of Fishing Rights and Fishing Licensing, as amended by Decree No 60/2018 [google translation])
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ARTICLE 4
(Exercise of fishing activity)
1. The exercise of fishing activity, in the case of a natural or legal person, requires the constitution of a fishing right and the acquisition of the respective fishing license.
2. Fishing rights for foreign fishing operators are granted through fishing agreements and contracts concluded under the Fisheries Law. [...]" (Decree 89/2020 of 8 October (Regulation on Maritime Fishing or REPMAR) [google translation])
Fisheries Law No. 22/2013 [google translation]
Decree No. 74/2017 approving the Regulation for the Concession of Fishing Rights and Fishing Licensing, as amended by Decree No 60/2018 [google translation]
Decree 89/2020 of 8 October (Regulation on Maritime Fishing or REPMAR) [google translation]
[<a href="http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/moz128917.pdf">Law</a>],[<a href="http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/moz172331.pdf">Decree</a>],[<a href="http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/moz198043.pdf">Decree</a>]