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LAST UPDATE | 27 Jan 2022
FISHERMEN HAVE BEEN given a guarantee by Russia’s ambassador to Ireland that their fishing grounds will not be affected by navy exercises.
Representatives of the fishing industry met with the Russian ambassador amid an ongoing row over planned military exercises off the Irish coast.
Speaking after talks with Yury Filatov at the embassy in Dublin, Brendan Byrne, chief executive of the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association, said it was a very beneficial meeting.
The Russian artillery drills at the start of February will take place in international waters but in an area within Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone – which is patrolled by Irish Naval ships and Air Corps Casa aircraft.
It is located approximately 240 kilometres off the Irish coast.
The Department of Transport has issued a marine notice that the Russian navy is set to carry out manoeuvres off the south-west coast of Ireland from next Thursday.
Byrne said he was “very surprised” by the wealth of knowledge of the ambassador about Irish fishing matters.
He said an agreement was reached that there will be a “buffer zone” between Russian vessels and fishing trawlers when military exercises are under way.
“We have now come to an accommodation where there is a pathway for coexistence for the naval exercises and for our fishing fleet,” Byrne added.
“The operation has to go back to Moscow.
“There was a great undertaking of the pressures the Irish fishing industry is under. There is an appreciation of the value of this fishing ground to the overall fishing industry.
“There was in-depth discussion in relation to the scale of the military exercises, and we have given an undertaking that we wouldn’t discuss those further.
“It has been a very good day for the Irish fishing industry.
“We explored our options – there was a map at the meeting. The options are clear and they are going back to Moscow.
“There is an acknowledgement that there is a valuable fishing ground there. It’s open on February 1 and there is a tradition that Irish fishing industry would fish those grounds.
“I was very impressed by the wealth of knowledge of the ambassador and the complexity of the situation. When you compare that to the lack of engagement of our own Government, a lot of questions needed to be asked.
“[Yury Filatov] was very frank as the regard of the scale of activity.”
Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said fishing trawlers will make the decision on whether they fish in the area next week.
“We will carry back the information today and the positivity we negotiated,” Murphy added.
“We gave an understanding that the information is sensitive and we are not going to escalate or undermine the good work that was done.
“We’ll be communicating with our vessels and I’m very happy we had this meeting and grateful the ambassador has given us details that allays our fears.
He has given us a very guaranteed assurance that he will take this back to Moscow and explain in clear detail the importance of this area to our fishermen.
“He has given us assurances that common sense will prevail and that some of the rhetoric is not correct.
“We are not here to challenge the Russian nation, all we are here to do is ensure our boats get to fish in their traditional fishing ground and do so in a safe and fair manner.”
Brendan Byrne said: “There’ll be a clear understanding of who’s going to be where, so that both parties know there’s going to be a buffer zone.
“This is the significant part. There’s an absolute guarantee that our traditional fishing grounds will not will not be impacted by the Russian naval exercises.”
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I think the fishermen are thinking outside the box, and I hope their peaceful protest has a positive response. They are being very brave though… the Russians don’t mess around.
@Sohoma Roanie: The fishermen are making f ools of themselves. Having a meeting with a trained Russian diplomat, switched off their phones out of “respect”, allowed the Russians take their photograph and no doubt record the meeting. Then on to Joe Duffy to make further f-ols of themselves and blaming the Government.
@Michael Reilly: Joe Duffy must have been in shock when he was informed by the fishing delegates that the meeting had gone well. As usual Joe gave his own opinion concerning the Russians. The propaganda sprouted by Duffy would make Gorebbls proud.
@Michael Reilly: Got what they wanted, that type of attitude will get you no where
Bait the head off him.
@John Sheahan: I hope he wasn’t coding em
@gordon o loughlin: codding
we have no respect for our oceans
The Spanish could send some boats too
These exercises are almost as close to France as they are to Ireland. The French dont seem too bothered ? Why doesn’t Coveney concentrate on real issues
@Koukliahills: “almost as close to France as they are to Ireland.”
It’s 530 km from French territorial waters and 215 km from Irish territorial waters, it’s twice as close to us than to France.
