Irish fishing skippers who dread Naval Service inspections may soon have more than the men and women in blue to contend with.
French, Swedish and even Spanish inspectors could soon be boarding vessels in Irish waters under new EU management plans.
The multinational inspections may be directed by the EU's new Community Fisheries Control Agency which is due to start work next year.
The agency will be based in Vigo, Spain - a location which has already proved controversial due to Spain's own enforcement/conservation record.
It aims to ensure effective implementation of the new Common Fisheries Policy, with more uniform inspection and enforcement throughout EU waters.
Inconsistent management and control among member states has long been an issue, and a European Commission report published last year confirmed that fines imposed for fishery offences here are among the highest in the EU.
The average fine for serious offences ranged from a maximum of €120,000 per offence, including confiscation of catch and gear, in the Circuit Court, to an average of €137 in Finland and €928 in Spain. The decision to deploy multinational inspection teams will apply to specific fisheries in certain areas, and will not be a licence for navies/fishery inspection teams of various member states to patrol throughout EU waters, Mireille Thom, spokeswoman for the European Fisheries Commissioner, told The Irish Times.
"It will always be a joint project, using joint inspection teams but the equipment of one member state," she emphasised.
Ms Thom confirmed that the commission also intends to take action over a new report on damage done to monkfish and deepwater sharks west of Ireland and Scotland by abandoned fishing gear.
A multinational research project involving the Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and marine scientists from England, Scotland and Norway, found that monkfish were being caught in static fishing gear while deepwater sharks were also being snagged.
The scientists estimate that stocks of the deepwater shark may have fallen to only 20 per cent of original levels in less than 10 years.
The report, titled Deepnet I, described a heavy loss of gear that continues to "ghost fish", while also entangling other gear in its mesh.
Most of the damage is being done by up to 50 "flag of convenience vessels", mainly of Spanish origin.
