Netters nabbed

A friend of mine was fishing the Nanny last saturday. He saw a couiple of fn's with nets and spearguns (in the water). A call to the garda at Laytown saw them down on the river within ten minutes. They confiscated the nets and smashed the spearguns. I'm not certain if there will be presecutions but it was a commendable quick response from the garda.

thats an amazing response!

id say they were " known to the gardai" and they were waiting for an oppurtunity to catch them in the act

so i can take it from this that spear gunning is illegal - ive seen a chap in silverstrand at it - hmmm...............

Not sure about the open sea - it is definately illegal in freshwater ( the tidal stretch of the Nanny river in this instance)

As far as I understand spear fishing is illegal anywhere in Ireland. Good on the guards and you who reported the swines. :x

Brilliant !! great to hear. :lol:

i suppose the estury argument could be put in at the back of silverstrand in rusheen bay...

best action to take lads, well done the gardia

[Sonaghan]

i suppose the estury argument could be put in at the back of silverstrand in rusheen bay...

It's not freshwater, so that might not be the case if you're applying the letter of the law. However, if spear fishing is illegal anywhere in Ireland, it's also illegal at Silverstrand and in Rusheen. I'd like to see how the gardai would respond if you reported the guy you saw.

Last edited by Sonaghan on Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

If the guys were in a vehicle that should have been confiscated also as it was being used in a crime....thats how its done in Florida and it makes them think twice about it.

Its good to see that the Garda take it serious though.....nice one!

Tom.

Does a speargun constitute a firearm? I'm thinking the gardai may have taken it seriously because the guys were in possession of an illegal firearm, rather than illegal netting, but that could be me being cynical. Don't get me wrong, I think it's fantastic that they responded so quickly. I'm cynical because I've reported this type of thing before and had the feeling that I was being laughed at down the phone. Maybe times are changing.

I asked the ERFB about spear fishing for Bass specifically. They weren't sure if it was strictly illegal but they very definitely wanted to hear about it.

I have come across guys shooting bass here in west Cork a few times. I was told it was told by some body recently that it is illegal. Can anyone confirm this?

I don't think it's prohibited by the bass bye-laws and regulations. But how could you check that the bass is over 40cm before you spear it? You can hardly return it afterwards. I'd say tell the fisheries board and let them decide.

See also http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bull ... 5896#95896

are you sure spearing is illegal i used to know a lad who used to spear mullet under the wooden works along by the trawlers in wexford also used to use his spear gun for mullet for food
Spearing mullet under the woodworks was very common in wexford when i was in school

fintan

Could be wrong here but a good while ago I think there was an article in Irish anglers digest where 2 contributers went spear fishing for mullet. The following issue contained an appology where they said something along the lines of: this type of fishing is ilegal and the contributor actually just stuck these spears into them after they were caught on rod and line.

Could well be wrong on that but will have a look for the issue to clarify it (may have thrown it out)

I fish for mullet in the Nanny all the time and I would have lost it had i seen them, fair play to the Gards though!!!

As far as i know its only illegal
to spearfish with scuba gear in ireland.
Dont quite understand the antispearing
vein to this thread. Yes those guys
in the river were completely in the wrong but
you cant tar every person who
spearfishes with the same brush.

I think I have seen spear fishing guns for sale in an outdoor shop

I guess it takes a fair amount of skill to shoot a bass with a spear gun. I spoke to a guy who told me that he buries himself in the kelp and waits for unsuspecting fish to pass within range. This sounds pretty challenging and a little unnerving. I am not sure really whether I approve of the practice and I am not sure of its legality either. I do know that if I was fishing for bass and a guy started spear fishing near me I would not be best pleased. :?