REVELATIONS WILL SHOCK THE PUBLIC The extent to which European countries have annexed Irish waters for the benefit of their own fishing industries will be revealed this week and will shock the general public. Statistics obtained by a former Department of the Marine official will show the stark reality of how the Irish fishing industry has been badly treated by the European Union. The figures will be published in the MARINE TIMES newspaper April edition and discussed by the official on the April monthly edition of the MARITIME IRELAND RADIO SHOW & PODCAST which will be issued on Friday. The figures indicate how an Irish natural resource has been acquired by other European nations, while the Irish industry faces forced reduction in the size of the national fleet .Critics of Government policy allege that the industry is being annihilated.
The location of the 2024 Americas Cup is due to be announced by Thursday. Cork groups have been advancing the city’s case to host the event at a cost to the State of hundreds of millions of Euros, but government support to that level has not been forthcoming. AC organisers were not offered the vast sums they want from the New Zealand Government to retain it there. Barcelona in Spain is reported to be the main contender to hold the event, with Jeddah in Saudi Arabia also suggested. The America’s Cup has been somewhat overtaken by the SailGP circuit, (picured )which is to stage its second $1 million final in San Francisco, with ten national teams expected to compete.
Basking sharks are now protected in Irish waters. 71% of the world’s overall shark population has declined. Of 520 shark species in the world, a quarter are endangered!
UK GOVERNMENT ACTS AGAINST P&O The P&O ferry, European Causeway, has been detained at Larne Port for “failures on crew familiarisation, vessel documentation and crew training”, according to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The British Government had threatened action against P&O over what it described as the “brutal sacking” of 800 seafarers a week ago. The company announced it would replace them with agency staff on cheaper salaries to save money because of company losses. UK Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said the UK Government “will not compromise the safety of P&O vessels” and that P&O will not be able to “rush training for inexperienced people.” Many readers of this newsletter have Emailed to point out that in 2005 Irish Ferries was accused of “blatant abuse” by the SIPTU trade union when it replaced seafarers by cheaper staff. A bitter industrial dispute resulted with Irish Ferries ships remaining in Welsh and Irish ports for several weeks until a resolution was achieved through the Labour Relations Commission. ICG crews are now recruited through a Cyprus manning agency at lower pay levels than previously paid. Irish Ferries vessels were re-flagged out of Ireland For example, WB Yeats and Ulysses are registered under the flag of Cyrprus.
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