Local fisherman in West Cork are taking unusual precautions to protect against the dangers of covert vessels in Irish Waters.
Patrick Murphy of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation was reacting to news about a US Naval Ship in Cork waters.
The Virginia Ann has been operating in Irish controlled waters for the last four months.
The ship, which is operated by the US Navy, has turned off the transmitter on the vessel.
Speaking to RedFM News, Patrick Murphy says they're concerned about the ship's activities:
"About the activity of the American ship that's out with the last four months around our waters. They're covert activities, where they don't want people knowing where they are. They present a danger to us because we don't know what's going on underneath the water, what they're putting on the seafloor for monitoring, for submarine activity, or protecting the cables that are down there. A boat was sunk by a submarine - it was towed. And we had boats that were towed in the Irish sea, back many, many miles. So the only thing that you can do is you'd have an angle grinder ready at the stern of your board. So if you did start to get pulled back, you would cut the wires immediately with the angle grinder - and just let them go. Leave the submarine take the net, rather than it drag you under".
