UP to 20 Gardai were involved in a search of Killybegs port on Tuesday. The search which got underway around 9am was part of a planned national raid on fishing vessels, houses and processing plants in Cork, Kerry, Galway and Donegal.

Gardai said no fishing vessels were searched in Killybegs although some documentation was taken away. In Cork up to 10 fishing vessels were boarded and searched.

The operation, headed by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations, is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of over fishing and the under representation of catches in record books.

The garda probe into irregularities in the pelagic (mackerel and herring) industry was launched almost three years ago after sensational allegations by fisherman Pat Cannon in Killybegs. Former Marine Minister Noel Dempsey then launched an investigation which is still ongoing.

CEO of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation and the newly appointed chairman of the Federation of Irish Fishermen, Sean O'Donoghue, said there appeared to be an ongoing scrutiny of the Irish Fishing Industry.

"You only have to look at what is happening in Europe and it's clear that there does not seem to be a level playing field."

"In France where there was evidence of the over fishing of Blue Fin Tuna, there were no sanctions applied. Controls in Ireland appear to be the strictest," he said.

DPP

Superintendent Christy Mangan of the NBCI confirmed that the searches were part of the ongoing investigation.

"Any information gleaned will form part of our investigation and we will eventually be submitting a file to the DPP in relation to each investigation conducted," he said.

The raids were carried out under warrants signed on June 28 under new powers contained in the Criminal Justice Act.