Shell Hired Vessel Damages Fishing Boat

mayo | environment | news report Friday May 12, 2006 17:46 by Terry - rossport solidarity camp

On midnight on the 7th of May a small fishing boat from the village of Porturlin, 5 miles from Rossport, was involved in an incident with the Sedco 711, a rig platform hired by Shell to carry out work on the Corrib gas wellhead.

This is a massive machine which was being towed by three tugs. The Sedco 711 was 42 miles north of Erris head, 55° 02.27 North, 10° 03.40 West, when it encountered the “James Collins” skippered by Jonathon O’Donnell, a 20 year old fisherman, in his first boat, fishing for crabs.
About 2,000 euros worth of damage was done to the crabpots and head rope of the boat, which had to stand by for two hours, on health and safety grounds, to let the vessel pass. There is supposed to be a liaison officer to inform fishermen of such activities pertaining to the Corrib gas field, but this measure has yet to be put in place.
In another incident in June last year, a barge skippered by a drunken Scot in the employ of Shell wrecked four parked fishing boats in the harbour of Ballyglass, he subsequently skipped the country.
Commenting on the latest incident local fisherman Pat O’Donnell said: “This proves our point that there is no respect for local people, there should be a liaison officer to tell us of their activity.”
The Sedco 711:
http://www.deepwater.com/GobalOperationsSRD.cfm?ID=619
http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/corrib/corr....html