Originally Posted by Ministry of Defence

A Royal Navy patrol ship has issued a record on-the-spot fine to fishermen using undersized nets after sailors boarded a Dutch fishing vessel in the North Sea.

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Is that what the Navy is reduced to?

Originally Posted by jarrod248

Is that what the Navy is reduced to?

Yes

But seeing as it was a fishery protection vessel it is sort of what its supposed to be doing......

I was going to be sarcastic about MOD feeds in my reply but instead I shall be educational (and probably boring) - the Royal Navy has been providing protection to British fishing for over 400 years. In the old days it was frigates and cutters protecting British fishing boats from pirates and slavers. These days they attempt to enforce EU and British fishing regulations on behalf of DEFRA in the face of an indifferent DEFRA prosecution team and a judiciary that fails to take illegal fishing seriously. The RN do a boring and dangerous job and generally what they get in return is the British fishing industry calling them a bunch of cunts. It may not be sexy or exciting and it doesn't win them any medals or many friends, but it has to be done. In 20 years' time when the RN doesn't operate outside British waters and only has 10 ships those 10 will be fishery protection.

Now that's job satisfaction.

Originally Posted by PrinceAlbert

Now that's job satisfaction.

What? Issuing parking and speeding tickets?

Originally Posted by redshift

What? Issuing parking and speeding tickets?

It was sarcasm.

Originally Posted by PrinceAlbert

It was sarcasm.

Mine was sarcasm +1. I have finally entered the worlds beyond the British humor.....thanks ARRSE!

Originally Posted by jarrod248

Is that what the Navy is reduced to?

It's all rather a bit 'Parking Enforment', isn't it?

What happened to the good old days of boarding parties nailing warrants to the mast and waging distress upon Her Majesties enemies?

Originally Posted by Bouillabaisse

The RN do a boring and dangerous job and generally what they get in return is the British fishing industry calling them a bunch of cunts. .

This may be not unconnected with the fact that while the RN, being the consummate professionals they are, obey the letter of the law and act in a very diligent manner to deal with illegal fishing, our trawlermen are all too aware that the forces of certain nameless EU countries are, how shall we put it? Less than 'diligent' when dealing with the transgressions of their own flagged fisherfolk.

HMS Mersey stopped a Dutch trawler..I can only imagine the flem-filled bridge conversation twixt the two.

Mersey: "Eh lah..what d'you thinkkk ya doin?"
Dutch : "Offisher, welkkkkome, I am just trawlinKkk for shome Hakkke!"
Mersey "Hakkkke?"
Ducth "Ja..hakkke...unt shome kippersh and haddockkkkk"
Mersey : "Haakkkkkke? Ya can't ccccome and rob all us haakkkkke, kkkipers and haddockkkkkk, like"
Dutch " I'm shorry, I have to wipe my face, I literally cannot shee."


Sorry...I uspet people if I do that.