I move:
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £10 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1968, for Salaries and Expenses in connection with Sea and Inland Fisheries, including sundry Grants-in-Aid.
The total sum sought, £965,010 is £171,610 in excess of the previous year's figure due primarily to the provision of an increase of £133,500 in the grant-in-aid to An Bord Iascaigh Mhara and of £25,000 in the grant-in-aid to the Inland Fisheries Trust Incorporated.
The year 1966 was a year of record achievement for our fishing industry as a whole. For the first time ever, our landings of sea-fish and shellfish exceeded £2 million in value and our total exports of fish of all kinds reached a value only just short of £2½ million. The progress made in achieving these results is indicated by the fact that they represent value increases of £? million and £½ million respectively, as compared with the corresponding figures for 1965, which had itself been a record year for value of landings of sea-fish and shell-fish.
These figures show only part of the contribution that our fisheries made to the national economy in 1966. Income from angling tourism is estimated to have amounted to £3,737,000 being an increase of £137,000 over the corresponding 1965 figure and bringing to no less than £6,230,000 the total external income attributable to our fisheries in 1966.
Another indication of the progress made in 1966 is the fact that consumption of fish here at home increased by about 5 per cent.
Landings of sea-fish increased from 563,000 cwt. in 1965 to 626,000 cwt. in 1966. These figures do not include shellfish, landings of which are only partly recorded by weight since some varieties are recorded by number only. The total value of landings, including shellfish, rose by £333,000— almost 20 per cent—to the record figure of £2,033,000. The expansion was shared by all three main sectors of the sea-fishing industry—the value of the pelagic catch, herrings mainly, and of the shellfish catch having increased by £149,000 and £148,000, respectively, while the demersal catch, comprising plaice, whiting, cod, haddock, etc., showed an increase of £36,000 in value. The varieties which contributed most to the total value of landings were herrings, lobsters, plaice, whiting, cod, crawfish and haddock in that order.
The value of landings in the first eleven months of 1967 increased by £81,000 to £1,885,000 compared with the corresponding period of 1966. The quantities of demersal and pelagic fish landed in this period increased by 16 per cent and 35 per cent respectively, but the value of shellfish landings fell by 13 per cent, due mainly to reductions in the quantities of crawfish and Dublin Bay prawns landed.
Determination of Ireland's future position in relation to the European Economic Community must be expected to have repercussions on our fishing industry and our fishery policy. As the EEC has not yet adopted a common fishery policy, we cannot foresee in what respects and to what extent the Community's decisions in that sphere may alter conditions for our fishing industry and entail changes in our fishery policy. Pending the establishment of the main lines of the Community's fishery policy, it would not be appropriate for me to engage in speculation in the matter. Meanwhile, my Department is giving careful attention to developments in the EEC countries in relation to fishing.
The grant-in-aid to An Bord Iascaigh Mhara for 1967-68 shows a further increase to £575,000 for administration and development work and for capital purposes. On the capital side, in addition to the normal provision for the payment of grants towards the cost of new boats and new engines, there is also provision for the establishment of ice-making plants at a number of centres in connection with the new fish handling regulations to which I will refer later and also for improvements at the boatyards operated by the Board. Advances to the Board of £215,000 have also been authorised from the Central Fund mainly to enable the Board to issue loans for the purchase of boats and gear. During 1966, 36 new fishing boats ranging in size from 26 to 56 feet built at the Board's or other Irish yards were issued on hire purchase terms. The Board also provided grant assistance in relation to the purchase abroad of two stern trawlers of approximately 110 feet in length, two vessels of the 75 foot class also built abroad and eight boats from 26 to 34 feet built at home. The purchase abroad of three second-hand boats of the 60 foot class was also facilitated by the Board by way of loan. Demand for boats continues to be buoyant and the growth of confidence in the catching side of the industry has resulted in the acquisition by progressive skippers and private companies of larger and more modern fishing craft. The development of the technical skills necessary for the efficient working of these vessels has been aided by expert fishery advisers and regular contacts with fishing operations in Northern European countries. Modernisation of the shell-fish vessels is also receiving attention and there is a growing interest in more effective gear and mechanical hauling equipment.
