JAPANESE tuna vessels fishing close to the 200 mile Irish exclusive limits have been asked to "respect international law", the Japanese Ambassador to Ireland has confirmed.
Japanese Irish relations have not been harmed by the recent incidents off the west coast, when two Japanese longliners were detained by the Naval Service for alleged illegal fishing, Mr Takanori Kazuhara said. Following the deaths of five Japanese fishermen in a gas leak some 250 miles off the west coast, the Naval Service and the Irish Marine Emergency Service had carried out its task of rescue "beautifully", he added.
The bodies of the five were due to be flown home from Cork yesterday evening. We had so many messages that we can't reply to them all, but I would like to thank the Irish people," he said.
The Japanese fishing fleet respected international fisheries agreements, Mr Kazuhara said, and the Japanese authorities had reiterated this position. "If this is lost, our fishing industry is damaged," he said.
"As far as the incidents that took place concerning the alleged breach of the Irish exclusive fishery limits, this is now in the hands of the court," the ambassador said. The two cases are due to be heard in court on November 4th.
The fleet of up to 30 Japanese longliners which had been hovering close to the Irish limit over the weekend is reported to be well west in the Atlantic.
The Naval Service vessel LE Deirdre has been monitoring activity with an Air Corps Casa fishery protection plane, but has reported no sightings of gear inside the limit. Yesterday, the LE Eithne detained an Irish registered fishing vessel for alleged log book offences some 56 miles south west of Mizen Head, and was escorting it to Castletownbere, Co Cork, last night.
This detention brings to 30 the number of arrests this year, while boardings of vessels - at over 800 to date - are up 150 on this time last year. Currently, two naval ships are tied up in dock, and the service can only put up to four ships to sea at any one time. However, the acting flag officer, Capt Peadar McElhinney, welcomes the Minister for Defence and the Marine's decision to commission a consultancy review of the Naval Service.
Speaking to RTE earlier this week in Haulbowline naval base, Capt McElhinney said he wished to thank Mr Barrett for taking the initiative.
Asked about reported low morale within the service, Capt McElhinney said a review would give rise to some uncertainty, but morale was generally good following the recent £40 million drug interdiction with the Customs Service and Garda Siochana at Moneypoint, the detentions of the Japanese vessels and the assistance given by the LE Aisling to the Japanese vessel, the Taisei Maru, which lost five of its crew.
Mr Barrett yesterday firmly dismissed reports that the Government might be asked to consider civilianisation of the Naval Service.
