Fr. Jack wrote:
If there was a product on the market to slip the ESB metres you would be the first to commit an "illegal offence" and if Blessington lakes in Wicklow mountains were nearer to you you would be the first to collect aquarium rocks.

AN 'illegal offence'? Double negative....you sure have a way with the English language And here is me thinking that all offences were illegal. Silly me....

And thanks, I have my own rocks. Seriously, the ones in my tanks come from the River Sullane.

BTW, I never said I agreed with the law in the case of transporting live native fish. Just warning people that they might find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

Sean, are you going off your game alltogether. Just saw your new avatar. Are youi sure you are feeling well?

Hi Holgar
I though if I change my photo to a discus I will be on your good side , this is got nothing to do with the kind words you will are just about to sing when my new dvd of my tanks are uploaded by Anthony shortly, especially the marine tank that has never had a water change since March 2004, great balls of fire or is it great balls of algae .

OMG, yet another avatar. The Village People do Mallorca ?

I just caught a couple of stickleback with a homemade minnow trap a few days ago so its still possible to catch them if you know where to look (i just got lucky).

Interested in getting a small pike or some small perch too but I've never fished in my life so that could be a problem!

@monsterfish .. 1. Where did you catch them you wreckless lawbreaker ? 2. Are you keeping them in a tank ?

Yeah I'm bad to the bone!

Caught them in a little stream running through the centre of a town in Derry. A long way from you, but I'm just saying they are still about, you'll find them somewhere if you go looking.

I have them in a small planted tank with some snails (also from the river)

They're pretty cool, feeding on baby brineshrimp.

Having said that, they are no more interesting than anything from your LFS, and if it is illegal to keep them your as well just getting something from a retailer. I didn't know there was any legal issues when I collected them,

@monsterfish,
not sure about the law in the North. I was referring to the state of affairs in the Republic.

What species of stickleback do you have 3 or 9 spined ones?

3 spined stickleback. Havn't seen any other species. Only thing in the little stream are 3 spines and at least one baby anguilla.

What is the actual law then in the Republic? Is it the movement of fish from one natural body to another? which might make sense but wouldn't affect people taking fish for aquariums or is there a flat ban on removing live fish?

The law as it stands in the Republic is that you are not allowed to transport live native fish. One reason is the spread of species to waterways where they have not occured yet. A lot of cyprinids can hybridize, for example roach and bream. Roach populations are threatened and the fisheries boards are trying to protect the genetic pureness of the roach populations and don't want to see bream introduced.
However, you are allowed to knock a bream dead and transport it.

I think if you exercise your own moral judgement that will be fine.
For example, only take natural fish if you know you can recreate their natural habitat, and if you bore of them, put them back where you got them.
This nanny state is already out of hand.
What are they going to arrest kids fishing for sticklebacks with nets on poles?
Ridiculous.