“You actually expect the Russians to move away when you ask them? Well, we did, and they have.”
Irish fishers are celebrating the moving of Russian military drills to outside Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The Russian Navy had planned on holding naval exercises 240 kilometres off the southwest coast of Ireland in the first week of February.
In response, Irish fishers planned on “peacefully disrupting” the drills by continuing to fish in the waters surrounding the Navy.
Following talks with representatives of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation and the Government, the Ambassador of Russia to Ireland released a statement announcing the moving of the drills.
#Statement by the Ambassador of Russia to Ireland H.E. Yuriy #Filatov pertaining to the planned naval exercises by the Russian #Navy in the Atlantic pic.twitter.com/XCInkgQ5GN
— Russia in Ireland (@Rus_Emb_Ireland) January 29, 2022
“In response to the requests from the Irish government as well as from the Irish South and West Fish Producer’s Organisation the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu has made a decision, as a gesture of goodwill, to relocate the exercises by the Russian Navy, planned for February 3-8, outside the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ), with the aim not to hinder fishing activities by the Irish vessels in the traditional fishing areas,” Yuriy Filatov said.
Patrick Murphy, CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation spoke to CNN on Saturday (29 January) to celebrate the decision taken by the Russian Navy.
Some happy fishermen — we are live tonight from Castletownbere where the fishermen who were prepared to stand up to the Russian navy are celebrating. pic.twitter.com/Ay9dEiZZF8
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) January 29, 2022
“Oh absolutely (delighted), why wouldn’t you be?” Murphy said.
“This all we wanted. Now we can give out the information to our boats, ‘listen lads, out you go, fish away, no worries, and mind the weather, be safe in everything else you do, and it’s fantastic.
“What else could you say? It’s brilliant.”
Murphy re-emphasised the dangers that fishers undertake at sea, and that every family in the community had lost at least one person over the years at sea.
“That’s enough of a danger to be facing without facing a military exercise,” Murphy said.
“Now at the same time, they’re forced to go out because that’s their fishing, that’s their job. So they’re going to be relieved.”
Murphy thanked the Russian Government for providing recognition to the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation for their part in the negotiations.
“Fisherman diplomacy works?” asked CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan.
“It seems to!” Murphy replied.
“We were questioned about it and interviews, everybody made a joke about it.
“You actually expect the Russians to move away when you ask them? Well, we did, and they have.”
🕵️♂️ A Soviet spy ring run out of Stillorgan shopping centre.
⛔️ Diplomats expelled for cloning passports.Ireland’s relationship with Russia has been a “complicated” one, even before we get into naval exercises and planned protests from fishers.@DonnachaDCU explains… pic.twitter.com/LtHZnAn2sr
— JOE.ie (@JOEdotie) January 29, 2022
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