Irish trawler told to leave area off Donegal coast by Royal Navy

Leonidas BL

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-trawler-given-order-to-move-on-by-royal-navy-frigate-39396055.html

There has to be more to this. Maybe there was a sub in the area and they wanted to avoid a collision??

davetherave

Article says that there was a joint operation (not a joint exercise, interestingly enough) with sub in the area.

It is understood that HMS Lancaster hailed the fishing vessel on Tuesday morning, informing the skipper they were commencing a joint operation with a submarine which would continue over the next three days.

There could well be more to it, and it might depend on what the trawler captain is saying the comms were. Was it an order? A request? Informational Advice?

I'd be inclined to think that they didn't want the trawler to cast outs it's nets and risk being dragged down by a sub.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

davetherave wrote: »

Article says that there was a joint operation (not a joint exercise, interestingly enough) with sub in the area.



There could well be more to it, and it might depend on what the trawler captain is saying the comms were. Was it an order? A request? Informational Advice?

I'd be inclined to think that they didn't want the trawler to cast outs it's nets and risk being dragged down by a sub.

There is a designated submarine exercise area off the coast of Derry/Donegal. It’s not west of Tory where this trawler claims to have been.

Widdensushi

This has been happening for decades, they send out alerts that an exercise will be happening and then patrol the area telling any remaining boats to move on, in the current climate it is news.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

Widdensushi wrote: »

This has been happening for decades, they send out alerts that an exercise will be happening and then patrol the area telling any remaining boats to move on, in the current climate it is news.

Read the post just before yours

Larbre34

Its not an Irish military matter anyway really, if there was issues to be raised its a combination of diplomatic and maritime law, so falls under foreign affairs and the marine.

Psychlops

On Twitter it was mentioned that it is in an area where UK Cables are & Russian Subs were active lately so maybe they told the trawler to jog on as they were going to do an Operation?

Larbre34

Psychlops wrote: »

On Twitter it was mentioned that it is in an area where UK Cables are & Russian Subs were active lately so maybe they told the trawler to jog on as they were going to do an Operation?

That much is certain. The question is, whether the 'jog on' was advisory or aggressive and whether or not they asserted any right to enforce it in international waters.

Its actually a clear enough case. If the incident took place, as reported, 100 kms west of Tory, then it took place well inside Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (about 880,000 sq.km of continental shelf) but not in Irish territorial waters (the 12 mile limit).

For the purposes of freedom of navigation, its open water. The Royal Navy can issue advisories about risks to commercial shipping of whatever operations they are engaged in, but commercial vessels are equally within their rights to ignore them and carry on about their business, particularly fishing, which is covered by our EEZ and trade deals we have including access to them, such as EU membership.

Widdensushi

The aggravation is that a no deal brexit means this boat, crew and shore based may have lost their livelihoods, while it might have been agreeable to leave the area for fear of a missile before it might not be a bad option now

knucklehead6

Widdensushi wrote: »

The aggravation is that a no deal brexit means this boat, crew and shore based may have lost their livelihoods, while it might have been agreeable to leave the area for fear of a missile before it might not be a bad option now

Sorry, but i'm not sure what point you are making in the last bit of your post.

Are you saying the RN ship would have attacked the trawler had they refused to comply????