I understand that the incident to which the Deputy refers occurred on 27 November 1989 off the coast of Skerries, when the MFV Marie McClements was apparently dragged backwards for three quarters of a mile. On the basis of the statements later submitted by the crew to the Department of the Marine, it appears that this incident may have been caused by the vessel catching a passing submarine in its nets, although I should point out that the vessel was not, apparently, fishing in a submarine exercise area at the time.
This was clearly a dangerous incident, but there has been no evidence of the nationality of the submarine. As I have indicated on previous occasions, claims for damages to fishing vessels are essentially a civil matter, in which the Government have no involvememt. In cases involving unidentified vessels, however the Government take whatever action is open to them to assist identification, in order to facilitate any action for damages that may be taken. As the nationality of the submarine in this case however, has not been identified, a private insurance claim may be the most obvious course open to the owner of the vessel.
Finally, and on a more general note, I would like to take this opportunity to underline the concern of the Government in relation to the safety of Irish fishing vessels at sea. We avail of every possible opportunity to highlight, in international fora, the dangers which submarines pose to fishing and other vessels in the waters around our coast. As an indication of our serious concern we are raising the matter again at the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and we will continue to avail of other opportunities through diplomatic contacts with representatives of countries whose submarines have been identified in incidents involving Irish fishing trawlers.
