scuba diving for lobster!!!!

[Turner85]

Was fishing collymore lastnight when two foreign lads came down and one was wearing full scuba gear. He went in the water with a headlamp and torch and u could see him dive every so often. I figured he was collecting lobster so asked his friend, his reply was no english no english. So I waited for him to return to ask what it was but he refused to show me. Now this was 11pm lastnight when nobody was about and im sure he's not the only one doing it. Has anyone ever witnessed this before?

[JOHN1]

i think its illegal to take them with scubatanks on, but you can take them if you are snorkling as far as i know but you have to make sure they are over the min size and you must also return females, you should have taken their car reg number.

[garymaxima]

contact one of the cive schools, they should be able to tell you. or bray sealife. only thing i'll say, if you ever see something suspicious report it immediately. it may be nothing, it may be something but swift action will get to the bottom of things.....

[bassboy]

I was fishing Wicklow harbour before and two foreign men asked us if there was any lobster, we told them that we didn't know, so they start shining a big light down the side of the harbour, and then told us that they were going diving for them, also in dun laoghaore we seen two foreigners go into the water with scuba gear and spear guns and came out with pollock, is this legal ????

[garymaxima]

spearfishing in saltwater is totally lege, depending on what guns they are using. it is totally illegal in freshwater. here's a set of irish spearfishing rules;

http://spearfishing.ie/irish-spearfishing-regulations/

i can't find anything after a quick search online. contact the national parks and wildlife service. they should know. maybe no harm to let us know what they say?

[chuckaroo]

indeed, there is a minimum size limit and berried females have to be returned. also, in the North here anyway, we have a 'V'-notch system where some lobsters have a little 'V' shape cut into the tail and returned - it is for conservation purposes and highly illegal to keep them
inform the local fisheries guys that these people are doing this?

[Ric0shay]

All the above information is correct.Your not allowed to do any kind of fishing/collecting when your using a tank but snorkeling/free diving is ok (I partake in this myself).You can be dam sure if they were collecting with tanks that they didn't give two ****s about the size or sex of the species.

[roryodonnell]

..and highly illegal to keep them

As opposed to slightly illegal?

[Turner85]

i think its illegal to take them with scubatanks on, but you can take them if you are snorkling as far as i know but you have to make sure they are over the min size and you must also return females, you should have taken their car reg number.

Never seen what he was driving, as i turned the opposite way to him as we left the pier. Seems like its not as serious an issue as i thought seen as your allowed without a tank but not with one.

[columfoskin]

u cant take shellfish with scuba but im sure you can spearfish with scuba. cant find info but i think u can spearfish fish on scuba just not the shellfish.

[giles]

I do some diving myself and im fairly sure u can legally spear and take fish but not any shell fish but u are allowed to take shell fish by way of snorkle only.

[redzerologhlen]

u cant take shellfish with scuba but im sure you can spearfish with scuba. cant find info but i think u can spearfish fish on scuba just not the shellfish.

No I dont think you can, read it somewhere a few weeks ago but cant remember where. Someone else might post a link.