The Scheme for Employment of Non-EEA crew members in parts of the Irish commercial sea-fishing fleet was launched today by Minister for Justice & Equality Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine Simon Coveney and Minister of State for Business & Employment Ged Nash.

The Scheme is an extension of the Atypical Working Scheme, administered by the Department of Justice & Equality (Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service), and is being introduced following a series of recommendations made by the Government Task Force on Non-EEA workers in the Irish Fishing Fleet in December 2015.

Minister Coveney welcomed the launch of the Scheme stating “This will provide a structured and transparent framework for the employment of non-EEA workers within defined segments of the Irish commercial sea-fishing fleet and should meet the crewing needs of the Irish whitefish fleet. The requirements of the Scheme will minimise the risk of exploitation and ensure that these workers are guaranteed all appropriate employment rights and protections during their period of employment.”

Minister Fitzgerald said “I am happy that my Department is in a position to make a significant contribution to a whole of Government solution in this area. You can only provide an immigration regime when you have in place an employment framework for the sector and the work of the task force was instrumental in delivering that”.

Minister Nash, who brought together the group of bodies responsible for various aspects of enforcement related to the Scheme, welcomed the launch of the Scheme and encouraged skippers to avail themselves of its provisions. Commenting on the development of a Memorandum of Understanding by the relevant bodies (see list below) in relation to monitoring and enforcement of the Scheme, the Minister added: ” I chaired the meetings of the group of bodies and our work has culminated in an MOU between the Parties. Its purpose is to provide further coordination and cooperation between the Parties to ensure the effective enforcement of statutory requirements in relation to the employment of non-EEA nationals on Irish-registered fishing vessels, and in particular, to prevent the trafficking and exploitation of workers on such vessels. The Government considers this to be is a vital component of the Scheme and essential in seeking to prevent future bad practice in the sector”.

As recommended by the Task Force, from 15 February 2016 to 15 May 2016, the Scheme will apply to existing crew members only. After 15 May 2016 all non-EEA workers intending to work in the fishing industry must first obtain an Atypical Worker Permission from INIS and Visa clearance, if applicable, prior to entering the State.

Prior to applying to the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service for an Atypical Worker Permission, the contract of employment (and supporting documentation) between the non-EEA worker and the vessel owner must first be lodged with the Central Depository, National Seafood Centre, Clonakilty, Co. Cork.

At a sitting of Ballina District Court on 26th January 2016, Judge Conal Gibbons convicted a Ballina man of illegal fishing. Freddie Harmon, with an address at 29 The Hawthorns, Killala Road, Ballina, was found guilty of possession of a net at Cloonslaun on the River Moy on 9th June 2015.

Judge Gibbons heard that Fishery Officer Eddie Doherty was on patrol with Officer Brian Flannery when he observed a person swimming in the water. The judge was told that when approached, the man escaped into a nearby field, while a second man ran off and was not found. The defendant was found hiding in a bush, wearing a wetsuit, and a buoyancy aid was also found nearby. The court heard that Mr. Harmon admitted to possession of the net in the river, which was retrieved, as well as a bag containing a second net on the bank.

Judge Gibbons heard from the defending solicitor, pleading for leniency, that poaching had been ongoing for years and had a minor impact on fish stocks compared to other factors such as seals, and that the defendant was of limited means. However, the judge rejected this argument. After examining the nets seized, and observing that the defendant had worn a wetsuit to carry out the offence, he said that the defendant was well prepared and the poaching was obviously planned. The judge outlined the importance of protecting fish stocks, and convicted Mr. Harmon of illegal possession of a net, fining him €1,000 with €500 costs. Both nets were also ordered to be forfeited.

Commenting on the case, Dr. John Conneely of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) commended the Fishery Officers involved. He said: “Protection of fish stocks is vital to maintaining an extremely valuable natural resource for the benefit of local and tourist anglers. Recreational angling in Ireland is worth over €750 million to the economy and supports over 10,000 jobs. IFI staff are committed to protecting that resource, working in difficult conditions and bad weather to do so, and their vigilance and dedication is highly valued.”

Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of IFI, noted: “Environmental crime such as this is unacceptable. I cannot stress enough to those who may be tempted to take fish illegally, including buying a wild salmon from a dubious source, that such activity is impacting jobs and the ability of rural areas to be sustainable and support communities. IFI urgently needs the assistance of the public who can support fisheries staff, and their own communities, by reporting all instances of illegal fishing or pollution on the IFI confidential hotline number at 1890 347424.”

