asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will ensure that fishermen are adequately compensated for their labours, and that catches of fish are made available to the public at prices they can afford in particular to the poorer sectors of the community for whom fish has become a luxury.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fish Prices.
6.
The marketing of fish for human consumption is governed by the provisions of EEC Council Regulation No. 100/76. This regulation provides for the establishment of a common organisation of the market in fishery products comprising a price and trading system and common rules on competition.
Prices obtained by fishermen for their catches are subject to supply and demand factors but producer organisations of fishermen are enabled by the above regulation to intervene on the market by applying withdrawal prices below which fish may not be sold. Such intervention assists in the stabilisation of prices and guarantees as far as possible a fair income to fishermen.
Retail prices for fish are a matter for the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the Deputy might consider addressing the second part of his question to that Minister.
Will the Minister accept that fish has been fetching a very low price during recent months? Fish which has not been sold into intervention is left on piers while owners try to find a market. When we had the opportunity we found markets in Asia. Will the Minister not accept that he and BIM have a responsibility to find markets for our fish?
I agree it is desirable that the best possible deal should be made. There would appear to be some incompatability between the first and second parts of this question. Deputy Treacy asked me to see that fishermen were adequately compensated for their labours and I think the withdrawal system does that, though whether it does so adequately or not I am not quite sure; then he wanted to ensure that fish was available to the public at prices they could afford.
The Minister does not know very much about what is happening around the coast because he is not conversant with the position. There are hundreds of boxes of fish worth thousands of pounds lying on piers around the country. Castletownbere is full of fish. Will the Minister accept that he and BIM have an obligation to find a market? Fish was exported to Asia in the past at quite satisfactory prices.
If one were to follow the Deputy's line of argument, male gynaecologists would not be very much in demand and people would not go to priests for marriage counselling either.
A very obscure reference.
Is the Minister aware that BIM have cut back their production of leaflets and also the demonstration programme whereby Irish housewives are educated in different ways to cook fish? There has been a cut-back of one-third.
I am not so aware. The Deputy and anyone else who is interested can go to Prosperous tonight and attend the demonstration in the vocational school at 8 o'clock.
Where is that?
It is a village near the Grand Canal capable of accommodating 200 people per night. I am sure the Deputy will find adequate accommodation for all his friends.
Would the Minister explain why fishermen are getting as little as 9p per pound for fish while the same species is selling in the shops at 70p or 80p per pound?
That is a matter of supply and demand and it might be as well to remember that the big gap between prices quoted and prices subsequently asked from the customer does not take into account that the whole fish is bought in the market and there is a 50 per cent loss in weight when the fileted fish is sold to the customer.
That does not explain the eight-fold discrepancy.
I agree that there is still a very big discrepancy. As I remarked earlier, retail prices are a matter for another Minister.