OMM Contracted to Keep Trawlers Off Subsea Cable

Offshore Marine Management Ltd (OMM) to keep the fishing community advised about the new 96 fibre subsea telecom cable linking Ireland and Wales.

Offshore Marine Management Ltd (OMM), the UK’s independent services provider to the renewables, telecoms and hydrocarbon industries, is to provide fisheries liaison services to Emerald Bridge Fibres Ltd (EBFL), a joint venture between Geo Networks Ltd (Geo), and Ireland’s wholesale telecom provider ESB Telecoms Ltd.

OMM was responsible for the delivery of the marine phase of this challenging project, which provides a 96 fibre subsea telecoms link between Portmarnock, Ireland and Porth y Post, Wales.

This phase is a follow-on from the original workscope and sees OMM liaising directly with fishermen on the Welsh side of the Irish Sea to raise the awareness of the presence of this important link.

This work is scheduled to take place over the next five years and will require periodic visits to the fishing community at Holyhead, as well as regular system status updates in fishing industry publications in addition to the Kingfisher website and newsletters.

OMM will plan and organise fishing community meetings in Holyhead to ensure that fishermen are provided with the cable’s route and are made aware of any impending maintenance works. The benefit of this work is expected to be twofold. The fishermen will be aware of the presence of the cable and the risk of damage to the cable and interruption of service will be reduced through this raised awareness.

Details of liaison meetings will be published locally and through the Kingfisher network. Fishermen and other interested parties are advised to monitor their industry newsletters for further information.

“Whilst near impossible to prevent all damage to a submarine cable, this proactive approach goes a very long way to reducing external risks to the cable and ensuring its prolonged integrity” says Eckhard Bruckschen, OMM Operations Director.