Lorna Siggins discovers that the long-term disillusion over the CFP has been exacerbated in recent years
The EU Commissioner Franz Fischler may never have heard of Ebbie Sheehan, but Ebbie Sheehan has been watching him from the south-west port of Castletownbere. And reading his every word.
"He talks about conservation all the time in every single speech he has made, but he is not interested in it in one of the largest sea areas in the Community, off this coast," Mr Sheehan says.
And if the commissioner was seriously committed to protecting fish stocks, he would not be backing a new common fisheries policy which will intensify fishing effort, in his view. Last week's confirmation that the 50-mile Irish Box could be subject to unrestricted access from January 1st, according to a legal opinion prepared for the EU council, was the final straw.
At meetings in Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Dingle, Co Kerry, on Friday evening, fishermen voted for action, aware that Mr Fischler was due in Dublin today.
Boats were moved into all the available berths, blocking access for the Spanish and "flag of convenience" vessels which normally land and truck fish away at the weekends.
Spanish agents were informed immediately after the decision was taken. Anger among vessel-owners rose in the south-west Cork port when it emerged that a local vessel, the Carmona, had been arrested on Friday by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, for allegedly exceeding its quota.
"We do have good relations with the Spanish, and with Eiranova here in Castletownbere," Mr Sheehan said; Eiranova being the company owned by multinational Pescanova, which has a fleet of vessels on the Irish register.
"We don't want to cause hassle. We have kept one berth free at the end of the pier for the lifeboat, and for any emergencies."
Fishermen don't tend to take to the streets like farmers, because of the practical difficulties of being at sea and the fact that the minister has sole power over licensing..In July 2000 Cork fishermen blockaded Dinish island, location of the Spanish Eiranova plant, over claims that the Naval Service was deliberately targeting Irish tuna vessels.
Long-term disillusionment with the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, under which Ireland has 11 per cent of Community waters but 4 per cent of catch, has been exacerbated by the Commission's handling over the past two years of that policy review. A key stage was delayed last February when there were accusations of improper lobbying by the Spanish government, which strongly opposed the Commission's proposals.
In April, plans were again delayed after reports that the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jose Maria Aznar, had applied personal pressure on the Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi.
The legal opinion on equal access to restricted areas, such as the Irish Box, up to the 12-mile limit published in late October has all the hallmarks of Spanish influence. The box dates back to Spanish and Portuguese membership of the EU in 1985-86, and could be dropped under terms that allow for unrestricted Iberian access in 2004.
The Irish Box was not mentioned in the Commission's own green paper on a new policy, but moves to drop it within the next six weeks have come as a shock to the industry here.
Mr Ahern has registered his opposition to its dismantling, and last week won the support of his Portuguese counterpart on this.