The Irish Box fisheries issue must be sorted out at European level rather than bilaterally between Spain and Ireland, the Marine Minister Mr Ahern said last night.
Irish officials are due to meet European Commission officials next week on the issue as a prelude to direct talks between the Minister and the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Commissioner, Dr Franz Fischler.
While the Irish Box will be the main item on the agenda, efforts will also be made to amend the "days at sea" restriction which could tie up north-west whitefish vessels for 21 days a month from February 1st.
The Minister made his position clear during a three-hour meeting with fishing industry leaders in Dublin yesterday over the outcome of the recent EU fisheries council. Industry representatives described the discussion as "fraught" but "constructive".
However, organisers of the unofficial blockade of three south-west harbours, preventing foreign vessels from landing catches, said that no decision would be taken on lifting this action until today at the earliest.
The Minister made it clear that the Irish Box issue could not be sorted out between Ireland and Spain. At last month's EU council, the European Commission had directed that an agreement be reached between the two states.
He pointed out that the Commission had not only raised the issue three weeks before the crucial council on Common Fisheries Policy reform - it had initially introduced the restricted zone when Spain joined the EU in 1986, and protection of the biologically sensitive zone was central to the approach on fisheries conservation.
However, Mr Ahern also said that he had received assurances from Spain that it would act responsibly and would not increase effort in the area. There were less than 40 Spanish vessels within Irish exclusive fishery limits yesterday, and some 15 of these were in the box area by yesterday afternoon. He appealed for the blockade to be lifted.
Commenting on yesterday's discussions, Mr SeáO'Donoghue of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation said that the Minister had made it clear that Dr Fischler could not "wash his hands" of the Irish Box issue.
The days-at-sea restriction on north-west vessels had also dominated discussions, and the Minister had pledged to hold further meetings to push for amendments to the regulation, which was introduced to conserve cod stocks in the North Sea area.
"We cannot have this restriction on vessels in Donegal which do not even fish for cod, while industrial vessels with smaller mesh can fish for 23 days a month," Mr O'Donoghue said.
Mr Jason Whooley of the Irish South and West Fish Producers' Organisation and Mr Lorcan Ó Cinnéide of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation also described the meeting as positive.
"The Minister has a better understanding of our position now than he had when we returned from last month's council," Mr Whooley and Mr Ó Cinnéide agreed.
However, both professed to being "worried" by the Minister's failure to concede to industry demands yesterday that Spanish vessels be detained by the Naval Service if the limit of more than 40 vessels fishing in the restricted area is exceeded.
Industry representatives also say the Minister distanced himself from the Naval Service approach to the box issue.
As reported by this newspaper, the Naval Service has been directed to detain no Spanish vessels in the Irish Box until the legal position is clear. But the Fine Gael marine spokesman, Mr Simon Coveney, accused the Minister of giving "mixed messages" by failing to enforce the law in relation to the Irish Box.
"If the Minister is clear on the legal position regarding the Box, as he has said he is, then he should be giving a commitment now to arrest any Spanish vessels that exceed the 40 vessel limit. He has failed to give that commitment now, and so his words to the industry ring pretty hollow".
