The trawler appeared to be fishing off the coast of Cork.

A Spanish trawler was detained by the Irish Naval Service yesterday (31 May), under suspicion of illegally fishing in Irish waters off the south coast of Cork.

In a statement on Twitter, the Irish Naval Service confirmed: “Earlier this evening LÉ #RÓISÍN #P51 detained a Spanish registered fishing vessel approximately 95 miles south of Mizen Head. The detention was in relation to alleged breaches of fishing regulations.”

“This is the fifth vessel detained by the Naval Service in 2021.”

Earlier this evening LÉ #RÓISÍN #P51 detained a Spanish registered fishing vessel approximately 95 miles south of Mizen Head. The detention was in relation to alleged breaches of fishing regulations. This is the fifth vessel detained by the Naval Service in 2021 🇮🇪🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/RA0iuvfNn6

— Irish Naval Service (@naval_service) May 31, 2021

Last year, Cork South West Independent TD Michael Collins warned that Ireland faced a risk of overfishing from other EU nations in the aftermath of Brexit. Speaking at the time, he called for the EU to aid in policing vessels from its member states, saying: “We won’t be able to adequately patrol these waters with the small number of vessels we’ll have.

“I think maybe it’s time that we asked our EU colleagues to send ships over here to police their own fishermen.”

The LÉ Róisín is the lead ship of her class of offshore patrol vessel in the Irish Naval Service. Commissioned in 1999, the ship’s primary mission is fisheries protection, search and rescue, and maritime protection operations, including vessel boardings.