What is Legal - What is not?

[quarterflounder]

Does anybody have a guide in plain English what is legal and what is not? For example if I see an old boy, flat cap and a dog in a small boat with a net do I think poacher or do I think it's ok for him to be doing this?

An example of this was when I was on the passage east ferry on approaching the Wexford side there were two men in a rowboat with a drifting net where they had put one end in, they were paying out net as the other guy rowed upstream and towards shgore creatring a loop of net about 20 yards off shore, about 100 yards north of Ballyhack pier.

If I see trawlers in Wexford bay they are fishing mussel bul are definately in estuarine waters, certainly between points and all their catch cannot be mussel. So am I to assume they throw all fish overboard or what?

[pete]

The guys in the row boat should probably be in possession of a draft net salmon licence. The mussel dredgers were quite likely dredging areas of seabed that are licensed to them by DCMNR for mussel cultivation.

[quarterflounder]

Am I therefore to assume that they can only take salmon ashore? Or could I go cod fishing with one of these nets?

And again - with the mussel boys - say they catch a nice plaice - throw it back or land it?