OFFICIALS from the Department of the Marine have started a detailed examination of the Spanish vessel involved in Sunday's fatal collision.
The vessel, the Sea Horse, is being detained in Bantry harbour along with its crew of seven Spanish and 11 Portuguese fishermen.
The sunken wreckage of the Irish trawler, the Exodus, lies in deep water about 20 miles southwest of Castletownbere. It may be raised as part of the investigation into the collision.
The crew members of the Spanish vessel will be interviewed by Captain Christopher Davies of the Department of the Marine today. Gardai have already taken statements from the crew.
Also today, an official of the Marine Accident Information Branch in Southampton will begin an assessment of how the accident happened. The assessment is required under British law because the vessel is UK registered.
Feelings are running high in the West Cork fishing community about the latest incident, one of many in recent years.
In 1994 the Irish Fishermen's Organisation asked trawlermen to log incidents involving Spanish vessels, and on Sunday it emerged that a second incident between an Irish and a Spanish fishing vessel had occurred in west Cork waters.
Yesterday Mr Frank Doyle, of the IFO, said that, repeatedly, Spanish flag of convenience vessels, mainly based in Cornwall, had shown an aggressive and arrogant attitude towards Irish fishermen.
However, according to gardai in Bantry, the cause of last Sunday's accident has still not been established.