Serious flaws in the EU's system of monitoring fishing vessels have been exposed once more in annual Naval Service statistics, which show that almost half of all inspections carried out are of Irish fishing vessels.
Lack of information given to the Irish authorities on quotas assigned to other EU fishing vessels is understood to be the main reason for this trend.
Figures due to be released today by the Defence Force's marine wing show that some 883 of a total of 1,885 boardings were of Irish-registered vessels, including 30 Spanish-crewed vessels registered in Ireland.
A third of the 31 vessels detained in total during 2004 for fishing irregularities were Irish, including one Spanish-crewed flagship. Some 74 warnings were issued to Irish vessels.
By contrast, there were 356 boardings of Spanish vessels, resulting in just five warnings and six detentions,and 349 boardings of French vessels, with 24 warnings and six detentions.
Justifying the focus on Irish vessels, the Naval Service says that monthly quotas are assigned to individual boats in Ireland, but to different co-operatives in other EU member-states. Each member-state is responsible for the management of its own quota in EU waters, it points out. In 2003, some 75 per cent of the 27 detentions recorded related to Irish-registered vessels.
British-registered vessels constituted eight of the 2004 tally of detentions, while other nationalities inspected included 37 Belgian, one Portuguese, eight Dutch, eight German, 32 Norwegian, eight Faroese, 23 Russian, two Icelandic, one Danish and 11 other vessels described as "other" or unregistered.
Satellite monitoring of fishing vessels by the Naval Service's National Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) at Haulbowline, Cork harbour, takes a step forward this month with the extension of this system to vessels over 15 metres in length. The new regulations mark the "final phase" of the satellite system, according to Haulbowline.
Originally introduced for vessels over 25 metres long, it was extended last year to vessels over 18 metres long. New technology due to be initiated this year will also enable operational patrol ships to view a "near real-time picture" of all fishing vessels equipped with satellite monitoring equipment.
The Naval Service says it achieved a "record" number of patrol days by its seven ships at sea, amounting to 1,568 days in total. Over 100 salmon fishing boats were inspected during the summer, and ships were involved in 23 search and rescue operations for the Irish Coast Guard, including monitoring of the stricken Canadian submarine HMCS Chicoutimi.
Naval divers were involved in 15 search operations over 33 days.
Patrols were also carried out beyond the 200-mile exclusive fishery limits for the North-East Atlantic Fishery Commission during February, March and April, while there was also offshore drug surveillance in co-operation with the Garda Síochána and Customs and Excise. Highlights of the year included the opening of the €51 million National Maritime College at Ringaskiddy in partnership with the Cork Institute of Technology.
