The Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, has rejected suggestions there is tension between his Department and the Department of Defence over his call recently for extra surveillance by the Naval Service of illegal fishing.
When he met fishermen in Kenmare, Co Kerry, last Sunday, Mr Fahey promised the Naval Service would be asked to redouble its efforts against foreign vessels fishing illegally. Since then, some naval sources have suggested the Minister's call for increased surveillance showed a lack of understanding on his part of the vast tract of water which the under-resourced service was already being asked to patrol.
At yesterday's meeting with fishermen in Castletownbere, Co Cork, Mr Fahey rejected suggestions there were tensions between the two Departments and said he had had discussions on the issue of surveillance with the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, who shared the same objectives.
Senior officials of the Department of the Marine travelled to Castletownbere with Mr Fahey and outlined in detail to local fishermen the rules governing net sizes and the length of nets which may be legally used. After the meeting, Mr Fahey said everyone was now clear on what the position was and equally, fishermen had been left in no doubt the campaign against illegal fishing would not only continue but it would be stepped up.
The manager of the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation, Mr Jason Whooley, said the meeting had been "blunt and frank" but by and large had been a constructive one.
Mr Fahey extended his sympathy to the family of the young Corkman, a crew member of the LE Eithne, who was lost overboard early yesterday morning as the naval vessel was returning from the US to its headquarters at Haulbowline in Co Cork.