Irish ports to greet `Atlantic Dawn'

Europe's largest fishing vessel, the £50 million Atlantic Dawn, is due to be welcomed in Irish waters today by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey.

The ship is said to have the world's largest catch capacity, with holds equipped to carry around 7,000 tonnes of fish - enough to give meals to over 18 million people, more than four times the population of Ireland.

The vessel commissioned by Achill islander Mr Kevin McHugh was en route to the Liffey mouth last night, having left its shipyard in Norway earlier this week to pick up netting gear in the Netherlands. It will spend a day in Dublin port before making the 20-hour steam to Killybegs, Co Donegal, for another reception on Saturday.

However, it won't be taking up berthing space in Killybegs for long, as it cannot fish in Irish or European waters, under EU regulations. The licence applies to international and "third country" fishing zones - non-EU states which have an agreement with the Community.

The Killybegs homecoming will be one of the last official occasions for Mr Joey Murrin, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, who is to retire at the end of next month.

The vessel represents the first serious venture by an Irish deep-sea fishing vessel in the south Atlantic. West Africa will be its target, beginning with Mauretania where it will catch sardinella, mackerel and horse mackerel, according to its owners. Quality fish will be marketed along with that caught by the Veronica, the 106-metre freezer mid-water trawler run by Mr McHugh for the past six years.