size limits?

good day lads, i've a quick question, does anyone have correct info on minimum fish sizes. i generally release all my fish, but i'm just curious as to know if there are size limits on all fish species? i know bass have a minimum limit, but what about other fish, i've never come across irish laws or guidelines governing size limits

i wrotew them up on the site somewhere. i'll have a look and let you know where?

i got 'em!! look at 'website development'. scroll down to 'min. legal size?'

As far as I am aware there are no fish size limits pleasure fishing from shore or boat but the 2 federations IFSA & EFSA do have min. fish sizes for any of their competitions and most members keep to this when fishing. All clubs will normally have sizes agreed with their members for their local competitions also. All IFSA & EFSA competitions are fished on a catch and return basis unless the fish is being kept for the kitchen table.
e.g.
IFSA fish sizes for some species are as follows:
Pollock & Coalfish (shore - 300mm), (boat - 380mm)
Cod 380mm
Tope 1 metre
Conger 400mm

EFSA have a 250mm fish size for boat competitions

Damien

thanks guys, atleast now i have a leg to stand on when i see guys taking undersized fish. upto now i could find nothing but english size limits.

cheers,
Patrick

Hi Frodo,

You don't have a legal leg to stand on only a moral one in anything but bass. I have to say I've used undersized whiting and pout for bait.

Donagh

cool, fair enough.not being cheeky, but what's the point of having limits so?! are they just applicable in matchs?

Patrick,

Be careful, the competition size limits are for scoring points. When it comes to catch and release, for most species it's completely at the anglers discression. Very few species have a legal size limit which means the fish has to be returned by law (Disgracefully, I believe this is also the case with commercial fishing in the case for some species which aren't deemed to be in danger - yet). For example challanging someone who doesn't return a 6oz pollock may be morally correct but I don't think there is any law on your side and if the basher you approach is ignorant enough, and lets face it they often are, they will just tell you to £u(!< off or worse. Just be aware when approaching these people that you probably don't have any legal back up when asking them to return fish.

oh ok! i was just under the impression that some where there was a law that actually protects the future of our sport by inforcing legal limits on juvenile fish(nothing wrong with taking the odd one for livebait) just the amount i see every summer dead on rocks by mackeral bashers...... foolish me.......thanks for clearing that up for me, ye saved me from embarrasment and perhaps a thick lip.

Patrick

I didn't mean to repeat what Donagh just said, it appears that great minds do in fact think alike :lol:

cool, fair enough.not being cheeky, but what's the point of having limits so?! are they just applicable in matchs?

Basically in comps a particular species has to be over a pre determined size to score points. As Donagh says, bass has a legal size limit, I'd assume Salmon and Sea trout do as well? Common skate is a protected species where you are not allowed to keep any fish. There are probably others?