Much of yesterday's debate focused on the threat to the Irish Box, which is an important area about 50 miles off our coastline that is vital to Ireland. It is also vital to conservation because it is a very effective spawning ground. The fears are justified. The Minister has legal advice indicating the Spanish and Portuguese, despite what was agreed on their accession, do not have automatic rights to this fishing ground in 2003. That is likely to be hotly disputed by the Spanish and Portuguese. Some 40 Spanish vessels along with Irish and British vessels already have access to the Irish Box. If that is opened up extensively, there will be a rape of the Irish fishery just as happened off the African coast where there has been irresponsible fishing by many countries with minimal compensation to African states resulting in the elimination of fish life from those areas. Where there is a threatened species and a high number of vessels, inevitably the fish stocks will decline.