A leading representative of the north-west Spanish fishing fleet has promised there will be "no increased effort" by Spanish vessels in the Irish Box.
And in another development which could have implications for Spanish interest in the Irish Box, Morocco has given Spanish boats permission to resume fishing off its coastline from mid-January. The offer came from the king of Morocco in a private telephone call to the Spanish king, Juan Carlos, when the Moroccan leader offered condolences on the Prestige tanker pollution incident.
The promise on the Irish Box was made in a statement by Mr José Ramon Fuertes Gamundi of the largest fishing organisation based in Vigo in north-west Spain. It represents about 120 vessels.
In a statement faxed to the main fish producer organisations here three days ago, he says Spanish fishermen have not forgotten that Ireland was part of the "Friends of Fish" alliance opposed to certain Common Fisheries Policy review measures. The Spanish fishermen wish to continue dialogue which has already been established at European producer level, he says.
The statement has been given a guarded welcome by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern, while Irish industry representatives have reacted with caution.
"The statement is short on specific detail," Mr Jason Whooley of the Irish South and West Fish Producers' Organisation said yesterday. "The bottom line is that the Naval Service must be directed to ensure that no more than 40 Spanish vessels work in the Irish Box area."
Mr Fuertes Gamundi says that only those 300 vessels covered by Spain's treaty with the EU will "continue fishing in community waters in the west and south-west of Ireland".
"The fishing effort which is currently developed by Spanish vessels in the Irish Box will be maintained and will continue to be controlled by the blue boxes (satellite vessel monitoring systems) installed aboard," he says, without giving a precise figure on the number of vessels this represents in the 50-mile exclusion zone.
He also says that the general assembly of the regional producers and shipowners' association has opted not to increase fishing effort in "any of the zones" in areas VI and VII (off the Irish west and south-west coast), including the Irish Box. The statement indicates the Spanish government may be making more political capital out of the Irish Box than its industry wants it to.
