Sea safety regulations being imposed by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, will not stop a repeat of what happened off Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford, two months ago, west coast sea anglers have warned.
The regulations were riddled with inconsistencies, delegates at a Connacht branch meeting of the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers (IFSA) said at the weekend.
Earlier this month, the Minister, Mr Ahern, brought forward to next January the deadline for applying passenger boat regulations to the sea angling sector. The decision was taken after five lives were lost off Fethard-on-Sea in late July when a vessel used by an angling party sank.
Last week's inquest into the deaths was adjourned, pending the outcome of a report on the incident by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board. The Irish Coast Guard has said that none of the five who died was wearing a lifejacket.
From January next, every angling boat carrying passengers for reward must have a licence and must comply with statutory requirements laid down in the legislation. A two-year derogation, due to expire next June, had been agreed by former marine minister, Mr Frank Fahey, after representations from the sector.
The IFSA has its own safety policy, involving wearing lifejackets and the use of a dedicated safety boat, and its members use commercial fishing vessels which comply with their own safety regulations. In almost 50 years of existence, it had never recorded a fatality at any of its events, the meeting heard.
Mr Eddie Diver of the Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association and Belmullet Sea Angling Club pointed to the anomaly where commercial fishermen could go out several hundred miles offshore with gear and a crew of three under their own licensing regime.
"You take everything off that boat, put anglers on, and it is not deemed safe anymore under this new law," he said.
The passenger boat regulations only apply where a "reward" is involved. The regulations would not apply to a boat used to take out friends angling for the day - "as occurred at Fethard-on-Sea", one delegate pointed out.
The delegates concurred that safety was vital, but the cost of applying the new regulations would limit available vessels, and wipe out sea angling festivals on the west coast - with a consequent impact on tourism.
Currently, sea angling is estimated to generate annual revenue of some €30 million, the branch heard. It was estimated that only about eight vessels meeting passenger boat regulations were available on the entire west coast. It was not practical to bring approved vessels from elsewhere for short periods, and local skippers tended to know their own coastline best, the meeting heard.