The Board's market development programme again recorded satisfactory progress during 1966 with a further increase of five per cent in home consumption of fish and a significant increase in exports. Considerable progress has also been made in the regional marketing of fish based on distribution direct from the ports to the surrounding hinterland. Local co-operative societies and provincial fish merchants have, in co-operation with the Board, played their part in this very desirable development. Local co-operatives have also played a vital role in increasing exports to European markets and a notable innovation in recent times has been the export of fresh fish from Donegal to Great Britain by insulated container traffic. These direct marketing operations by fishermen's co-operatives ensures that the primary producer gets a greater share of the end price.
As I indicated when introducing last year's Estimate, we are fully conscious of the need to improve personnel training schemes and to encourage a greater number of our existing fishermen and new entrants to the industry to participate in such schemes. The Committee of Education to which I then referred has since submitted its report and the primary recommendation, with which I fully agree, is that there should be a permanent school for the training of personnel for the sea-fishing industry. The expansion of our fishing fleet along modern lines cannot be achieved unless we have a regular stream of fully qualified young fishermen capable of manning these vessels and I intend, therefore, to press ahead with the provision of the necessary school facilities as quickly as possible. Pending completion of the permanent scheme, arrangements are being made to provide extended short courses for new entrants in temporary school premises at Moville, County Donegal. Having had the benefit of this course the boys will complete their training aboard selected fishing vessels where they will acquire practical fishing experience from our best skippers. The full training period will extend over 10 months during which the boys will be paid an allowance of £3 per week and will be maintained free of charge.
Meanwhile the results achieved under the existing training schemes are not unsatisfactory and I am glad to see that a new awareness appears to exist among boys leaving both secondary and vocational schools of the attractiveness of fishing as a career. Since the inception of the scheme up to 31 December, 1967, 127 boys have graduated as trained fishermen and on that date a further 39 boys were undergoing training. It is of interest to record that, following the recent press advertisement in regard to the revised scheme which is due to come into operation on 1 March, 1968, over 100 applications have been received for admission to training.
Under the scheme for training experienced fishermen as skippers, 13 fishermen attended a course at Galway vocational school in 1967 and all of them subsequently succeeded in obtaining certificates of competency from the Department of Transport and Power. This is an increase of five on the number which attended the previous year's course and is an indication of the growing realisation on the part of fishermen of the benefits to be derived from such training. Complementary to the full-time course at Galway, local port courses for existing skippers and experienced fishermen have been organised at a number of centres by An Bord Iascaigh Mhara in collaboration with vocational education committees. These classes are being very well attended and during 1967, 59 fishermen secured certificates of competency following attendance at the courses.
I would again like to express my thanks and appreciation to all who have co-operated so whole-heartedly in the operation of the schemes, particularly the Town of Galway Vocational Education Committee and the various county vocational education committees and I look forward to their continued assistance in the more comprehensive schemes in due course.
Deputies will recall my statement last year that I intended to introduce compulsory standards for the handling and distribution of fish to ensure that we market fishery products of the highest quality so that these products may compete more successfully against other primary products in the food markets of the world. Following consultation with all sectors of industry, I have now made regulations which will come into operation on 1st April, 1968, relating to fresh demersal fish and covering handling from the catching point to the end of the distribution chain. I am pleased to say that the regulations have generally been well received in the industry and I have asked fishermen, fish merchants and fish processors to operate them on a voluntary basis between now and the operative date so that any difficulties experienced can be resolved in time. When we have a little experience of the operation of the regulations, consideration will be given to their extension with necessary modifications to pelagic varieties and shellfish.
Since the addition of a second exploratory boat in June of last year, research and exploratory work has been intensified. It is now possible to devote particular attention to our shellfish resources, the produce of which finds a lucrative market abroad. New grounds are being surveyed and the efficiency of different fishing gear is being tested. Encouragement of shellfish farming operations has been given and will continue to be afforded to worthwhile ventures. The recent opening by a private firm of a hatchery for the artificial breeding of shell-fish seed should be of considerable benefit in providing seed to enable existing oyster and other shellfish beds to be restocked and new beds to be cultivated.
The scheme of joint co-operation with the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries of the United States in specific fishery projects of mutual interest is now well under way. Two Bureau specialists have been in Ireland for some months to establish and co-ordinate some aspects of the programme. Visits to the United States by a number of technical officers of my Department to study that country's methods at first hand are also part of the programme and the first of such visits has recently taken place.
