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Displaying items by tag: Russian Navy

The recent stately progress through the English Channel of the giant Russian Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the Battle Cruiser Peter the Great in a flotilla of eight warships bound for the Eastern Mediterranean has been a matter of fascination for naval historians and many others writes W M Nixon.

But anyone who has ever had trouble with faulty injectors causing their marine diesel engine to belch black smoke will have felt a twinge of sympathy for the team trying to keep the Kuznetov show on the road. For even as the still rakish-looking thirty year old carrier hove into view, the first thing any boat-owner would have noticed was the huge volume of dark grey and often black smoke billowing from the mighty smokestack.

And it wasn’t just a brief interlude of smoke-making when they gave the old ship a bit of throttle to get her past the White Cliffs of Dover with a bit of style. On the contrary, there was always foul-looking smoke pouring out – the only change that came from time to time was just how much.

It turns out that the flagship of the Russian navy – built between 1982 and 1990 – has always been regarded as a bit of a jinxed ship, with such a history of engine breakdown that she never goes anywhere without her own personal tugboat in attendance, just to be sure to be sure.

So you would feel sorry for the Chief Engineer charged with the task of keeping her in action, for after a day of getting covered in muck keeping those pesky engines going, chances are that he’ll not be able to have a refreshing shower at the end of his watch, as half the ship’s plumbing systems have never worked properly, if at all.

But however she gets to her destination, the fact is that when the engines are running at all she can build up to an impressive speed. And even if she has to be towed ignominiously to a strategic location, once she’s there her huge force of aircraft add a completely new dimension to any war situation. Thus the eventual presence of the Kuznetsov in the Eastern Mediterranean will be a major bargaining chip in deciding the future of the beleaguered city of Aleppo in Syria.

So black smoke or not, this is a formidable warship which can do the business if called upon. It’s all decidedly different from the episode back in 1904, when Imperial Russia and the Empire of Japan were at war over Russia’s ambition to maintain a year-round naval base on the Pacific.

There, their own port of Vladivostock in eastern Siberia was inaccessible in winter ice, but a leased base further south at Port Arthur in Manchuria provided the facilities required. Howeve, Imperial Japan didn’t want the Russians being a naval presence in the Pacific, so in a surprise attack on 8th February, they more or less wiped out the Russian Pacific Fleet.

This caused a certain indignation in the palaces of Imperial Russia, where it was decided the only appropriate response was to send virtually the entire Russian Baltic Fleet to the Far East to teach the Japanese a lesson. It was a Quixotic endeavor from the start, and it took all of seven months, using half a million tons of coal.

The naval officers in charge – ancient Russian aristocracy of heroic incompetence – had rather hoped their voyage would take them through the Solent, where they could stop off at Cowes or Portsmouth and host gala balls for the English aristocracy. But unfortunately in going through the North Sea, the excitement of having exited the Baltic was too much for one ship’s crew, and they opened fire on English fishing boats on the Dogger Bank under the impression they were Japanese gunboats.

The result of this was that any invites to the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes were off, and worse still the Russians weren’t even allowed to take the short cut through the Suez Canal, resulting in the logistical nightmare of finding places to re-coal as they made their stately progress round the Cape of Good Hope.

Finally, after many miles of meandering up through the Indian Ocean and the myriad of islands between it and their destination, the gallant Imperial Russian Baltic Fleet met up with the numerically superior Navy of the Empire of Japan in the Straits of Tsushima on May 27th 1905. By May 28th, two-thirds of the Russian fleet of 38 vessels – including six First Class battleships – had been annihilated, while the remainder were beyond use.

russian navy2The Battle of Tsushima (27-28 May 1904) saw the Imperial Russian Baltic Fleet lose six First Class Battleships to the Navy of the Empire of Japan

After this debacle and other setbacks, the Russian Revolution of 1917 was only a question of time. Today, Russia’s navy is a very different animal to that quaint fleet of 1904. So though we may feel a certain sympathy for the toiling ship’s engineers who labour with ingenuity in impossible conditions to keep the Admiral Kuznetsov in action, you certainly wouldn’t want to see her moored off your lawn. And Gala Balls with dashing Tolstoyan officers are definitely not on the agenda.

Published in Naval Visits
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#RUSSIAN NAVY - While Dublin Port was visited by USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) over the last week, the Russian Navy's Vice-Admiral Kulakov (626) paid a courtesy call to Cork Harbour, berthing at Cobh, normally associated with frequent cruise callers, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The imposing Udaloy anti-submarine destroyer berthed alongside Cobh's deepwater quay last week, where the public had rare access to board the 162m destroyer commissioned in 1982.

Later this month the Cork Harbour Open Weekend (15-16th Sept) as previously reported on Afloat.ie will offer two-days of fun filled activities for all ages, with events and activities for all, both on and off the water.

