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There is a “higher risk” of the Scottish authorities taking enforcement action against Irish vessels operating in the waters around Rockall, the government has said, as issues related to access rights remain unresolved.
In a joint statement, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney and Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue said they are collaborating with Scottish and British authorities to discuss Ireland’s long tradition of fishing in the area.
Tensions flared over access to fishing on Monday when the Donegal-based Northern Celt was blocked by the Scottish marine authority and told it could not fish within 12 nautical miles of the uninhabited island.
The Scottish government confirmed that Marine Scotland carried out a “routine inspection” on a ship in what it said were territorial waters. A spokesperson said Marine Scotland is responsible for monitoring and enforcing fishing laws related to Scotland’s marine areas and regularly monitors the waters around Rockall.
Rockall is a small uninhabited rock approximately 230 nautical miles northwest of Donegal and 167 miles west of the deserted Scottish island of St Kilda. This week’s incident reignites an ongoing dispute between the Irish and Scottish fishing industries over access rights.
The joint statement by Mr. Coveney and Mr. McConalogue said they were “considering all options for further engagement on the issues involved.”
Taking into account the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, negotiated as part of Brexit, the issue may require contact with the European Commission, the statement continued.
He said “there remains an increased risk of enforcement action” by Scottish fisheries control authorities against Irish vessels in waters around Rockall.
The UN convention on the law of the sea stipulates that an island incapable of supporting human or economic life cannot be subject to an exclusion zone.
However, the Scottish government says that the Fisheries Agreement negotiated between the EU and the UK Government allows EU vessels to enter UK territorial areas of six to 12 nautical miles only in the England and Bristol canals. . It states that Rockall is within the UK’s 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone, and there is no right of access for non-British vessels to fish in these waters.
It remains the Scottish government’s position that boats outside the UK must be licensed to access the 12 mile zone around Rockall.
“In accordance with long-standing agreements, Marine Scotland has reported the breach of license conditions to its counterparts in Ireland and the UK. We will always work constructively with our EU partners to ensure that the sustainable management of fish stocks is at the core of our partnership, ”the spokesperson added.
Irish fishing boats will stay out of the waters around Rockall until a diplomatic resolution can be found to access the area, according to Sean O’Donoghue, executive director of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organization.
“No Irish boat is within the 12 mile zone at this time. I think they are obviously worried about what happened on Monday, ”he said.
O’Donoghue reiterated that Irish fishermen do not accept Scotland’s claim of a 12-mile no-go zone.
“We hope that this time the diplomatic solution that was found two years ago will also be found and that the status quo that has existed for decades will prevail,” he added.
John Ward, executive director of the Irish Fish Producers Organization, said he was unaware of Scottish authorities stopping any more boats since Monday.
He said: “There is absolutely no chance that any of the ships would risk arrest upon entering those waters.”
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