Submarine Threat to Fishing Safety Governments Challenged

This news published by the Celtic League:

Submarine Threat to Fishing Safety Governments Challenged

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The Celtic League have challenged all powers who navies operate submarines around the Celtic countries to set out what steps they have taken to implement International Maritime Organisation resolution A.709(17)

AVOIDANCE BY SUBMERGED SUBMARINES OF FISHING VESSELS AND THEIR FISHING GEAR

The move comes following the anniversary of the sinking of the Breton trawler, Bugaled Breizh on January 18th 2004. The Breton trawler is believed by many to be the latest casualty of a collision between a submarine and the vessels fishing gear. The trawler capsized suddenly off the Lizard in good weather conditions a NATO naval exercise was underway at the time and in addition to a number of NATO submarines several other subs were in the area. There is also speculation that submarines from the Russian Federation were monitoring the exercise.

The Celtic League was one of the key campaign groups which lobbied the IMO to act and adopt A.599(15) the precursor to resolution A.709(17).

Enquiries have been sent to the governments of The United States, The Russian Federation, The United Kingdom, France, The Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Norway, Germany and Poland via their military attaches in their United Kingdom (London) Embassies.

The text is set out below:

“Dear Sir,

Last weekend on the anniversary of the loss of the Motor Fishing Vessel, Bugaled Breizh, (in January 2004) a commemoration was held in Brittany by relatives and supporters of those crew members who died. Many of those affected by this tragedy believe the MFV in question may have been lost due to a collision with a submerged submarine although to date all enquiries to substantiate this theory have proven inconclusive.

The Secretary General of the Celtic League has used the anniversary of the Bugaled Breizh tragedy to call for improved regulation of maritime safety to minimise the number of incidents between MFVs and submerged submarines.

For information – The Celtic League is an organisation with branches in the six Celtic countries (Scotland, Ireland, Mann, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany). It campaigns on a broad range of issues and is recognised as an NGO by the United Nations.

During the period between 1980 and the min 1990s there were a number of sinking’s and damage to MFVs which were in collision with submarines.

In 1982 the MFV Sheralga (from Ireland) was sunk by the British submarine HMS Porpoise in the Irish Sea.

In November 1990 the MFV Antares from Scotland was sunk by the British submarine HMS Trenchant (all hands on board died) in the Clyde.

In 1988 the Yacht Dalraida was in collision with HMS Conqueror in the North Channel.

In 1989 the MFV Scotia was snagged by HMS Sceptre near the Isle of Lewis

In addition in the 1980s at least two MFVs (one from N. Ireland and another from the Isle of Man) were snagged and towed for some time by USN nuclear submarines.

There were many more unresolved losses of MFVs in good weather conditions in areas around the British Isles used for dived submarine operations and within which submarines of all the powers we are contacting were known to operate.

The above are just some of the incidents which we have monitored over the years and whilst the Celtic League confines itself to events in waters around the British Isles and off Brittany we are aware that MFV submarine incidents have occurred elsewhere in European waters and indeed globally.

The United Kingdom and United States government have admitted to incidents and paid compensation but we are also aware that boats of all the submarine operating powers including from NATO countries and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union) operate in waters around the Celtic countries.

At its 15th Session in November 1987 the International Maritime Organisation after many years of lobbying adopted a resolution to address this problem – Resolution A.599(15).

Resolution A.599(15) was eventually revoked and superceded in November 1991 by IMO Resolution A.709(17)

That resolution in paragraph seven:

“Invites Governments to:

a) bring the above recommendation and the concern expressed in this resolution to the attention of authorities, commanders and officers responsible for operating submarines;
b) develop local arrangements to establish procedures to promote safety of fishing vessels and submarines in areas considered prone to mishaps between fishing vessels and submerged submarines; and
c) ensure that submarines navigating through areas where vessels are known to fish use all reasonably means for determining the presence of such vessels and their fishing gear to avoid endangering such vessels and their gear”

Can we ask since resolution A599(15) and A709(17) were adopted what steps your country has taken to implement it and what initiatives have been taken to give effect to the steps outlined in (a) (b) (c) above.

Yours sincerely

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information”

Related links here at the Celtic League archive:

https://www.celticleague.net/news/league-call-for-maritime-law-update-as...

https://www.celticleague.net/news/ceremony-will-remember-fishermen-victi...

https://www.celticleague.net/news/as-east-west-tensions-rise-will-deadly...

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information

19/01/15

(Please note that replies to correspondence received by the League and posted on CL News are usually scanned hard copies. Obviously every effort is made to ensure the scanning process is accurate but sometimes errors do occur.)

ISSUED BY THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE.

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