I would support Deputy de Valera in his brief reference to this very big problem of pollution. No money should be spared in trying to cope with this problem because it is impossible to assess in money terms the amount of damage that could be done if it were allowed continue. We have been fortunate in the past that we did not have this problem but in recent times it has been growing and it can become very big.
As I am what you might call an "inlander" I cannot claim to have the expert knowledge that Deputy Begley has about the fishing industry. It is quite evident from what he has said that he has had considerable experience of the whole industry. It is true that there is some coastline in my constituency of East Mayo, at Killala and Ballycastle and when I represented the old North Mayo region it extended to Achill, Erris, Blacksod Bay, Portacloy, Porturlin and so on, and during that time I had many discussions with fishermen. I must admit I had to learn from them and I feel that the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Deputy Gibbons, and his Parliamentary Secretary, Deputy Fahey, will find themselves in much the same position as that in which I found myself, because they too are inlanders and would not have the experience that a Deputy like Deputy Begley would have. I hope that they will familiarise themselves as quickly as possible with the difficulties and problems of this industry.
I join with Deputy Begley in his criticism of An Bord Iascaigh Mhara. I have not had many personal dealings with them as a public representative but I have heard criticisms expressed of the board by reputable businessmen who had dealings with them, people who would not criticise just for the sake of criticism. They are people who have been engaged in a big way in the fishing industry. They told me that they were far from happy about the people at the top in An Bord Iascaigh Mhara.
It has been said by people who put the fishing industry before petty jealousies that An Bord Iascaigh Mhara needs to be completely cleaned up at top level. Although An Bord Iascaigh Mhara has made some progress it has been very slow. The board stands condemned in my opinion for allowing, according to Deputy Begley, £2 million worth of fish to be imported every year. It is extraordinary that an island such as this which has had its freedom for over 50 years is still importing fish and, far from the figure decreasing, it is increasing every year. Surely no sensible person would suggest that people here would buy foreign products in preference to our own native products.
I know of some people who wanted An Bord Iascaigh Mhara to help them provide fishing boats. They wanted to meet a member of the board in order to discuss the proposals—I heard their proposals and I thought they were good and sound—and remove some of the obstacles. These men had the necessary deposits and they had some experience in fishing but every time they tried to make an appointment to see a member of the board the excuse was given that no appointment could be made because no one was sure where Mr. So-and-So would be on a particular day. This is not the way to do business. One needs to be on the ball so to speak. Certainly this type of behaviour will not further the interests of the industry.
As far as I know there is not one worthwhile fishing industry in operation along the whole of the Mayo coastline. In the days of British rule places such as Achill were prosperous little fishing areas. It has to be remembered that fishermen then did not have the modern boats or equipment that are available today. Yet they had wonderful catches which were sold locally and delivered by a horse-drawn cart. My late parents told me that the streets of Ballina used to be lined with carts loaded with fish. Of course, there was no refrigeration in those days but the fish were good and they were sold along the streets. In the same place today there are very few people engaged in the fishing industry. The main reason for this is the neglect of that industry in the region down through the years.
I know all about the progress at Killybegs. I can recall being there about 20 years ago when it was a little fishing village in the doldrums. It is now a prosperous village where the fishermen appear to be happy and contented. The prosperity of the Killybegs region has spread along the Donegal coastline whereas along the Mayo coastline, despite the promises made by Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries that something would be done, nothing has in fact been done.
At the time of the Famine, slips and piers were erected without any expert advice from engineers at places where they should never have been erected, where they constitute a hazard and a danger to fishermen. We have a great many advantages from the point of view of education and other things and it should not be beyond the power of an organisation like An Bord Iascaigh Mhara, or of a Minister of State, at the present time to establish in that region at least one or two major fishery centres so that the industry could be run on proper lines and with proper facilities. We have a tradition of fishing and young people should be encouraged to go into the fishing industry. In Killala a small effort has been made and I am proud that even that humble start has been made. Killala was a major fishing centre at one time. It was known as the Lacken fishing area. The engineering staffs in the county council and in the Board of Works got together and extended the piers. I have seen the work that was done and I believe it will bring certain benefits. But there is there again that niggardly approach—£20,000 or £30,000 invested by the State in something in which, in my opinion, £500,000 should be invested.
