Fishing industry leaders are meeting the Government today over European Union plans to give foreign trawlers greater access to Irish waters.
The talks with the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Dermot Ahern, are going ahead against a background of protests by Irish fishermen.
They took unofficial action to blockade a number of ports in the south-west of Ireland during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
At the heart of the trawlermen's anger is the so-called Irish Box fishing area, which, under the terms of the EU Fisheries Commission plan, is now open to foreign vessels.
The Minister has said that he will take the box issue to the European Court of Justice if necessary, but has not made it clear if Spanish vessels in breach of the Irish position will be apprehended.
According to Irish Fishermen's Organisation spokesman, Mr Frank Doyle, there is a strong case to be made out against the proposals, which formally came into effect at the start of the new year.
He maintained today that Government's legal advisers believed the previous position on the Irish Box, which restricted foreign entry to within 50 kilometres of Ireland's coastline, was still in place.
"Today will be a matter of trying to determine where we are on this issue. We are seeking clarity and we are seeking to protect the Irish Box," he said.
Two fishermen's groups in Vigo, Spain have reassured Irishcolleagues they do not intend to increase their presence in thebox.However, "these organisations don't include all of the Spanishvessels, so its still possible some of them will come in," saidMr Doyle.
EU proposals focusing on a limitation of days spent at sea by fishermen will also be discussed at today's meeting.