The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly this morning to reject a proposal giving foreign fishing vessels free access to the Irish Box.
The European Council had questioned the right to restrict access to fishery areas beyond 12 mile limits. The Irish Box currently extends to 50 miles off the coast of Ireland.
However, the parliament this morning voted 334 to 108 in favour of an amendment to the proposal to maintain existing restrictions in the Irish Box on the foreign fishing vessels, in the face of fierce Spanish opposition.
Amendment 20, asserted that there should be no changes to the present status of the Irish box, saying the area should remain protected and "properly managed" as a "biologically sensitive spawning ground" for the next ten years at least.
The vote in Strasbourg was welcomed as an "unexpected" and "surprising" turnaround, by Fine Gael MEP Avril Doyle.
Ms Doyle said she was "delightedly surprised at the strength of the support" from delegates. She said that other quarters sympathised with Ireland's case in the face of the Spaniards "cavalier approach" to these and similar issues.
Labour's Mr Tommy Broughan said the European Parliament was "protecting the interests of the Irish fishing industry much more effectively than the Government", who he accused of being "extremely meek in standing-up for the maintenance of the Box". Today was a "good day" for the domestic fishing industry, he said.
Fianna Fail MEP Mr Sean O Neachtain said the vote would help rebuild endangered whitefish stocks in Irish waters and strengthen the hand of the Government in the present negotiations concerning the future of the Irish box and concerning future access to these waters for Spanish fishermen.