@Koukliahills: a) this is as real as issues get b) you should probably get a map
Fair play to the fishermen’s representatives. They stood up for their livelihood and got the attention of the Russian state. Who knows if the ambassador’s assurances will be met but what more could the fishing community do?
Something fishy going on here methinks.
Take him out on the trawler with you for a weeks fishing
The Russians are terrified of invasions from the west, they have had many, Sweden, Napoleon, about 10 countries in 1919. In the last invasion by Germany they lost 25,000,000 people and suffered catastrophic devastation. They do not want NATO missiles on their borders, as the US did not want missiles in Cuba. The US forced regime change in the Ukraine and the New right-wing government discriminate against Russian speakers… forcing Donbas and the Crimea. It is vital that our government use its seat in rhe UN for peace as our media should attempt impartiality.
@Fergus Quinlan: Is this a joke? Russians are afraid of who right now? Ukraine? The Baltic states? Finland? Poland? Alaska? Belarus? Mongolia? Which country can afford to invade them? Which country wants to invade them? If they could only take better care of their own people with all the natural resources they have. What about the poverty rate in Russia? Who is responsible for that? Outsiders or insiders? Or just history?
@McCarthy John: the Russian forces are much smaller than NATO….they cannot take on NATO in a land war….. the real mess will be if Ukraine push into Donbas….. Will Russian forces stand back and watch the slaughter, Or intervention…. just hope it does not happen. If NATO were to cross the Russian border it would lead the nuclear war…..Putin knows all of Russia will be smouldering Ash… .but so will all of Europe, UK and USA… all our energy must be spent in peace making.
@McCarthy John: when I was there …..looked fairly prosperous….. but hope the opposition, the Communist catch up on Putin in the polls…get the peoples wealth back from the Yeltsin inspired grab…
@Fergus Quinlan: if you love Putin so much, why not move to Russia? Sounds like you’d fit in just fine
@McCarthy John: Since the Revolution of 1917 the West has made every effort to destabilise Russia. Since WW2 a cold war has existed, it is even more prevalent today. The Cuban missile crisis..Certainly the U.S. felt threatened, but considering the U.S. had the USSR surrounded by nuclear weapons, this game brought the word to the brink of extinction. The same scenario is now being played out in reverse.
No need! the army chief of staff has already been in to have the chat over a cuppa chai.
@Desmodromic: Bit hypocritical of Coveney to state the meeting was inappropriate, Zappone fiasco and party in Foreign Affairs office comes to mind.
@Donal Desmond: I think international diplomatic matters within a highly tense global standoff are a little bit more serious in scale than Katherine Zappone’s tea and biccies. Don’t you think?
@Eoin Roche: Wonder why there was no outcry by Coveney when NATO exercises are carried out off the Irish coast. The International crisis is certainly worrying, but it certainly would be helpful if the likes of RTE were to give the Russian viewpoint. Coveney and Varadkar must be on their bended knees thanking God for Boris Johnson and the Ukraine.
@Donal Desmond: eh they did, Russian ambassador was on six one the other night lying his ar** off, sorry I mean talking about Ukraine and about the live fire exercise.
@Peter: Yes the Russian ambassador was on the news . They dissected every word he said ..Fair enough, but they went to disparage every word he said with the help of pro Ukraine government officials. It must have come as a shock to the propagandist Joe Duffy that the Fishing delegates praised the Russian ambassador today.
@Donal Desmond: why would it be a surprise that fishermen can be easily fooled by a trained Russian diplomat?
Shades of ‘Red storm Rising’ here. Splitting the Atlantic.
Bring back CMDR John Kavanagh of the Naval Service, he stood up to the Russians before.
Will Fungie the dolphin and his pals turn up to protest, or Wally the walrus?
So Fury Molotov is going to meet with Spud
Irish Board of Fisheries Need to Get Back in the office and Synchronise Work Dutys to assist the Fishermen GROSS incompetence as usual
That put them in their Plaice, see what I did there.
This is a non event
We need to interrogate the fishermen!!!
Hilarious that they went onto Joe Duffy and thought they had achieved something. I bet Tubrity even thought about getting them on the line up tonight LOL.. I’ll give it to them but fairly embarrassing from what’s coming out of the embassy now. As if Filatov was ever going to rely any of the fishermen’s concerns.
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