Russians agree to allow West Cork fishermen to continue fishing near military exercise zone

THE Russian Federation has promised not to conduct its military activities close to the area where the West Cork fishing fleet will be fishing next week.

Brendan Byrne of the the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association and Patrick Murphy of the Castletownbere-based Irish South & West Fish Producers Association have just emerged from talks with the Russian ambassador and said they were assured by his response.

‘I am way happier than I was yesterday,’ Patrick Murphy told Joe Duffy on RTÉ’s Liveline this lunchtime.

He said that while the ambassador Yuriy Filatov has to bring their concerns ‘back to Moscow’ they were confident that their plans for fishing next week would not now be interrupted by the planned military exercises.

Mr Byrne joked that while the ambassador had no issue with translation, he did have some issue with Patrick Murphy’s ‘West Cork accent.’

But Mr Byrne added that the Russian ambassador appeared to understand that the Irish fishermen and women had been  badly treated by Europe.

Mr Murphy said it was a very productive meeting and it was a pity the Irish government hadn’t engaged similarly with the fishing industry on the issue this week.

The embassy tweeted after the meeting:

On January 27 representatives of the @ISWFPO have visited the Embassy of #Russia in Ireland. During the conversation parties discussed in a constructive and positive way the issues pertaining to the upcoming naval drills of the Russian #Navy off the coast of Ireland. pic.twitter.com/z6Qg2rmIWt

— Russia in Ireland (@Rus_Emb_Ireland) January 27, 2022