The Irish and Scottish governments are in dispute.
The Scottish government issued a statement on Friday afternoon, advising that it will take enforcement action against Irish fishing vessels operating around the Rockall islet.
Rockall lies roughly 230 miles northwest on Donegal. Its ownership status has long been contested by the Irish government and UK government.
In an uncompromising statement on Friday afternoon, the Scottish government maintained that Irish vessels are not permitted to fish in the waters around rockall, and that the Irish government should advise Irish fishers of this.
In a statement issued this evening, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said: “The position of the Irish Government has been and remains that the waters around Rockall form part of union waters under the Common Fisheries Policy, to which the principle of equal access for the vessels of all EU Member States applies.
“Irish vessels have operated unhindered in the Rockall zone for many decades fishing haddock, squid and other species.”
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Michael Creed has confirmed that he has made fishing industry representatives aware of the Scottish government’s position, and the threat of enforcement action.
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