On 1 March 1995, the EU Council ignored a last-minute plea from Canada and unanimously agreed to invoke the objection procedure under the NAFO agreement and to set a unilateral quota of 18,630t (69% of the TAC). Tobin tried to put the Law of the Seas principles on coastal states' special interest to the test, as a first mover. Initially Tobin had tried to persuade his Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make a unilateral extension of the Canadian EEZ to the entire Grand Banks. This was rejected by the Canadian prime minister. Instead Tobin declared that on 3 March 1995, the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act regulations had been broadened to make it an offence for Spanish and Portuguese vessels to fish for turbot on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks. On 6 March 1995, Tobin managed to have the Canadian cabinet authorise this extension of the law.