Development work on the three major fishery harbours at Killybegs, Castletownbere and Dunmore East is progressing favourably and a substantial provision is included in this year's Estimate for Public Works and Buildings for the continuation of work at these three centres throughout 1967-68. The Fishery Harbour Centres Bill now before the House will, when enacted, provide the necessary powers for the compulsory acquisition of lands required for the development of harbours at Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Killybegs, Galway and Howth. It will provide also for the management, control and operation of these harbours.
Harbour improvement works in the fisheries interest were completed during the past year at Maoil-a-Goilín and Rinn na Ratha, County Kerry; at Liscannor and Seafield (Quilty), County Clare; at Aillebrack, County Galway; at Belderg, County Mayo; and at Gola Island, Stackamore and Gortnasate, County Donegal. Work on improvement schemes is also in progress at other fish landing places around the coast such as Ballydavid, County Kerry; Bank (Whiddy Island), Garnish (Dursey) and Hare Island, County Cork, and Porturlin and Portacloy, County Mayo. In addition sizeable schemes have been already approved for the improvement of landing facilities at Skerries, County Dublin; Kilmore Quay, County Wexford; and Reen, County Cork. The question of improving fish landing facilities at various other places is also being actively considered in my Department at present but I cannot at this stage indicate what the outcome may be.
Earlier this year a survey team— comprising representatives of Roinn na Gaeltachta, the Office of Public Works, the county council and my Department —which was set up by my predecessor to examine and report on the need for improved landing facilities to meet present and expected needs of the fishing industry in South Kerry, completed its assignment and I am considering the team's report at present. I have set up a similar team to make an appraisal of landing facilities on the coasts of Galway and Mayo—including the islands off those coasts. In these surveys full regard is to be given to the present trend towards larger fishing boats and their need for adequate flotation and berthage.
The Galway-Mayo coastal survey was commenced in April last and the team has its work well advanced. When this is completed, a similar survey will be conducted in County Donegal.
Before concluding my remarks on the sea fisheries side, I would like to refer briefly to the reluctance on the part of some of our fishermen to accept the arrangements which have been made to allow for reciprocity as between Twenty-six County and Six-County boats in regard to fishing in Irish waters. These arrangements do not militate in any way against the development of our fishing industry and I would appeal once more to fishermen's organisations to use their full influence in restoring harmonious relations which are so necessary, particularly in regard to our herring fishery, in attracting foreign buyers to the port auctions and thereby helping our fishermen in obtaining the keenest prices for their landings.
The overall catches for salmon in 1966 were good although not equal to the high catches of the last few years. The value, however, was well maintained. The total weight of the catch for the year by all fishing methods was 2,326,000 lb. valued at £684,825 as compared with 2,870,000 lb. in 1965 valued at £712,495 and 3,013,000 lb. in 1964 valued at £789,318. To these figures may be added those for sea-trout which are of minor importance only.
The quantity of salmon exported was 17,435 cwts. as against 19,764 cwts. in 1965. These were valued at £813,612 as compared with £759,400 for 1965. Officers of my Department continued to keep a check on the standards of Irish salmon as exported.
Conditions for angling varied according to district, time of year and incidence of salmon disease. On the whole they were reasonably good and the number of salmon rod licences issued at 12,053 compared very favourably with the record figure of 12,805 issued in 1965 and exceeds the previous best figure of 11,628 for 1964. The weight of salmon taken by rod and line was 301,575 lb. as compared with 416,290 lb. in 1965.
In speaking on last year's Estimate, I mentioned the Greenland salmon fishery and the programme of work initiated under the aegis of the International Commission for the North Atlantic Fisheries and in co-operation with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea of which an officer of my Department was elected President in 1966. The programme aims at getting scientific data on which to frame proposals to preserve a proper balance in catches and escapements in so far as the Greenlandic salmon fisheries are concerned.
According to figures produced by the Council catches for salmon in these fisheries in 1966 were approximately 1,300 metric tons as compared with 740 in 1965. The 1965 figure was probably depressed owing to the good price obtaining for cod with a consequential drop in salmon prices and does not necessarily indicate that salmon were less abundant off the Greenland coast in 1965. Scientists from Denmark, England, Scotland and Canada were engaged during the 1966 fishing season in Greenland in tagging operations with a view to finding out whether the salmon found off Greenland return to their native rivers. Quick results from this work are not expected. A joint working group set up by ICNAF and ICES was not as yet able to come to definite conclusions on the main issues but their recommendations to Member countries should help to throw more light on the problem. One hopeful indication so far, however, is that the Greenland netting does not seem to affect our stocks of grilse but only the larger salmon which stay for some years in the sea.
