Sinking of "model boat" stuns the industry

A "MODEL BOAT and a model skipper". Such was the prevailing view in the fishing industry yesterday of the Jenalisa and its skipper, Mr Peter Nolan. Last night, as the sea search for the two missing men was suspended off Dunmore East, Co Waterford, there was still no evidence as to why the 40 foot gill netter should have disappeared so quickly with all three crew on board.

Built of steel in Tramore, Co Waterford, in 1983, the Jenalisa was equipped with a 180 kilowatt/ 240 horsepower engine. The skipper owner was regarded as very conscientious, and a committed member of the Dunmore East Fishermen's Co op.

Mr Nolan had recently purchased flotation suits for the crew. One of the suits was on the body of Mr Conor O'Grady of Annestown, Co Waterford, when it was recovered on Sunday evening off Brownstown Head.

The south east is regarded as one of the most treacherous areas on the 2,700 mile coastline, and it was a fishing accident almost 40 year ago which accelerated the development of the harbour at Dunmore East.

In 1958, three crewmen from Killybegs and hinterland were lost when their vessel, the Many Buchan, was attempting to steam up the Barrow to Waterford to take shelter from a storm. The vessel, which was ring netting, was swamped by heavy seas just outside Dunmore East. In yet another accident costing three lives, another local vessel, the Mary Joseph, was lost off Hook Head a view years later.

Most recently, two cousins from Co Waterford, Mr Edmond Fitzgerald and Mr Paul Dunne, were lost off Ardmore in December. Their 21 foot fibreglass boat was discovered smashed on rocks nearby. The neighbouring village of Ring had lost two teenage fishermen, also cousins - Pat Tobin and P.J. Rossiter - off Helvick Head in 1993.

A year ago this month, Dunmore East was the scene of a tragic canoeing accident, and in August of last year, two men died when a Waterford harbour tug, the Ross I, capsized.

A Department of the Marine investigation is expected to be carried out into the latest incident, and there have already been renewed calls for mandatory equipping of EPIRBS - satellite linked emergency beacons which give an immediate latitude/longitude to the rescue services when immersed in water. The issue of fishing vessel safety, with particular emphasis on boats much older than this one, has already arisen in relation to the Carrickatine accident off Donegal in November, which cost six lives.

The Health and Author safety conditions on vessels, while a fishing vessel safety review group has been set up by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Barrett. There has been no systematic survey of fishing vessels the Department, and successive ministers have ignored warnings about safety risks.