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  • Naval Service denies its patrols prefer to pursue Irish vessels

    The Irish Times

    Ireland Thu, Oct 13, 05

    Naval Service denies its patrols prefer to pursue Irish vessels
    By Joe Humphreys

    The Naval Service has denied claims it is unfairly targeting Irish fishermen in sea patrols because they are "easier to catch" than foreign-registered vessels.

    Commodore Frank Lynch, Naval Service commanding flag officer, told an Oireachtas committee yesterday that it performed its sea fishery protection role "without fear or favour or affection".

    He was responding to suggestions from some members of the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources that Irish fishermen were being victimised in policing operations.

    Denis O'Donovan TD (FF) said fishermen felt they were "soft targets", while Senator Brendan Kenneally (FF) argued the Naval Service should concentrate on "chasing bigger boats" rather than boarding small vessels, which could be monitored by regional fishery officers. "The laws are not being applied fairly," the Senator remarked.

    But Cmdr Lynch said "the figures show quite clearly we do not have a bias against Irish vessels." Of 1,780 boardings this year, 42.5 per cent were of Irish vessels and the remainder other nationalities.

    Of 94 warnings issued, however, 68 related to Irish vessels. Domestically registered boats also accounted for the majority of this year's 33 detentions by the Naval Service.

    Cmdr Lynch said a lot of Irish vessels were penalised for quota offences, and this could explain why they accounted for the majority of warnings and detentions. The Naval Service did not have the means to police other countries' quotas, he pointed out, adding, "we do not engage in a partisan approach."

    However, Senator Kenneally replied: "We will have to agree to disagree on that point."

    Cmdr Lynch also revealed to the committee that an attempt had been made by a Spanish trawler to sink one of the Naval Service vessels. He said the vessel refused to stop and tried to ram the naval boat, missing it by just 20 feet.

    He said the Naval Service was told to break off the chase and the vessel continued back to Spain, where he understood it was subjected to various sanctions.

    © The Irish Times

    Sorry, we've looked high and low, as we say here in Ireland and there's not a sign of that page. Why not go back to the homepage to find something else?

  • #2
    This has been on-going since the salmon patrol's back in the 80's not to be believed

    Comment


    • #3
      This has been on-going since the salmon patrol's back in the 80's not to be believed

      Comment


      • #4
        same old bollocks.....
        Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

        Comment


        • #5
          Cmdr Lynch also revealed to the committee that an attempt had been made by a Spanish trawler to sink one of the Naval Service vessels. He said the vessel refused to stop and tried to ram the naval boat, missing it by just 20 feet.

          He said the Naval Service was told to break off the chase and the vessel continued back to Spain, where he understood it was subjected to various sanctions
          Does this happen often? Are the patrol boats not allowed to "Shoot" warning shots in this instance.

          This is a bit os a no brainer, if the NS is there to patrol and monitor only to be told to break off if a trawler attempts to break off.

          Or am I totally off the ball here, as this trawler/crew will no the next time and the time after that that if they stand up tot he NS the NS will break off.
          "Why am I using a new putter? Because the last one didn't float too well." -Craig Stadler

          Comment


          • #6
            hee hee..how things have changed..look up what happened to the Sonya when she tried to cut and run...banged off a few rounds in my time at errant Spaniards...now perhaps we are more politically correct...but it just doesn't have the same impact..pardon the pun ... as 20mm...yes shots have been fired in the past often in large quanataties..wonder who the ships captian was who let his ship come that close to danger without showing his cards..deserves a good kick in the stones..as a trawler at any speed ..steel hulled... would cut a PV in half.....
            Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

            Comment


            • #7
              I remember this case. The trawler tried to ram one of the RIBS(Not a PV) and when it failed headed for international waters when it realised what it was up against, and like it or not we can't chase them all home.


              Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

              Comment


              • #8
                Fishermen and Fianna Fáil backbenchers have expressed outrage at a new fisheries bill that would allow the naval service to shoot at trawlers that fail to stop when requested.

                Section 18 of the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill states that fisheries protection officers may shoot at or into a boat, that ignores warning shots and refuses to heave-to, or fails to comply with an order to head to port.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Section 18 of proposed bill from www.irlgov.ie

                  (4) A sea-fisheries protection officer when exercising any powers
                  under this section may be accompanied by other persons and may
                  take with him or her, or those persons may take with them, any
                  equipment or materials (including firearms or other weapons (where
                  he or she or any of those other persons is a member of the Defence
                  Forces or the Garda Sıochana)) to assist the officer in the exercise
                  of those powers.

                  (5) If an order given by a sea-fisheries protection officer under
                  this section to the master of a sea-fishing boat or to a fishing boat to
                  stop, or to go directly to a specified port or to manoeuvre as directed,
                  is disobeyed or disregarded, the officer may, after causing a gun to
                  be fired as a signal, fire at or into the boat.

