Anger as Irish vessel stopped from fishing around Rockall
A SCOTTISH patrol boat has stopped and boarded a Donegal fishing vessel near Rockall, a disputed area of sea in the North Atlantic claimed by the UK.
The Northern Celt, based out of Greencastle, was boarded by Marine Scotland officials aboard the patrol vessel Jura on Monday as the crew was about to cast nets.
Its skipper was told that it can no longer fish within 12 nautical miles of the outcrop known as Rockall.
“We were fishing in Rockall and members of the crew from the Jura boarded us. They informed us that we could no longer fish inside the 12-mile limit of Rockall,” skipper Adrian Mcclenaghan told RTE News this evening.
Northern Celt is one of around a dozen shipping vessels that are members of the Killybegs Fisherman’s Organisation (KFO) that make the arduous 262 nautical mile journey from Co Donegal to the rocky outcrop.
The organisation said it was hoping a diplomatic solution can be found to what it calls a ‘militant approach’ to international fishing.
Sean O’donoghue, chief executive of the KFO, said the organisation does not accept “that Scottish authorities have the right to enforce a 12-mile limit” around Rockall.
“We consider it contrary to international law that says you can’t have a limit over an uninhabited island or an outcrop,” he said.
“This is not acceptable,” Mr O’donoghue added. “They have adopted this militant approach and we don’t accept it.”
The water around the outcrop is a prime fishing area for haddock and squid and “this is an important fishing ground for us,” he said, adding that in the summer up to 20 fishing vessels from the Republic alone fish there.
He said the dispute mirrors a similar one two years ago.
But he believes confusion over Brexit may have lead to the dispute.
The Jura entered the area on January 1 when the UK formally left the EU and has remained in
‘They have adopted this militant approach and we don’t accept it’
the area ever since.
“I would hope the Department of Foreign Affairs will be able to resolve it,” Mr O’donoghue said. “There needs to be a diplomatic solution.
“This isn’t on.”
If diplomacy fails, the only other option would be to “go to the international court,” he said.
“But we hope that common sense and diplomacy will prevail.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs tonight said: “We are aware of contact between an Irish fishing vessel and a Marine Scotland patrol vessel yesterday, 4 January.
“We are in contact with the Scottish and the UK authorities on this.”