Inshore Services (International) Ltd v NFFO Services Ltd and Anr - QBD (M. Kallipetis QC sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court) - 10 October 2000

Tort - Local fishermen angered at losing opportunity to provide support vessel for seismic survey in North Sea - Fishermen threatening non co-operation with survey - Whether fishermen’s actions amounted to procuring breach of contract by unlawful means or unlawful interference with business

Horizon Explorations Ltd (‘Horizon’) was engaged by an oil company to carry out a seismic survey in Morecambe Bay. The first defendant (‘NFFO Services’) supplied fishing boats to act as chase boats to surveying vessels involved in the seismic survey industry. Chase boats guarded the equipment which trailed behind a surveying vessel. The claimant (‘Inshore’) also provided seismic support vessels to companies carrying out seismic surveys. Inshore and NFFO Services were in direct competition for much, but not all, of the survey support work that was available from the oil industry. Inshore operated a seismic support vessel called the Mary Anne I. The Fleetwood Fishermen’s Association (‘FFA’) was a group of local fishermen who for centuries had fished the waters of Morecambe Bay. The second defendant was the secretary of the FFA.