"This vessel was seized as a precautionary measure by Irish fisheries Inspectors and redirected to port," the ministry said in a written statement, without specifying which port.

The ship in question is the Azores-registered Mestre Boqueer, it made clear.

Lusa contacted the ministry after Ireland’s military on Friday night revealed on its official website that a Portugal-flagged fishing boat had been brought into port on suspicion of breaching fishing regulations, having been spotted approximately 200 nautical miles south of Fastnet Rock.

The issue in question, according to the Portuguese ministry, is a failure to signal the fishing gear being used, as requiired by European Union regulations, .

It said that the ship’s owner is taking the steps necessary in Ireland, namely the payment of a €105,000 bond.