MEP for Offaly recounts direct experience with Russian military

Green Party Ireland South MEP and Spokesperson for the Marine, Grace O’Sullivan, says Irish fishers and environmentalists have found common cause in opposing Russian naval drills and missile tests off the Irish coast, recalling her own direct experiences with the Russian military.

“As someone who has come face-to-face with the Russian military over my time as a Greenpeace activist, I know they would be less than welcoming if our fishers were to square up to them off our shores. I would certainly have concerns for fishers’ safety under those circumstances.”

The MEP and ecologist, who hails from Tramore in Co. Waterford has spoken of her experiences with Greenpeace in the past, describing one particular action when she climbed the anchor chain of a Russian nuclear warship in the 1980s:

“I was barefoot and carrying an anti-nuclear flag in an action aimed at highlighting the presence of Russian military nuclear warships in the Mediterranean Sea, close to densely populated areas. I was greeted with a water cannon and the crew proceeded to drop the anchor chain, attempting to submerge me. In my view, fishers will not be welcomed by the Russian naval personnel, but I am an activist at heart and understand fishers’ desperation in trying to protect marine life in the area and fight to save their livelihoods and way of life.

“Russian plans to undertake naval drills and missile tests in our waters are alarming on every front. Some reassurance has been given to fishers today, that their fishing grounds will not be affected by next week’s Russian naval exercises, however, I remain gravely concerned at the potential negative impacts on the general marine environment in the area.”   

With naval drills and missile tests due to take place about 240km off the Irish southwest coast, O’Sullivan has joined fishers in expressing deep concerns on environmental grounds. 

“Important species such as whales, dolphins, and tuna as well as fragile marine ecosystems are affected by military drills, while the livelihoods and safety of our fishers are also at risk. We know for a fact that beautiful creatures such as the great blue whale, sperm whales, fin whales, and beaked whales are present in those waters, species which are already facing the pressures of climate change and ocean acidification.”

The outcry from fishers is, O’Sullivan says, justified. 

“It reflects general opposition amongst the Irish public to the militarisation of our waters, where the navies of Russia and other countries can operate without accountability. As a member of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament, I will continue to oppose the militarisation of our seas as I have done for over thirty years and fight to hold militaries accountable for their detrimental impact on the marine environment and the safety of seafarers everywhere.”