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Maritime response services in Irish waters Post - Brexit

  • 19-06-2017 1:49pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 5,107 ✭✭✭


    Now that Brexit negotiations are being kicked off, I wonder what will be negotiated regarding the relative responsibilities of the UK and Irish Coastguard operations in the post- Brexit world. Currently, as members of the EU ‘club’, Ireland and the UK work very closely together in the provision of services around our coastline.

    The SAR framework of both the Irish http://www.dttas.ie/sites/default/files/publications/maritime/english/irish-national-maritime-search-and-rescue-sar-framework/sar-framework.pdf and UK CG identify the respective areas of responsibility quite specifically. This area is laid out in the framework document as:

    55 20N 006 55W - 55 25N 007 20W
    55 20N 008 15W - 54 45N 009 00W
    54 34N 010 00W - 54 00N 015 00W
    51 00N 015 00W - 51 00N 008 00W
    52 20N 005 30W - 53 55N 005 30W
    54 25N 008 10W - 55 22N 006 55W

    By contrast, the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone extends much more to the North, West and South than the SAR Area of responsibility, as seen in Appendix 1 of the framework document.

    In a post- Brexit world, the rights of UK fishing vessels to operate in EU waters is likely to be curtailed. It is difficult to see the EU being willing to continue to share the lucrative waters off the coast of Ireland with a non-member. (I’m not going into the history or the rights/wrongs of all that, so please don’t bring that into the discussion as it has nothing to do with my point) In the event that UK fishing vessels will not be able to fish freely as is the case today (although quotas do apply) responsibility is likely to fall to our Fishery Protection services to ‘police’ any limited access which the UK might obtain. This is surely going to require a more robust protection service, and hence a likely increase in Aer Corps (and possible Naval resources).

    In addition, while all involved appear to be striving for a ‘soft border’ between the North and South of Ireland as part of Brexit negotiations, a de- facto situation will exist for the first time in centuries whereby Ireland will be legally more tied to Europe than to the UK. Whether that impacts on the historically closely cooperative relationship between UK and Irish authorities in matters relating to SAR, Coast Guard and other maritime activities remains to be seen.

    As debate has taken place following the tragic loss of Rescue 116 in March, around the role of the Aer Corps vs that of Private Contractors in the provision of SAR, Casualty Response, Top Cover etc., it would appear that a strategically thinking Government should be bearing all these things in mind and ensuring that if any additional duties or responsibilities fall on Irish Authorities as part of the post- Brexit situation, appropriate resources will be made available from Europe to facilitate them.


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 18,812 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Since they don't appear to be thinking how we'll intercept an aircraft coming into our air space, currently preformed by the RAF, I doubt that they are working on anything less dangerous.

    All involved bar the UK government are looking for a "soft border". They can't exit the single market and customs union and expect anything bar a hard border.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    The INS cater for all offshore inspections, patrols and interceptions. We have no effective fisheries protection fleet in the way the Scottish do for example (http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Compliance/resources/Vessels). Our Coastguard is a land based organisation with no active marine units since that terrible tragedy in Clare last year. Once the fisheries borders are redrawn and agreed between the EU and UK (for which we will likely have no say...) the INS will be expected to patrol this new territory and carry on as before. It might mean fewer ships in the Med and more time deep sea.


  • Registered Users Posts: 80,798 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn


    The Irish pelagic fleet in particular will be badly hit if there's no access to UK waters, the fishing season starts north east of Scotland and moves south off the west coast of Ireland. Likewise the Scottish pelagic fleet will be badly hit if they can't follow the fish down off the west coast of Ireland.

    For the Irish whitefish fleet the biggest concern is all the EU boats which currently fish in UK waters will now need somewhere else to fish which will mean them going in to Irish waters.


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