(Limerick West): One thousand nine hundred and ten tonnes of fish, with a value of approximately IR£267,165, were withdrawn from the market and disposed of by dumping during 1989 under the European Community's market support programme. This compares with 272 tonnes, valued at approximately IR£38,433, in 1990 and represents an 86 per cent decrease in terms of tonnage over 1989. Because of the complex nature of the financial compensation for fish withdrawn from the market, it is only possible to give approximate values.
Fishermen's producers organisations have been urged by my Department to avoid dumping where possible and to dispose of surplus fish through fishmeal or animal feed processing outlets. In 1990 dumped fish accounted for only 5.5 per cent of fish withdrawn from the market. The vast bulk, 93.9 per cent, was used for fishmeal, while the remaining 0.6 per cent was used for animal feed.