Minimum Sizes for Sea Fishing in Ireland: Legal vs Voluntary

Legal minimum sizes (statutory)

These are the minimum landing sizes enforced under Irish sea-fisheries law for common shore-caught species. Undersized fish must be returned immediately and carefully.

Voluntary catch and release

No legal minimum size does not mean anything goes. Pollack has no statutory minimum landing size in Ireland; the IFSA voluntary guideline is 30cm. The 2026 pollack bye-law (No. 1028) sets a three-per-day bag limit, then catch and release.

Tope, smoothhound and many ray species are widely released on Irish shores even when retention is not prohibited, because stocks are vulnerable or fish are poor table fare.

Dogfish are abundant and not protected, but most anglers still unhook carefully and return them. The species guide notes conservation status per fish.

How to measure fish correctly

Bass are measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the tip of the tail. Use a flat measure or bump board, not a curved tape along the body. When in doubt, return the fish.

For flounder, measure total length unless IFI guidance specifies otherwise for that species. For pollack, the IFSA voluntary 30cm guideline uses the same total-length measure, but it is not enforced as a statutory minimum.

Species with extra rules beyond size

Minimum size is only one layer. Bass carries a spawning closure and a daily bag limit. Pollack carries a daily bag limit from June 2026. Read the dedicated guides rather than relying on this table alone.