THE Naval Service detention of a Japanese tuna fishing vessel, Minato Maru, yesterday is not only one of the most significant arrests for allege hery offences in Irish waters in recent years, it also highlights the growing international pressure to feed a voracious world demand for fish.
Tuna is one of the most lucrative of the species, fetching "premium prices on the Japanese market. Bluefin, the "liquid gold" which can fetch over £2,000 a fish, is so prized that its oceangoing fleet will roam thousands of miles in its pursuit and ship it directly back, home.
Japan also has European bases in the Mediterranean and the Canaries. In the South Pacific, the world's richest tuna grounds, revenue earned from its exploitation accounts for more than SO per cant of annual national government income gathered by some of the small island states.
Related to the mackerel family, tuna is a migratory, temperature dependent species which is prevalent at the interface between warm and cold waters. Like swordfish, it feeds on the surface by eyesight. The optimum fishing time is dusk to nightfall, when the stocks cannot spot that bait is attached to The fish is caught by both gillnets and longlines, requires specialist handling. When caught by Irish boats, each is individually packed in dry ice and flown out to Tokyo in specially made "coffins".
Under pressure from a US backed UN move to restrict gillnets, the Japanese fleet has redirected its fishing effort in recent years. Alternative use of longlines is regarded as a "passive" form of fishing, because it does not snag dolphins, but it has been criticised for the risk to birdlife.
The longlines comprise monofilament lines of some four to five millimetres, to which baited hooks are attached at intervals. The bait is usually squid, and the fishery is labour intensive. The gear is set and left, and located by the "mother" ship later through radio beacons with coded signals.
Even as the 10 hour haul of gear from the Minato Maru was continuing, under the direction of the LE Aisling, some 180 miles off Galway Bay last night, the LE Deirdre and Air Corps Casa were monitoring other longlines which were not linked to this particular vessel.
The gear was set within the 200 mile limit, while up to 30 Japanese vessels stood off outside. The surveillance operation will involve matching gear to ship, in which case further boardings could take place.
Under EU regulations, a non EU registered vessel cannot fish without special licence within the 200 mile limit. The maximum penalty for illegal fishing is £290,000 it the case goes to the Circuit Court, and a maximum of £20,000 for a technical offence. The maximum fine is £50,000 for illegal gear.
Yesterday's detention is the 28th by the Naval Service to date this year. The level of boardings is also up, at 802 to date compared to 660 for the same period last year, due to the contribution made by the Air Corps fishery patrol planes.
So far, 11 British registered Spanish, four Spanish, three German registered Spanish, three French, three Irish and two British vessels have been apprehended. The last non EU vessel was a Norwegian, two years ago.
The Japanese interest "poses no threat to Irish fish stocks", Mr Tom Hassett of the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation (IS&WFO) told The Irish Times last night.
Tuna has long been regarded Ins an unexploited species in Irish waters, valued at £3 million to the south west, with considerable potential for expansion. However, a developing Irish tuna fleet in the south west has been hit by EU restrictions on gillnets, the alternative form of gear used in this fishery, and conflicts with Spain.
