Undersea cable owners seek injunctions preventing fishermen trawling

Two transatlantic communication undersea cables’ owners are seeking High Court injunctions preventing fishing boat owners trawling near their property. The court heard the cables carry critical data from some of the largest financial firms, telecommunications firms and cloud operators. The cable owners claim the fishing vessel owners have been trawling in the waters near the cables, allegedly posing a high risk of damage to the cables. Additionally the owners claim the trawler crews are placed in danger as the cables are charged and vessels have sunk after their fishing equipment got caught in subsea cables. The cables are also expensive to repair with costs ranging from €600,000 to €1.4 million for every repair. The injunction if granted would restrain trawling, dropping anchor or interfering with the seabed within 1km of the cables until the full dispute has been determined.