Red tape put trawler through 14-hour journey

BUREAUCRATIC red tape forced a trawler to undertake a perilous 14-hour journey on the same night as the fishing vessels Pere Charles and Honeydew II were lost, it was claimed yesterday.

A member of Cork County Council said that on January 11 a trawler which was over its threshold weight for landing at all but five designated ports, was forced to steam from a position west of the Blasket Islands to Castletownbere, because it was not allowed to dock in Fenit, Co Kerry.

Cllr Noel Harrington claimed that he was told this by the skipper of the trawler, which he refused to identify, and the skipper of a second vessel who shadowed his friend on the journey, because he was concerned for his safety during the storm.

“Because one of the vessels had 1,100 kgs of white fish on board, they [the crew] were obliged to make for a designated fisheries harbour to shelter and land their fish. Even though Fenit was four hours steam from their position they had to make to Castletownbere, 14 hours away,” Mr Harrington said.

He claimed that if the trawlers had been allowed to land in Fenit the weather would have been behind them, which would have been much safer than the appalling weather conditions they had to endure on the way to Castletownbere.

“The legal context in which fishermen are working should be noted. Had the skipper landed in Fenit, he would have been guilty of an offence, liable to an appearance at the Circuit Criminal Court and, if found guilty, face confiscation of his gear and catch and fines of up to €250,000,” the councillor said.

Mr Harrington added that risks associated with the fishing industry should be minimised and he got unanimous support for his motion calling on the Department of the Marine to immediately scrap mandatory landings at designated ports.

He also said he couldn’t understand why fisheries inspectors couldn’t be dispatched to non-designated ports in bad weather.

The Mayor of County Cork, Cllr John O’Shea, said it was one of the most serious motions he had ever come across and believed it was time the Minister for the Marine stepped in and changed the law.

“Seven people have been lost off the South-East coast. It’s difficult enough as it is for the fishing community to make a living,” the mayor said.

Cllr Kevin Murphy said it appeared regulations were putting people’s lives at risk.

A spokesman for the Department of the Marine said that he would investigate the specific incident, but stressed that safety was a priority.

“This is a general EU rule. There are five designated fishing harbour centres and four hours’ notice has to be given before landing. But that is waived in the event of bad weather,” the spokesman said.