Published in Naval Visits
After making a rare Irish call, the Russian Navy anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Chabaneko (650) departed Dublin Port, this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The pilot cutter Dodder escorted the 8,950 tons full load displacement Udaloy II class destroyer out into Dublin Bay as far as the Baily Lighthouse. From there the 30-knot capable destroyer passed the North Burford bouy and headed for the Kish Lighthouse to proceed southbound over the horizon.

The 534ft long vessel was built for the KGB Maritime Border Guard and is heavily equipped with missiles, torpedoes, guns and the ability to carry helicopters.

Admiral Chabaneko had arrived on Friday afternoon and docked at berth 30 in the inner port area within Alexandra Basin West. The last Russian naval visit was taken by one of her half-sisters, Severomorsk, a Udaloy-I class destroyer that docked at Ocean Pier in Alexandra Basin East for a three-day visit in 2009.

Published in Navy
A rare naval visitor to Dublin Port is to be made from that of the Russian Navy when the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Chabaneko (650) is to dock next weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Measuring 8,950 tons full load displacement and 163m/ 534ft long, she was the first of only two Udaloy-II class built to serve the KGB Maritime Border Guard. She can achieve around 30 knots and as a destroyer is heavily equipped with missiles, torpedoes, guns and the ability to carry helicopters.

Admiral Chabaneko was built by Yantar Zavod in Kaliningrad, and her sister Admiral Basisty though she was cancelled and scrapped in 1994. In 1996 Admiral Chabaneko was transferred to the Russian Navy but was not commissioned until two years later. In 1999 she changed naval base from Baltysk to Severomorsk to take up service in the Northern Fleet.

The last such call by the Russian Navy to Dublin was by her half-sister, Severomorsk, one of over a dozen of the original Udaloy-I class destroyers built, which made a three-day visit to the capital in 2009.

Severomorsk had arrived from Cherbourg after completing in FRUKUS 2009, an international naval anti-piracy exercise in the North Atlantic. The five-day exercise was held off the Brest and included a Tourville class frigate from the French navy, the UK's HMS York and USS Klaking.

Published in Navy

Irish Fishing industry 

The Irish Commercial Fishing Industry employs around 11,000 people in fishing, processing and ancillary services such as sales and marketing. The industry is worth about €1.22 billion annually to the Irish economy. Irish fisheries products are exported all over the world as far as Africa, Japan and China.

FAQs

Over 16,000 people are employed directly or indirectly around the coast, working on over 2,000 registered fishing vessels, in over 160 seafood processing businesses and in 278 aquaculture production units, according to the State's sea fisheries development body Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

All activities that are concerned with growing, catching, processing or transporting fish are part of the commercial fishing industry, the development of which is overseen by BIM. Recreational fishing, as in angling at sea or inland, is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

The Irish fishing industry is valued at 1.22 billion euro in gross domestic product (GDP), according to 2019 figures issued by BIM. Only 179 of Ireland's 2,000 vessels are over 18 metres in length. Where does Irish commercially caught fish come from? Irish fish and shellfish is caught or cultivated within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but Irish fishing grounds are part of the common EU "blue" pond. Commercial fishing is regulated under the terms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983 and with ten-yearly reviews.

The total value of seafood landed into Irish ports was 424 million euro in 2019, according to BIM. High value landings identified in 2019 were haddock, hake, monkfish and megrim. Irish vessels also land into foreign ports, while non-Irish vessels land into Irish ports, principally Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Killybegs, Co Donegal.

There are a number of different methods for catching fish, with technological advances meaning skippers have detailed real time information at their disposal. Fisheries are classified as inshore, midwater, pelagic or deep water. Inshore targets species close to shore and in depths of up to 200 metres, and may include trawling and gillnetting and long-lining. Trawling is regarded as "active", while "passive" or less environmentally harmful fishing methods include use of gill nets, long lines, traps and pots. Pelagic fisheries focus on species which swim close to the surface and up to depths of 200 metres, including migratory mackerel, and tuna, and methods for catching include pair trawling, purse seining, trolling and longlining. Midwater fisheries target species at depths of around 200 metres, using trawling, longlining and jigging. Deepwater fisheries mainly use trawling for species which are found at depths of over 600 metres.

There are several segments for different catching methods in the registered Irish fleet – the largest segment being polyvalent or multi-purpose vessels using several types of gear which may be active and passive. The polyvalent segment ranges from small inshore vessels engaged in netting and potting to medium and larger vessels targeting whitefish, pelagic (herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting) species and bivalve molluscs. The refrigerated seawater (RSW) pelagic segment is engaged mainly in fishing for herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting only. The beam trawling segment focuses on flatfish such as sole and plaice. The aquaculture segment is exclusively for managing, developing and servicing fish farming areas and can collect spat from wild mussel stocks.

