The Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern, has pledged to maintain the Government's position on retaining the Irish Box in spite of a compromise offered by the European Commission, writes Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent.
The Minister, who met members of the European Parliament's fisheries committee in Dublin yesterday, also expressed doubts about a resolution of the issue within the lifetime of the Greek presidency of the EU.
"This may run into the Italian presidency, and perhaps the Irish presidency next year," the Minister told The Irish Times.
However, he emphasised that he had been given a commitment by the Greek Fisheries Minister, Mr George Drys, that every effort would be made to solve it during his government's presidency, which expires at the end of June.
Both the Minister and fishing industry representatives agreed yesterday that a compromise offered by the EU Commission fell far short of demands.
However, Mr Ahern added that it did represent some "easing of the Commission's hardline stance".
The Commission had originally directed Spain and Ireland to sort out Spain's demand for increased access to the biologically-sensitive zone at bilateral level, but the Government insisted it was an EU council matter.
"We are in a better position than we were with this compromise," Mr Ahern said.
He believed the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Commissioner, Dr Franz Fischler, was looking for a compromise.
There would be a "broad discussion" of the issue at next Monday's EU council, the Minister said, but he did not anticipate any development before the next fisheries council early next month.
The new proposal tabled by the Commission involves conceding the existence of a sensitive zone off the southern and western Irish coast, the restriction of fishing to "current levels" and the establishment of fishing capacity "ceilings" for each region within western waters.
However, the zone would be geographically reduced from its current location 50 miles off the west coast, and would resemble the current "hake" box in size.
Mr Sean O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation (KFO), said the details of the compromise had not yet been made available.
The KFO, the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation and the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation are also concerned about a proposed extension of the "days at sea" restrictions to the Irish Sea fleet, and another proposal to cap fleet tonnage in the EU at its level on January 1st last.
The chairman of the European Parliament's fisheries committee, Tory MP Mr Struan Stevenson, expressed firm support for Ireland's position at talks with Mr Ahern, and at a separate lunch with the industry in Dublin yesterday.
Ireland was not being unreasonable in its determination to protect the Irish Box, Mr Stevenson said. He was also critical of the European Commission's "concern" for conservation on the one hand, while trying to force open the Irish Box and expose it to increased fishing effort on the other.
The fisheries committee visit, hosted by Connacht-Ulster MEP Mr Sean Ó Neachtáin, visited Killybegs, Co Donegal, last night.
The Labour Party's marine spokesman, Mr Tommy Broughan, accused the Minister for the Marine yesterday of "letting down" the "entire Irish fishing industry in his failure to protect the Irish Box".