#Bluefin- A Donegal TD's push for a bluefin tuna quota for local game anglers has prompted a meeting between Marine Minister Simon Coveney and the EU Fisheries Commissioner.

According to Donegal Now, Thomas Pringle TD has welcomed the move to request a three-tonne quota for bluefin "despite the fact that I’ve brought this proposal before the Dáil on a number of occasions over the past year".

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Inland Fisheries Ireland said that any initiative to develop a catch-and-release fishery for bluefin in Irish waters would demand struct protocols and reporting to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

But the independent Dáil deputy says recreational angling for bluefin tuna "could bring huge potential for Donegal in terms of job creation and boosting tourism in the region".

Donegal Now has more on the story HERE.

A Connemara man was convicted of an illegal fishing offence at Derrynea District Court on the 14th January. Before the court was Dara Conlon of Baile Liam, Spiddal, Co. Galway, who pleaded guilty to the possession of an illegally caught salmon at Spiddal Pier on the 2nd July, 2015. Mr. Conlon was observed fishing with a net close to the shore, not far from the mouth of the Boluisce River, and when searched he was found to be in possession of a salmon, which had been concealed under the net in his boat.

Judge Mary Fahy heard that the Boluisce River already suffers from very low salmon stocks, and due to the collapse in fish numbers it is now closed for angling. Conservation of the returning fish is very important to ensure as many salmon as possible can spawn, and to improve the low stock numbers. Given the importance of every fish to the river, she rejected the defence’s application to apply the Probation Act, and convicted Mr. Conlon on the charge of illegal possession of a salmon, fining him €100 with €450 costs.

Commenting on the case, Dr. John Conneely of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), said: “The Boluisce River salmon stocks are extremely low compared to historical levels, and their survival in the river is under threat. Much investment of time and effort has gone into habitat improvement to improve fish stocks, and it is frustrating to see illegal fishing targeting a very vulnerable stock of fish. IFI Officers are committed to protecting the fish stocks of the catchment, and will continue to rigorously enforce fisheries legislation.”

CEO of IFI, Dr Ciaran Byrne, noted the importance of Salmon angling to rural areas, stating: “Such environmental crimes not only affect salmon stocks but also the ability of rural areas to attract visitors, support jobs and remain vibrant communities. I strongly urge the public to report any incidents of poaching or pollution to the IFI confidential 24 hour hotline on 1850 347424 and protect the fish, their habitat and rural communities.”

#MCIB - Protocols for SAR helicopter rescues and the use of emergency portable pumps should be included in safety training for fishing vessels.

Those were among the recommendations from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board's (MCIB) report on the sinking of the trawler Iúda Naofa off Scotland a year ago.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Aran Islands registered trawler sank suddenly off the Outer Hebrides on 20 January 2015 after it began taking on water.

The boat's five crew were rescued immediately by an accompanying vessel and the UK coastguard, and none required medical attention, according to the MCIB.

But the board's report into the incident highlighted the lack of knowhow regarding hi-line protocols for helicopter operations among the crew, with only one fisherman on board having any prior knowledge.

As a result the crew were unable to release the emergency pump dropped from the helicopter from its standard clasp, nor determine how to operate it despite the instructions being included – though in this particular situation the flooding was too great for the pump to be of use.

The MCIB was unable to determine the cause of the water ingress without physical evidence from the trawler, which could not be recovered.

It was noted that the vessel had adequate stability for normal working conditions, and that the crew made every effort to save the vessel – but were hampered by flooding in the compartment with the pumps and generators, which rendered them useless.

Also noted was that the while the crew were not all wearing lifejackets or fully zipped up in survival suits, after expressing difficulty working on rescuing their boat with them on, they evacuated the vessel without panic and looked after each other.

The release of the report coincides with a new campaign by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) to encourage all in the fishing industry to wear personal flotation devices – or PFDs – where appropriate, according to The Irish Times.

BIM's statistics show that more than half of all fishermen in Ireland do not wear a lifejacket or PFD while at sea, despite the availability of free safety gear on subsidised training courses.

It's also despite 36% of fishermen reporting that the know of a colleague who has died at sea.

The Irish Times has much more on the story HERE.

#RNLI - Dunmore East RNLI launched on Friday (8 January) to assist a 50ft fishing vessel with five people on board.

The vessel suffered engine failure eight miles from Dunmore East Harbour.

Just before 5pm the volunteer lifeboat crew at Dunmore East RNLI launched their all-weather lifeboat at the request of the Irish Coast.

