The Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern, will raise the Irish Box issue at today's EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels following his meeting last week with the Greek EU presidency.
Ireland is seeking resolution of the issue through the EU, rather than bilaterally, although the European Commission had left it to Ireland and Spain to sort it out after last month's controversial council on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
The Minister says that the Greek presidency recognised the importance of the Irish Box on ecological grounds and has accepted that it should be dealt with during the Greek presidency.
The first arrest of a Spanish "flagship" vessel was recorded by the Naval Service on Friday, when the El Orzan was detained by the LE Aoife 100 miles west of Galway. The Irish-registered Spanish vessel was held for alleged log-book infringements, including alleged under-recording of monkfish and hake, and for allegedly having no licence on board. It was escorted by the Aoife into Galway docks.
The detention brings to three the number of arrests by the Naval Service so far this year - the first two being Irish vessels.
It is understood that the Spanish level of activity in the Irish Box area is still below the 40-vessel limit which Spain no longer wants to adhere to.
A spokesman for the Minister said that Ireland was "holding firm" to its position that the box should stay, in spite of the legal opinion accepted by the EU Commission, which allowed open access to Spanish vessels from January 1st.
Fishing industry representatives, who will travel to Brussels today, say that the Minister still has to push for a position paper from the Greek EU presidency before there can be any progress on the issue. "As yet, the only proposal on the table is that from the European Commission last December, which we oppose," said Mr Seán O'Donoghue, of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation.
Mr O'Donoghue said that it could be March before a "concrete alternative proposal" was on the table - by which time Spain could be stepping up its activity in the Irish Box, particularly in relation to the hake fishery.
Meanwhile, attempts are continuing to avert imposition of the new days-at-sea restriction on whitefish vessels in the north-west.