                  (6) (a) A gun may only be fired for the purposes of subsection (5)
                  by a member of the Permanent Defence Forces or the
                  Garda Sıochana.
                  (b) The Minister for Defence, after consultation with the
                  Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and the Commissioner
                  of the Garda Sıochana, may give directions in
                  writing in relation to procedures to be followed for the
                  purposes of subsection (5).

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    This will give more respect to Naval Service around the general maritime commmunity especially for vessels that frequent the irish box and irish waters and reguarly break irish and EU laws on fishing conservation etc... Im not the biggest maritime head out there so I would love to here what would be the general reaction that members of the the Naval Service give to this new bill and think whether it will benefit the Naval Service??
                    British officer: You're seven minutes late, Mr. Collins.
                    Michael Collins: You've kept us waiting 700 years. You can have your seven minutes.

                    [As the British flag comes down]

                    Michael Collins: So that's what all the bother was about.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      (6) (a) A gun may only be fired for the purposes of subsection (5)
                      by a member of the Permanent Defence Forces or the
                      Garda Sıochana.


                      Note the specific reference to 'Permanent' Defence Forces. So much for integration!

                      Don't get me wrong, as a reservist I have no desire to go shooting at poor fishermen who are trying to make a living in a harsh industry.

                      It just seems that the NS is still terrified by the prospects of NSR being let out on the high seas with weaponary. This would also mean that NSR personnel could not be trained in any of the GPMGs or 20mm as we would not be legally entitled to actually discharge that weapon in any thing circumstances other than training.

                      Anyway ... I'm just bitter!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        As far as I can remember, there are no NSR Seamen Gunners.


                        Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          goldie as we move forward there will be - as far as the shooting at fisherman boats goes on, foreign governments have caused uproar at being shot at by irish naval vsl's too much hassle for the dail - too many questions ???
                          Last edited by FMolloy; 19 October 2005, 00:42.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            So what would the Irish government have the Naval Service do in a situation like this?

                            Originally posted by BBC NEWS
                            Barents chase over Russia trawler


                            Norway's coast guard is pursuing a Russian trawler on which two Norwegian fishing inspectors have been taken hostage, officials say.
                            The inspectors are said to have stopped the trawler, the Elektron, on Saturday on suspicion of illegal fishing in the Barents Sea.

                            The ship was directed to head to Norway - but unexpectedly changed course.

                            Norwegian navy spokesman John Espen Lien said the trawler is now "going back and forth" with no real course.

                            He said the Elektron was stopped in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, in waters claimed by Norway.

                            "The ship was transporting various types of illegal equipment, including nets which pick up just about everything, including small fish and fry," he told the AFP news agency.

                            'Dramatic' event

                            The two inspectors boarded the trawler, which then began to head towards Norway's mainland.

                            However, it suddenly changed course and was said to be heading towards Russian waters, with Norway's coast guard in hot pursuit.

                            Norwegian naval commander, Rear-Admiral Trond Grytting, described as "dramatic" the Elektron's attempt "to evade capture".

                            He said Norway was in contact with both Russian diplomats and coast guard, but was unsure how long it make take to resolve the situation.

                            "I cannot rule out that it may take a while," he was quoted by the website of the Norwegian broadcaster NRK as saying.

                            Last edited by Guest; 18 October 2005, 03:34.

                            "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."


                            Marcus Aurelius Roman Emperor (161 to 180 A.D.)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Nobody answered my question.

                              So what option does the Naval Service have in a situation like this one?

                              Originally posted by Latest Update from BBC News
                              Fleeing trawler heads for Russia

                              The Elektron is expected to reach Russian waters in 10-15 hours

                              Norwegian ships are chasing a Russian trawler across the Arctic Ocean after it fled an inspection with two fisheries inspectors on board.

                              The Norwegian ships have been trying without success to stop the Russian vessel by snagging its propeller.

                              The Russian boat, the Elektron, was intercepted by Norwegian inspectors on Saturday for suspected illegal fishing.

                              It was told to go to Norway, but unexpectedly changed its course and headed for Russian waters instead.

                              Norway has complained that it is getting little help from Russia to resolve the incident. The Elektron was stopped in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, in waters claimed by Norway.

                              Unusual situation

                              On Tuesday, Russia said the situation would be resolved through diplomacy.

                              It said its forces were waiting to intercept the ship when it entered their waters, when it would release the Norwegian inspectors and accompany the trawler to the Russian port of Murmansk.


                              A Norwegian military spokesman told the AFP news agency that the Elektron was off the Norwegian and Russian coasts in international waters.

                              "They're still not co-operating," John Espen said. "They are currently heading towards Russian waters."

                              Mr Espen said the Norwegian navy had held back from intervening because of bad weather.

                              He said Norway was not worried about the two inspectors, "but you have to admit that the situation is unusual".

                              A spokesman for the trawler's owner, the Union of the Fish Industry of the North, told the Interfax news agency that he believed a conflict over fishing quotas was behind the incident.

                              Norway and Russia have land and sea borders in the Arctic, and disputes over fishing rights have become increasngly common.

                              "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."


                              Marcus Aurelius Roman Emperor (161 to 180 A.D.)

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