German Factory Trawler Captain Arrested In Cork For Fisheries Violations

The German Factory Trawler has been detained at the Port of Cork, Ireland, after an interdiction at sea by the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA).

The captain of the vessel has been arrested under Ireland’s Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, and investigations are underway.

The EFCA patrol vessel Ocean Protector spotted Helen Mary operating in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) about 185 kilometres south of Fastnet Rock on Sunday.

The vessel, which is 117 meters long and has a fish-holding capacity of 6,900 cubic meters, was fishing for scad or horse mackerel at the time.

Authorities suspected multiple violations of EU fisheries law, leading to the vessel being directed to the Port of Cork for further inspection. The trawler was escorted to Tivoli berth by two tugs and arrived at around 11 a.m. on Monday.

A team of inspectors from EFCA, along with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and Gardai, conducted a detailed inspection of the vessel upon arrival.

Per reports, the investigation includes careful examination of the ship’s pilot ladder, a critical safety component that is often misused.

On Monday, Gardai were granted a court order allowing them to detain Helen Mary for up to 48 hours under EU fishing regulations. Authorities must either press charges against the vessel or release it after this period.

The Helen Mary has faced scrutiny before. In 2020, Greenpeace activists boarded the trawler off Scotland’s coast, attempting to halt its operations in UK marine protected areas, which was legal under British law.

In 2019, the vessel was detained in a Scottish port for a fisheries-protection investigation.

Greenpeace has consistently advocated for stricter restrictions on large factory trawlers, citing concerns over their capacity to harvest larger quantities of fish compared to smaller fishing vessels.

The Ocean Protector, currently moored off Cobh in Cork Harbour, is one of three EFCA-chartered inspection platforms responsible for enforcing EU fisheries policies.

According to EFCA, the vessel was inspected at sea by an international team, including an Irish inspector, two Dutch inspectors, and an EFCA Liaison On Board Officer.

The SFPA confirmed that the operation was conducted under a Joint Deployment Plan, which coordinates inspection efforts across EU member states.

References: IrishMirror, RTE

Source: Maritime Shipping News