It is well again to refer to the good work which the boards of conservators have done and are doing to protect and develop the fisheries in their areas. The large number of successful prosecutions for illegal fishing bears witness to the diligence with which the protection staffs of the boards carry out their duties. Apart from illegal fishing the conservators deal with other dangers to fish life such as pollution by sewage, industrial and other concerns; they also encourage the destruction of natural predators by offering grants for any killed off. On the development side as distinct from protection, the conservators promote suitable works sometimes in collaboration with angling associations by arranging for the removal of obstructions to fish movement in rivers and clearing of spawning beds for better propagation. For river improvement works of the kind indicated generous grants are available to cover most of the cost. In any case in which technical advice is sought the engineers of my Department give every assistance in the design and execution of such works.
The boards of conservators are finding that the income which they receive from the sale of licences and from fishery rates is not adequate to meet their expenditure which keeps rising from year to year, largely to meet salary and wage demands and consequently they have to rely on administration grants paid from the Fund to keep solvent. The exchequer grant to the Fund has been increased to £38,000. This sum includes provision to meet part of the cost of the reorganisation, which is contemplated, of the staffs of the boards. Also included in the Subhead is a contingent provision for outlay in regard to possible arrangements for operation of a large-scale salmon hatchery to offset the effects of fish disease. The Estimate as originally framed, envisaged my Department's being responsible for the cost of leasing and operation; these plans were changed subsequently and the present intention is that the hatchery in question will be operated at the expense of the owner of a large fishery in the district.
Payments are made from the fund in respect of river improvement works such as referred to earlier. Work on a major scheme at the Clifden Falls on the Owenglin River is completed; this is a fish pass which will ease the passage of salmon and sea trout over the falls in the Owenglin River in their journey to the spawning grounds in the upper reaches.
Investigations are being continued at the experimental station at Glenties into the application of electricity to fishery management and exploitation. These investigations include the development of electric fish counters, electrical fishing apparatus and the exploration of the effects of various kinds of electrical stimuli on different types of fish.
The research into ulcerative dermal necrosis or salmon disease continues to be done mainly at the Veterinary Research Laboratory of my Department at Abbotstown, County Dublin. Some measure of success has been achieved from the experiments carried out to date. It has been possible by means of a siphoning technique and also by the use of material passed through bacterial filters to transmit the disease to healthy salmon. It also has been proved fairly conclusively that young salmon and sea-trout and rainbow trout do not contract the disease, that rainbow trout are not susceptible to it at any stage and that viable ova can be obtained even when the parent fish is diseased. However, to date it has not been possible to isolate and identify the causative organism and further experimentation is being done in an effort to achieve this.
One aspect of the investigation concerned the effects of the disease on the cell structures of the fish's body at different stages, and for this collections of tissue are being made from healthy and diseased salmon. The Salmon Research Trust of Ireland, Inc., through one of its sponsors, Messrs. Arthur Guinness, Son and Co. Ltd., has helped with the expense of the research by meeting the cost of apparatus and the secondment of a bacteriological technician to the Abbotstown laboratory.
With financial aid from the ESB a mobile laboratory is being provided for on-the-site investigations into the disease and a junior Fellow, appointed by my Department, is continuing research into the fungi at the Botany Department of University College, Dublin. A number of fungi, including that known to affect damaged freshwater fish, have already been identified. Research work on the serum proteins of healthy and diseased fish is also being prepared at University College, Cork.
Veterinarians of the Six-Counties Ministry of Agriculture are also working in close collaboration with the Abbotstown laboratory and liaison is maintained between the research workers of both staffs as well as with those in Britain and other countries. Meetings of the scientific and co-ordinating committees set up to co-ordinate research and information on the disease continue to be held. In addition, monthly press releases are issued in season which give the latest information on the incidence of the disease in affected river systems.
The corps of fish inspection officers appointed last year have ensured that all salmon and sea trout exported from this country are free from disease and, in this connection, I may mention that the utmost co-operation is given by the exporters.
My Department also arranged to supplement home produced stocks by the importation early this year of salmon ova of which a total of 905,000 was planted in rivers which had been affected by disease.
The grant-in-aid to the Inland Fisheries Trust in this Estimate stands at £120,000 which represents a 26 per cent increase over that for 1966-67.
