Ireland loses EU vote on fisheries zone

The Government appears to be isolated at EU level on the issue of the Irish fisheries exclusion zone following the defeat of key proposals in a European Parliament committee yesterday, writes Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent.

Compromise proposals tabled by Connacht-Ulster MEP Mr Sean Ó Neachtáin to protect the 50-mile zone, known as the Irish Box, from increased Spanish pressure were roundly defeated in votes taken by the European Parliament's fisheries committee.

A delegation, chaired by Tory MP Mr Struan Stevenson, is due in Ireland today to meet the Minister for the Marine, Mr Dermot Ahern, in advance of another attempt to resolve the issue at EU council level next Monday.

Last night a compromise proposal on the box, which the Minister outlined to industry representatives, was described by the fishermen as "unacceptable".

Fishing industry leaders yesterday said they are confident Mr Ahern is doing everything in his power in the face of an increasingly "hardline" approach by the European Commission. However, a memo issued by the Department of Defence last December, a copy of which has been seen by The Irish Times, confirms the industry's suspicions of an overly weak position taken by the Government at the outset.

The memo transmitted to the Defence Forces' director of operations by the Department of Defence's executive branch on December 23rd last advised a "cautious approach" on fisheries protection of the box area.

The memo was issued several days after an EU fisheries council failed to resolve the issue, and several weeks after the council's legal opinion backed Spain's case for a lifting of the 40-boat restriction in the Irish Box zone from January 1st of this year.

"The position of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is that we should adopt a cautious approach as follows," the memo states.

"The Naval Service and Air Corps CASAs (surveillance planes) should be deployed in such a manner as to give as comprehensive a picture as possible of the evolving situation. Any vessel entering the Irish Box and failing to notify its entry and exit from the box should be identified and its full details ascertained including date and time of entry and exit and type of fishing being undertaken. The details should be recorded and a daily report provided by the Fisheries Monitoring Centre to the Department of Defence as quickly as possible, who will pass the report to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources."

"Such vessels are not to be detained solely for entering the Irish Box but may be advised that they may be in breach of the rules relating to the Irish Box.

"The Naval Service are requested to use their best endeavours to calm any conflict situations that may arise and to provide such humanitarian assistance as may be required," it says.

It adds that the Attorney General is preparing a paper for the Government on the matter.