Minister for the Environment Dick Roche yesterday appealed to everyone involved in the dispute between rival ferries from Dingle town to the Great Blasket island, An Blascaod Mór, to "please stand back".
Mr Roche appealed to landowners, ferry operators and visitors to allow "space and time" for the completion of a management plan for "a unique asset".
This month Mr Roche announced that the State had reached an agreement with the landowners to buy the majority of land interests on An Blascaod Mór.
However, almost immediately a row broke out involving ferry operators.
Most island landowners have insisted that only visitors on the Peig Sayers, their own ferry, were entitled to tour the island.
Peter Callery, of An Blascaod Mór Teo, said that most landowners of the island lands were not prepared to tolerate "a free for all".
Security men were employed to ward off visitors from the rival ferry company touring the island.