Spear Gun fishing in Ireland

As far as I know yes it is illegal. As is diving for lobster. And right too. Fishies are there to be looked at, not stuck with a big spike.

Forgot to say in my earlier post that there might be some restrictions on what you can catch but dont take me on it . Ill find out this weekend and ill post back what I find

lightening wrote:

Oh right. I'm not a vegetarian I'm afraid... but I will stick to the old rod and hook then. I knew about the Lobster diving rule, didn't actually know it applied to snorkelers too. (could you snorkel that deep?)

Thanks.

Oh hang on, don't be insulting me!!
I'm no vegetarian, I like a rare steak as much as the next guy. I just think fish are good fun to dive with, and don't fancy the idea of fish in shore locations being speared. What would I watch when I was diving?!!
AFAIK the rule on divers picking shellfish applies to any diver, SCUBA or snorkel.

Peace,
I agree with you about the terrible impact of bottom trawling on the marine environment, and of other types of unsustainable trawling.
But I just did a quick "Trawl" :rolleyes: on the interweb and came up with the following regarding spearing:

ftp://ftp.fao.org/fi/document/gfcm/sac_scmee/2001/y0620e.pdf
GENERAL FISHERIES COMMISSION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN WORKING GROUP ON MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOSYSTEMS

45. During the discussion Mr Michael Darmanin asked Profs. Relini what specific management measures were used to achieve protection and recovery for E. marginatus. The latter replied that this was achieved by the setting of Marine Reserves/Protected Areas and banning of spear fishing with scuba gear. This is especially so since for this particular species the larger organisms are the males and thus since spear fishing is selective, it creates an imbalance of sex ratio.

http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/publications/somer/annex3/sa.html
State of the Marine Environment Report for Australia: State and Territory Issues - Technical Annex 3
Some legal protection has been given to several marine species in South Australia, including the Leafy Seadragon (Phycodurus eques) which is completely protected. This unusual fish resembles the fronds of seaweed amongst which it lives. It is now completely protected in South Australia because demand for aquarium specimens threatened the species with extinction. The Blue Groper (Achoerodus gouldii), a large attractive reef fish which has been depleted by spear fishing activity, is protected within the gulfs but can still be caught and used as bait to catch other fish. There has also been recent proposals for complete protection of the Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharius) (Rohan et al. 1992).

http://www.earthdive.com/site/aboutus/ecord.asp
Recommendation:
5. Take only what you need. The marine environment is a valuable source of food for mankind and it is important that it remains so into the future. If you are among those divers who enjoy taking food from the sea, observe some simple rules.

• Obtain any necessary permits or licences.
• Comply with all relevant fish and game regulations. These are designed to protect and preserve fish stocks, the environment and other users.
• Only take what you can eat. If you catch it and can't eat it, put it back.
• Never kill for the sake of 'sport'.
• Avoid spear fishing in areas populated by other divers or visitors to the area, or where you might cause collateral damage.

I know you say that it's only a tiny number being taken by a tiny few divers, but it's kind of like shooting elephants. People only want to take the largest males because they have the best tusks. So you end up with no large males, leaving an unbalance in the ecosystem.
And once one person does it, everybody will want a piece of the action.

lightening wrote:

Good advice. There is no other divers in the area. I will be snorkeling, so the chances of actually catching anything is slim. I would love to catch two fish to eat. Just like fishing with a rod.

Fair nuff. I'm no pulpit-thumper, I eat fish too. :rolleyes: I just don;t like when people have a cavalier attitude to these things, like "Oh one lobster won't wipe them out", or "Oh one cigarette butt won't make any difference". Too many people seem to have that kind of attitude, it's what has the country filthy and getting worse!

As long as you're catching for food, I suppose it's okay.

BTW I don't know if any fish are inedible, but I'd say most taste like old boots!!

CJhaughey wrote:

Spearfishing is legal in the Sea in Ireland, only exceptions are Salmonids, Trout etc, Bass have a size limit and 2 per day.
Freshwater spearfishing is banned no exceptions.
Scuba divers cannot take shellfish, because they use breathing apparatus that allows them to breathe below the surface.
Snorkelers are not using apparatus that allow them to breathe below the surface, a snorkel does not count as apparatus.
There is a byelaw from the 1960s signed by my namesake that details shellfish collecting.
edit, Skindiving for shellfish #533 1966.

do you know what the story is with regard to enforcement of the 'no shellfish while diving' rule?

for example, as Peace was saying earlier, if you put shellfish in a mesh bag while diving, left them underwater, took off the scuba gear, then snorkelled down to retrieve them, it would seem like an obvious way around the law.

i know in new zealand that if you are found in possession of scuba gear and protected shellfish at the same time then it is considered a breach of the law and they can confiscate your equipment (including your car if you're driving back home!!), which closes the loophole; but are things enforced to the same degree here?

Can you imagine coming up with a new rebreather, 2 stages and computers etc and a lobby in the mesh bag and there's a fisheries officer there waiting to confiscate it all..... they wouldn't take me alive.

csm wrote:

do you know what the story is with regard to enforcement of the 'no shellfish while diving' rule?

for example, as Peace was saying earlier, if you put shellfish in a mesh bag while diving, left them underwater, took off the scuba gear, then snorkelled down to retrieve them, it would seem like an obvious way around the law.

i know in new zealand that if you are found in possession of scuba gear and protected shellfish at the same time then it is considered a breach of the law and they can confiscate your equipment (including your car if you're driving back home!!), which closes the loophole; but are things enforced to the same degree here?

I think that technically you are probably correct, however if the fisheries officers catch you with shellfish and scuba gear together then you will be in for a rough ride from the judge.
Besides freediving/snorkelling after scuba is a very good way to get bent.
If you cannot get the shellfish by freediving then don't do it would be my advice.
I know that there are different laws regarding the taking of shellfish, in different counties, so the whole area is kind of murky anway.
And as someone else pointed out there have been successful prosecutions for this, so if you want to see what kind of penalties there are for shellfish gathering with breathing apparatus then work away!:D
Spearfishing otoh is a very acceptable way of getting fish, I am not going to get into the scuba/freediving spearing argument but just to say that if practised correctly it is even more selective than angling.
Catch and release is nothing when you can Release and catch, ie let all the fish go until you see one that you want then catch that fish.

Thanks for the link.

I particularly like the "Regulations" section and summary.

Out of interest, are there any regulations that prohibit the use of full SCUBA when fishing?