Fishermen in the south-west have lifted their ban on foreign vessels landing into port, but have warned of further action over the coming weeks in defence of the Irish Box.
"We are not happy with the response from the EU Commissioner, Dr Fischler, in Dublin this week," Mr Ebbie Sheehan, fishing vessel owner and one of the leaders of the protest in Castletownbere, Co Cork, said.
"The statistics show that effort by foreign vessels is increasing out there, while Irish effort is decreasing, and yet he is talking about letting more vessels in."
The "blockade" of berths in Castletownbere, and Dingle, Co Kerry, was lifted yesterday morning, after a weekend of protest action which prevented up to 20 vessels, mainly Spanish-owned, from landing.
However, six of these vessels opted for Galway harbour over the last three days to ensure delivery of fresh fish to the European market. The six which berthed in Galway were Spanish owned, and most were "flag of convenience" vessels - that is, Spanish owned and crewed but registered in another EU state to avail of that quota, under a much abused loophole in the Common Fisheries Policy.
Three vessels landing their catch directly into trucks at midnight on Monday were registered in Bayonne, France.
Spanish owners are believed to have bought over 60 French vessels - mainly gill netters - in Bayonne and other French ports to avail of all French quotas.
France has an average annual surplus of 11,000 tonnes of hake among its quota allocations each year, which Spain is eager to take up.
Hake is currently the subject of an EU recovery plan as a stock under severe pressure, but the "flag of convenience" practice "makes a mockery of this", according to Mr Jason Whooley of the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation.
Ireland's annual average share-out is 1,900 tonnes of hake, he pointed out yesterday.
The Labour Party marine spokesman, Mr Tommy Broughan, has expressed dissatisfaction with the response from Commissioner Fischler on the Irish Box, and has accused the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern, of being "legally bereft" at European level.
While the Minister "talks the talk on conservation of fishing stocks, he fails to walk the walk,as with his predecessors, Ministers Fahey and Woods", Mr Broughan said. "The response from Commissioner Fischler on Monday, when questioned about changes to the Irish Box, left the door open, in my view, to a reduction in the size of the Box and to the opening up of the area to Spanish fishermen.
"The Minister and the Irish Government are speaking today about having 'very strong legal points' to counter this proposal, but one wonders why the Government failed to put these arguments forward at European Council level previously, when José Maria Aznar was pressurising Romano Prodi to open up the Irish Box to Spanish fishermen," Mr Broughan said.
"In my view, Spanish fishermen have no interest whatsoever in conserving fish stocks in the Irish Box, as recent statistics show", he said. Mr Broughan called on the Minister to publish the legal advice he has on the Irish Box, to reassure fishermen.