The top 20 species landed by value in 2019 were mackerel (78 million euro); Dublin Bay prawn (59 million euro); horse mackerel (17 million euro); monkfish (17 million euro); brown crab (16 million euro); hake (11 million euro); blue whiting (10 million euro); megrim (10 million euro); haddock (9 million euro); tuna (7 million euro); scallop (6 million euro); whelk (5 million euro); whiting (4 million euro); sprat (3 million euro); herring (3 million euro); lobster (2 million euro); turbot (2 million euro); cod (2 million euro); boarfish (2 million euro).

Ireland has approximately 220 million acres of marine territory, rich in marine biodiversity. A marine biodiversity scheme under Ireland's operational programme, which is co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Government, aims to reduce the impact of fisheries and aquaculture on the marine environment, including avoidance and reduction of unwanted catch.

EU fisheries ministers hold an annual pre-Christmas council in Brussels to decide on total allowable catches and quotas for the following year. This is based on advice from scientific bodies such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. In Ireland's case, the State's Marine Institute publishes an annual "stock book" which provides the most up to date stock status and scientific advice on over 60 fish stocks exploited by the Irish fleet. Total allowable catches are supplemented by various technical measures to control effort, such as the size of net mesh for various species.

The west Cork harbour of Castletownbere is Ireland's biggest whitefish port. Killybegs, Co Donegal is the most important port for pelagic (herring, mackerel, blue whiting) landings. Fish are also landed into Dingle, Co Kerry, Rossaveal, Co Galway, Howth, Co Dublin and Dunmore East, Co Waterford, Union Hall, Co Cork, Greencastle, Co Donegal, and Clogherhead, Co Louth. The busiest Northern Irish ports are Portavogie, Ardglass and Kilkeel, Co Down.

Yes, EU quotas are allocated to other fleets within the Irish EEZ, and Ireland has long been a transhipment point for fish caught by the Spanish whitefish fleet in particular. Dingle, Co Kerry has seen an increase in foreign landings, as has Castletownbere. The west Cork port recorded foreign landings of 36 million euro or 48 per cent in 2019, and has long been nicknamed the "peseta" port, due to the presence of Spanish-owned transhipment plant, Eiranova, on Dinish island.

Most fish and shellfish caught or cultivated in Irish waters is for the export market, and this was hit hard from the early stages of this year's Covid-19 pandemic. The EU, Asia and Britain are the main export markets, while the middle Eastern market is also developing and the African market has seen a fall in value and volume, according to figures for 2019 issued by BIM.

Fish was once a penitential food, eaten for religious reasons every Friday. BIM has worked hard over several decades to develop its appeal. Ireland is not like Spain – our land is too good to transform us into a nation of fish eaters, but the obvious health benefits are seeing a growth in demand. Seafood retail sales rose by one per cent in 2019 to 300 million euro. Salmon and cod remain the most popular species, while BIM reports an increase in sales of haddock, trout and the pangasius or freshwater catfish which is cultivated primarily in Vietnam and Cambodia and imported by supermarkets here.

The EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983, pooled marine resources – with Ireland having some of the richest grounds and one of the largest sea areas at the time, but only receiving four per cent of allocated catch by a quota system. A system known as the "Hague Preferences" did recognise the need to safeguard the particular needs of regions where local populations are especially dependent on fisheries and related activities. The State's Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, based in Clonakilty, Co Cork, works with the Naval Service on administering the EU CFP. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and Department of Transport regulate licensing and training requirements, while the Marine Survey Office is responsible for the implementation of all national and international legislation in relation to safety of shipping and the prevention of pollution.

Yes, a range of certificates of competency are required for skippers and crew. Training is the remit of BIM, which runs two national fisheries colleges at Greencastle, Co Donegal and Castletownbere, Co Cork. There have been calls for the colleges to be incorporated into the third-level structure of education, with qualifications recognised as such.

Safety is always an issue, in spite of technological improvements, as fishing is a hazardous occupation and climate change is having its impact on the severity of storms at sea. Fishing skippers and crews are required to hold a number of certificates of competency, including safety and navigation, and wearing of personal flotation devices is a legal requirement. Accidents come under the remit of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and the Health and Safety Authority. The MCIB does not find fault or blame, but will make recommendations to the Minister for Transport to avoid a recurrence of incidents.

Fish are part of a marine ecosystem and an integral part of the marine food web. Changing climate is having a negative impact on the health of the oceans, and there have been more frequent reports of warmer water species being caught further and further north in Irish waters.

Brexit, Covid 19, EU policies and safety – Britain is a key market for Irish seafood, and 38 per cent of the Irish catch is taken from the waters around its coast. Ireland's top two species – mackerel and prawns - are 60 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, dependent on British waters. Also, there are serious fears within the Irish industry about the impact of EU vessels, should they be expelled from British waters, opting to focus even more efforts on Ireland's rich marine resource. Covid-19 has forced closure of international seafood markets, with high value fish sold to restaurants taking a large hit. A temporary tie-up support scheme for whitefish vessels introduced for the summer of 2020 was condemned by industry organisations as "designed to fail".

Sources: Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Marine Institute, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Department of Transport © Afloat 2020