Some 15 minutes later, the Trent Class lifeboat Elizabeth and Ronald arrived on scene and the casualty vessel was then towed into the safety of Dunmore East Harbour, just after 7pm.

Speaking following the callout, Dunmore East RNLI coxswain Paulie Daniels said: "Our crew responded very quickly to the pagers and thankfully it turned out to be a very straight forward tow.

"Conditions were tough with rain throughout and wind and sea freshening."

#MarineWildlife - The killer whale found beached on a Scottish island last weekend likely died after getting entangled in fishing gear for days, say experts.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the orca known as Lulu to researchers, who have been tracking her unique pod since the early 1990s, was discovered on the island of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides last Sunday 3 January.

Lulu's "evolutionary significant" group has been under threat for years due to the absence of calves among its number since scientists began monitoring them around the Scottish and north Irish coasts.

But according to The Press and Journal, Lulu's death was not down to natural causes – with a post-mortem report from experts at the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme claiming "convincing evidence that she had become chronically entangled" in fishing gear, with deep wounds consistent with a rope wrapping around her tail.

“There were no ropes or gear left on the carcass," said the scientists in a statement. "We’re assuming all this from the lesions we found on her body, so we don’t know if this was due to active fishing gear, abandoned or ‘ghost’ gear, or other marine debris."

The Press and Journal has much more on the story HERE.

#RNLI - Kilmore Quay RNLI assisted four fishermen to safety in the early hours of this morning (Friday 8 January) after they feared their vessel was in danger from taking on water.

The volunteer crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 11.10pm last night following a Mayday call that a 13m steel fishing trawler was taking on water at Baginbun to the east of Hook Head in Co Wexford.

The four crew onboard were fishing for herring when they got into difficulty and raised the alarm. Weather conditions at the time were challenging, with a Force 8 fresh gale, a rough sea and driving rain.

The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Eugene Kehoe and with six crew on board, launched within minutes and made its way to the scene around 8.5 nautical miles from Kilmore Quay.

Once on scene, the lifeboat crew observed that the vessel wasn’t taking on water but that in the challenging weather conditions, some of the pound boards used to keep the fish from moving freely, had given way.

This caused a substantial amount of herring to move towards the stern of the vessel, forcing it down so that the deck level ended up in the water.

The lifeboat crew assessed the situation and contemplated transferring the fishermen onto the lifeboat. However, a decision was made to closely monitor the situation with the lifeboat moving to the weather side of the vessel to create a lee and provide shelter to the vessel before escorting it to Kilmore Quay.

The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 was also on scene providing essential light overhead to guide the vessel into the harbour at Kilmore Quay.

Speaking following the callout, Kilmore Quay RNLI mechanic Brian Kehoe said: "The fishermen rightly raised the alarm when they got into trouble and, taking our advice, they made a good decision given the weather conditions, to change their passage, turn around and head for Kilmore Quay with our escort.

"This was a slow process which took just over two hours in severe weather conditions but thankfully everyone was returned safely to shore."

#Claddagh - The Irish Post has a revealing look at one of Ireland's most unique communities – the people of the Claddagh.

Today very much part of a vibrant Galway, the Claddagh was once very distinct from the city just across the mouth of the Corrib.

Indeed, there's much more to the area and its history than the famous Claddagh Ring.

Comparable to communities like the Amish in the United States, the Claddagh people were once easily distinguished by their anachronistic style of dress – and their devotion to the fishing industry.

Lace-making and net-making were once ubiquitous skills in an area where all boys grew up to be fishermen, though that was long ago.

However, there has been a revival of old traditions such as the recent Galway hooker boatbuilding project.

And it's a unique history that deserves to be celebrated with its own maritime museum, says one local historian, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The Irish Post has much more on the story HERE.

#Inspections - Over the last year, more than 2,745 inspections of boats were carried out, the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) said, with 10 vessels detained by the Navy for breaching rules.

The Belfast Telegraph writes that the agency said infringements at sea ranged from the under recording of catches to having incorrect equipment on board.

Susan Steele, SFPA chairwoman, said: "The SFPA is committed to playing its part in ensuring a strong future for the Irish fishing industry through the detection of all illegal fishing.

"This year, with the support of the Naval Service, we prioritised the implementation of the new landing obligation, which effectively bans the discarding of fish overboard and was introduced for pelagic fisheries in 2015.

"The generally low level of non-compliance reflects the genuine effort on the part of many fishermen to comply with the regulations." 

For more on the story, click here.