French move military exercises outside Ireland's exclusive economic zone 

West Cork fishermen seeking a 10 year moratorium on military exercises by any foreign navy taking place within Ireland’s EEZ

Patrick Murphy, chief executive of Irish South and West Fish Producers: 'We don’t agree with these exercises but this was the best scenario we could have reached and we did it within 24 hours.' File picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

West Cork fishermen are claiming a second victory in their ongoing campaign to prevent foreign navies carrying out military exercises within Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) after it was confirmed that planned manoeuvres by French naval vessels will be relocated further away from Irish waters.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney confirmed on Twitter that France will not carry out the operations within Ireland’s EEZ. The French Embassy in Dublin also issued a statement confirming the news.

“As indicated to the Irish authorities via the standard procedures, the area affected may potentially include a small piece of the southern extremity of Ireland’s EEZ as a security pattern, approximately 200km southwest of Ireland territorial waters. No French Navy vessels will be in the Irish EEZ during this exercise," it said.

Patrick Murphy, chief executive of Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said: “We don’t agree with these exercises but this was the best scenario we could have reached and we did it within 24 hours.

Mr Murphy told C103 radio that he, along with Brendan Byrne, CEO of the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association, would be drawing up a proposal seeking a 10 year moratorium on military exercises by any foreign navy taking place within Ireland’s EEZ.

“United Nations Article 25 paragraph one and paragraph three state that countries don’t have to allow a vessel transit through their waters if they are doing harm. We can ask Mr Coveney to bring this forward and look for a moratorium on these activities,” he said.

Sightings officer for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Pádraig Whooley said if the fishing industry was serious about protecting the marine environment, it should support the introduction of Marine Protection Areas, which a draft bill proposed should cover 30% of Irish waters to comply with the EU biodiversity strategy.

Mr Whooley said: “When we had all the fuss about the Russians what actually happened was we had carcasses turning up in Donegal three weeks later, not Cork. The truth is you don’t really know where naval activities take place, they could be way out somewhere else. 

Whales and dolphins don’t care whose waters they are in but the least we can do is try and protect the environment in our own waters, that should be the first thing,” he said.