Defence Forces deny targeting Irish trawlers

THE Defence Forces yesterday insisted that Irish trawlers are not being specifically targeted by naval fishery patrols, as the fishing industry warned it was battling for survival.

Escalating fuel costs, steep income drops and concerns about over-regulation are pointing to an industry becoming rapidly unsustainable, it was claimed.

Castletownbere fishermen’s co-op manager John Nolan said Irish skippers are ending up with criminal records for offences and boat owners facing penalties, in the circuit courts, of up to €40,000 for fishing breaches that merit a minimum fine of less than €50 in some rival fishery states.

“The Irish interpretation of EU laws is much harsher than in Spain or France where a slap on the wrist applies in most cases where there have been breaches. Spanish boats committed over 1,000 offences last year in their own country, but only ten cases reached the courts. The seizure of fishing gear and the catch is automatic in this country and that penalty impacts not only on the owner, but the crew and the economy of the whole fishing community. We are sick of saying this, but it’s like a police state, the way the industry is being monitored.”

However, Defence Forces spokesman Capt Sean Ó Fatharta said yesterday fishery patrol statistics for 2005 showed that 57% of all boardings were for non-national boats.

“The naval service is tasked by the Department of Marine to patrol Irish waters and there is a lot of concentration on the south-west coast because of the large fishing activity in that area,” he said.

However, the industry claimed that nearly 80% of all boats detained were Irish.

Mr Nolan, meanwhile, said the management of the Irish quota should be re-examined.

“Irish boats are given month-by-month catch quotas and, in circumstances such as bad weather where a boat cannot go to sea, that individual boat’s quota cannot be carried over to the following month. By comparison, foreign boats operate on a national quota basis and, at the moment, Polish, Dutch and Scottish vessels are fishing extensively off the south-west while our boats have to return to port, having reached their quotas.”

He added: “High operating costs this year has led to crew earnings falling by 40%. If any other industry suffered similar cuts in income, there would be protests on the streets.” Trawler owner Ebby Sheehan said fuel costs for a 10-day fishing trip have spiralled to €12,900, compared to €8,000 18 months ago.

“Make no bones about it, the big problem this year is the naval boardings. Every second day, Irish boats are being boarded. When crews throw their nets, they have no control on the volume or the species they are going to land. Due to the present quota system, crews are forced to throw dead fish back into the sea, if the boat doesn’t have a quota for that particular species.”