THE INTERNATIONAL Transport Federation's Irish branch has warned of a "race to the bottom" which is jeopardising the safety of fishing crews in Irish and European waters.
Federation inspector and Siptu official Ken Fleming said serious loss of life could have occurred on two British-registered Spanish vessels working in Irish waters, due to poor conditions on board which contributed to marine emergencies.
He was commenting on the publication of British investigations into rescue of 34 crew in total from two British-registered Spanish vessels which got into difficulty off the southwest and north-west Irish coasts earlier this year.
In the case of one of the two vessels, none of the 18 crew had a common language and the Portuguese skipper and mate could not understand safety notices published in English and Spanish.
The British Marine Accident Investigation Bureau (MAIB) said it was so concerned about the common issues raised by both inquiries that it decided to issue a joint report, which includes recommendations for British authorities and Spanish owners.
As both vessels were of British registry, the official inquiries were its responsibility. The MAIB has already recommended that an urgent programme of inspection of foreign-controlled British-registered fishing vessels be conducted in relation to survey. "It was pure luck, plus the prompt response of the Naval Service and a nearby French trawler, that averted serious loss of life on these vessels," Mr Fleming said yesterday .
In the first incident, the British-registered Spanish-owned Shark was fishing 120km northwest of Malin Head, Co Donegal, on January 19th, 2008, when a fire broke out, causing extensive damage.
The Naval Service flagship LE Eithne managed to extinguish the blaze and rescue the skipper and 15 crew. The vessel was also towed to Killybegs for inspection. It is understood that the Naval Service personnel have been nominated for a State marine award later this year for their actions.
The British inquiry found that the fire was probably caused by the improper use of electrical equipment and chafed wiring.