No trolling for fish

I see on facebook that a new bye law is now in place and I think it is to target people fishing for tuna but it says that no boat can have any equipment suitable for trolling on the surface for any fish. Even if it is for tuna I think that the only people allowed fish for them are a certain few charter boats (for scientific purposes). I never heard of research being done by paying members of the of the public at uplifted prices.

Yes, there is a new bylaw that states that anglers cannot troll for Tuna, billfish and sharks. Authorised boats are allowed. The boats have been authorised for catch, Tag and release by IFI.
One gets the impression it is in answer to the amount of tuna being killed by angling boats.

Hi Jim I still think that the people who killed them for profit will continue to do so and if it was opened up to small boat owners by way of tags we would be able to catch and release the fish and to a large degree self police it.

That could well be true. I think that those that kill them will now be looking over their shoulders while fishing!
It is a pity that much is done in this country without much/any consultation. While it may still end up to be the "best solution";how it was arrived at is important too.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, CLIMATE ACTION AND ENVIRONMENT INLAND FISHERIES ACTS 1959 TO 2017
CONTROL OF SEA ANGLING METHODS FOR CERTAIN SPECIES OF FISH BYE-LAW NO. 981 of 2020
I, Seán Canney, Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 57 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 (No. 10 of 2010) and the Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. No. 472 of 2018) (as adapted by the Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 421 of 2016)) hereby make the following bye-law:
1. This bye-law may be cited as the Control of Sea Angling methods for certain species of fish Bye-law No. 981 of 2020.
2. This Bye-law comes into operation on 15th June 2020.
3. In this bye-law -
“billfish” means fish of the order Istiophoriformes;
“fish” means billfish, shark or tuna or any combination of same;
“shark” means fish of the superorder Selachimorpha;
“surface” means from the surface to a depth of 3 metres;
“trolling” means to fish from any mechanically propelled vessel in the sea by trailing or towing a fishing line with a hook(s), attached;
“tuna” means fish of the genus Thunnus or Katsuwonus.

4. A person shall not -
(a) surface troll fishing lines, through the water from any vessel used for sea angling
targeting or catching any species of fish ,
(b) have on board any vessel any fishing gear or equipment capable, in the opinion
of Inland Fisheries Ireland, of use for trolling surface fishing lines for any
species of fish unless he is authorised by -
(i) the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, or
(ii) Inland Fisheries Ireland.
GIVEN under my hand, 15th June 2020
_____________________________
Seán Canney Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This is not part of the Bye-law and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).
This bye-law provides for the prohibition of surface trolling from any vessel used for sea angling, targeting or catching any species of Tuna, Shark or Billfish. The Bye-law also provides for the prohibition of having on board any vessel, gear or equipment capable of use for trolling surface fishing lines for any species of fish.
FOOTNOTE
Section 57(7) of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 provides that any person aggrieved by this Bye- law may within 28 days after its publication in the Iris Oifigiúil, appeal against same to the High Court.

I've never heard of anyone trolling in the course of normal general angling. Only ever seen it used for tuna. Why would anyone want to troll?

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Loads of trolling for mackereland bass

Loads of trolling for mackereland bass

You would be alright to troll for those, though I dont know why you would want to, as long as you're not using gear that the IFI would deem as being capable of being used for targeting tuna or bill fish.

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That would be fine but often myself and other boats would have 80lb and 130lb class rods for various types of shark so what happens then. I honestly think this is all a bit vague and while I dont propose pulling squid bars behind my boat, I and many others would have rods and reels capable of catching a tuna. In fact quite a few rods and reels (e.g. tld 50, penn 30 and lots of other lever drag reels and most 80lb +class rods) would be able to catch a tuna if it was played right using engine power Im sure.

Fishing for sharks by trolling with 80 and 130 class gear? Do you get many?

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No but what I mean is that I would have light rods and reels to troll for smaller fish for bait in the boat and larger rods and reels for shark later.

If you watch TV shows like "Wicked Tuna" or "Swords on the Line", you'd see that in fact most of those tunas (Bluefins, Yellowfins/ Bigeyes) or billfish are not caught trolling, but rather via either a live bait or whole dead fish/squid or chunk bait fished pretty deep - certainly more than 3m deep (i think >10m deep) and with the boat either anchored or drifting over suitable marks.
I'm not sure about here in Ireland, but in Cape Town, the top tuna charter skippers have long learned to follow the commercial trawlers, and home in on them especially when they're pulling their nets in, as schools of massive (70kg+) Yellowfin and Bigeye tunas get attracted to the trawler due to all the bycatch being tossed overboard, or from the mashed fish bits getting compressed out of the trawl nets. The tuna charter then just pulls into the wake of the trawler and throws a few buckets of sardine chunks overboard which quickly attracts a feeding shoal of tunas which can then be hooked with small chunks free-lined down into the chum line.
I suspect that at the right time of the year, a live mack, suspended off a balloon, drifted and swimming down in 10-20m of water column, may well get the attention of a passing tuna/billfish or shark.
These regulations should rather point out that if (and as soon as it becomes apparent) an anglers hooks one of these fish, then every effort should be made to retrieve as much line as possible, and then to cut-off the line closest to the hook, to allow the quickest possible release. Or something in similar vein.

In my opinion if the IFI should have banned the trolling of any lure above a certain size and also recommend that if any person inadvertently catches a tuna or billfish they should treat these fish with the utmost respect and catch and release as soon as possible. ALso whatever hefty penalties they could apply to anyone caught with a fish onboard they should apply and if they work with the private boatowners then it follows the boatowners will work with them.

its a mess , The IFI are not the greatest organization in the world !!!, these are the people going around culling pike with gill nets in our great lakes even after science studies have proven there an Native species to Ireland , one day people will look back and wonder how this all happened . also thee were alot of tuna caught last year with long lines hanging out of them , there is a line of Japanese boats outside the limit taking a huge amount of blue fin on long lines but were not allowed fish for them for sport (NOT for PROFIT ) !! in our own waters

Imagine being told you cant go and catch a fish in your own sea and eat it - like a mackerel !!

What annoys me is the problem isnt with the general Fisherman its just the greedy people who are the problem and they will continue on regardless

I Have been in contact with the IFI over this and have been requesting a list of equipment that is not allowed. They have failed to provide me with this. I have have asked in 3 separate emails and have not been given a straight answer. They say there are leaving it up to the ifs officer in the rib. As it says ins the by law "in the opinion" how can they create a law based on someone opinion cause you can be s*** sure every man opinion differs !
Im just waiting counting down the week (needs to be 6 weeks) and I will be lodging a complaint to the ombudsman.
By creating this law and targeting and harassing private boat angler they are doing them selves no favours. They are just creating hate towards them and what ever hope they have of people reporting poaching of fish before I personally would not give them any information now.
If they opened the CHART program up to private boat anglers the fishery would police itself ! And as for the current CHART program there is only a hand full of the skippers involved that actually commit to any chance they get to partake in the program most of them will try target tuna 3 to 4 times in the season which is a disgrace as they are luck enough to be accepted into the program.
Also wonder what these tuna boats will do in 2021 when the program ends and they will also have to abide by the new by law 981. Will they also have to stop Trolling ???