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Displaying items by tag: Irish Fishing Master Register

The Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation has advised its members not to sign up to the Irish Fishing Master Register.

“This is akin to what happened in South Africa in the 1950s and also in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s which is the creation of a Register for an ethnic minority.” said the CEO of the Organisation, Patrick Murphy.

The Board of Directors of the South West FPO told members that they had not yet seen the legislation applicable to what the Minister stated in his communication as the Act is not yet published, but that it is their belief “that this is utterly discriminatory to Irish citizens and it should be challenged. We are currently seeking professional and legal advice.

It has advised its members to “hold off from signing on to the Register or providing the information sought until we have an opportunity to see the actual legislation and its details.”

Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue announced that from May 3, upon the commencement of the Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 the Irish Fishing Master Register will be set up “to bring Irish legislation in line with EU Council Regulation 1224/2009, which established a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and establishing a level playing field across the EU on fisheries control.”

“Under the Act, it will be an offence for anyone to lawfully take charge of a sea fishing boat unless registered on the IFMR, whether owner of the boat or not. “It will also be an offence for a registered sea fishing boat licence holder to knowingly employ someone as a master who is not registered as such on the IFMR.”

The Act defines a ‘Master’ as the ‘Master, Skipper or other people for the time being in charge of the boat.”

All Masters must be registered on the IFMR upon the commencement of the act on 3 May 2022.

Published in Fishing

Upon the commencement of the Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 on Tuesday 3 May, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine will establish and maintain a register of masters, ie the Irish Fishing Master Register (IFMR).

This is to bring Irish legislation in line with EU Council Regulation 1224/2009, which established a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and establishing a level playing field across the EU on fisheries control.

Under the act, it will be an offence for anyone to lawfully take charge of a sea fishing boat unless registered on the IFMR. This applies whether you are the owner of the sea fishing boat or not.

Once this act has been commenced, it will also be an offence for a registered sea fishing boat licence holder to knowingly employ someone as a master who is not registered as such on the IFMR.

The act defines a ‘master’ as the master, skipper or other person for the time being in charge of the boat.

All masters must be registered on the IFMR upon the commencement of the act on 3 May 2022. The application form and further details for mariners are available on Gov.ie HERE.

Published in Fishing

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

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