Govt officials to investigate alleged trawler ramming
The Department of Transport is to investigate an incident in which an Irish trawler was allegedly rammed by a Spanish fishing vessel.
The crew of the MFV Boy Jason say their 23m trawler was struck in the stern by the bow of the Faro de Burela, a Spanish vessel almost twice its size.
They say the Spanish vessel raced towards them in a menacing fashion and came to the side of their trawler four or five times before eventually colliding heavily with the stern.
The incident allegedly occurred last Wednesday off the coast of Castletownbere.
The crew of the Boy Jason say ramming is a tactic often used by Spanish fishing-trawlers to keep the ground undisturbed for the next day's fishing.
The Naval Service says the LE Aoife was dispatched to the scene following a request from the Boy Jason's skipper and officers subsequently boarded both vessels, interviewed the crews and gathered evidence to pass on to the Department of Transport.
