asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry whether he is aware of the large scale dumping of sprat by fishermen in west Cork who are unable to obtain buyers for same, and whether he has any plans to ensure that markets will be available in the future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sprat Marketing.
5.
I am aware that recently fishermen in the south west of the country dumped quantities of sprat because they were unsuitable for human consumption.
Results of tests carried out on the fish by officers of my Department indicated the presence of food in the stomachs of the fish. The fish were also small in size and had a high fat content. For these reasons they had practically no commercial value.
Markets are available for suitable sprat, as in the case of recent large scale landings at Galway where the entire catch to date has been sold.
In view of the large quantities of sprat being caught off the west coast has the Minister any intention of setting up a cannery to deal with this catch rather than have it exported?
Even though that is a separate question, I have the information at my disposal. BIM are considering the question of setting up a cannery but it would depend on continuity of supply. Sprat is only a recent catch in the area and potential investors would have to be assured of continuous supplies.
How long will it take to determine whether supply will be continuous or not?
I would not be in a position to say.