There is difficulty in bringing industry to the west. I appreciate the fact that successive Governments have introduced legislation in an effort to encourage industrialists to go to the west. The measure of success has been poor indeed. I can understand the nonsuccess because there is the problem of raw material. It has to be imported and brought down to the west and the manufactured article has to be sent all the way back again from the west. The position is quite different where the fishing industry is concerned. The fish are there in the sea. All that needs to be done is to catch them, handle them, process them and dispatch them in proper condition. The facilities are there. There is refrigeration and there is modern transport.
I believe there is no better way in which to save the west than by large-scale development of the fishing industry. Promises are not enough. There is a ready market available for fish. I believe there is a market available for at least £2 million worth, or more, where fish is concerned. We should never have to import fish. The market is there and if people could get regular supplies of fresh fish they would eat fish. Consumption would go up by 25 per cent or more. I would eat fish two or three days a week if I could get it in proper condition. It is not always easy to get. When one can get it it is not always of the highest quality. I agree with Deputy Begley that those engaged in the industry at the moment take advantage of glut periods; they buy cheaply and they store the fish and that fish is subsequently sold in time of scarcity at an exorbitant price. The Minister and his Parliamentary Secretary would want to examine into these things.
What are we doing about increasing sales? Every other commodity is heavily advertised in the Press, on radio and on television. We very rarely have any advertising in relation to fish. We are too backward. I would appeal to the Minister to get on to the sales side of this and try to get the message across on the various communications media.
I do not know who the people are on An Bord Iascaigh Mhara but I think the board needs shaking up. I am always sceptical about people appointed by Ministers. We have some experience of the kind of thing that happens at county council level. After an election every committee is filled by whatever Party secured the biggest return to the council. That means that very often sensible hardheaded people who would be an asset on such committees are excluded from them. I am not condemning the Minister's party; there are good men in Fianna Fáil as there are good men in every party. It strikes me that the reason why An Bord Iascaigh Mhara have fallen down on the job is that there are too many square pegs in round holes. I came into this House in 1951. I was out of it for a term. When I came in here first I spoke on lines similar to those on which I am speaking now. The progress made has been nothing like what it should have been if An Bord Iascaigh Mhara was being run on proper business lines. We have the situation today in which we are, in fact, importing more fish than we have done for a very, very long time.
Foreign trawlers have been coming here for many years. I am sure the protective vessels we have at present will continue to function. The fact that these foreign trawlers come proves beyond doubt that it is a profitable business for them, even though they must travel 500 or 1,000 miles to get here and pay their employees. They do not dispose of their catches here but must return to other countries for that purpose. Despite that, they continue to come here and fish along our coastline frequently without any fear of detection and perhaps get away with catches worth thousands of pounds. It is seldom they are caught fishing illegally and very often when they are, they get off very lightly in our courts. While I would not be free to discuss this at any length I think something should be done to increase the penalties in such cases.
Generally speaking, I agree with the terms of the Bill. Money is necessary for expansion. The Minister's short statement gave us a limited opportunity to express some points of view but these viewpoints have been expressed already and are on record in the Dáil Debates for many years. Year in, year out, Opposition Deputies have pleaded with successive Ministers to have something done to put this industry on a proper footing. An Bord Iascaigh Mhara stand condemned. They have not made the progress they should have made for a variety of reasons. I sincerely hope that we shall get better value for this additional money now being made available. Even if we have to do some rooting out and appoint better men at the top in BIM, the Minister and his Parliamentary Secretary should set about doing this immediately.
