Written Answers. - Fishing Industry.
Dinny McGinley
Ceist:
19
Mr. McGinley
asked the
Minister for the Marine
if he will make a statement on the implications for the Irish fishing industry as a result of the agreement between the European Community and the seven EFTA states with particular reference to the non-pelagic sector.
The main elements of the agreement between the European Community and the EFTA states, in so far as fisheries are concerned, are as follows: there will be full free access to EFTA markets — with some exceptions for Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Liechtenstein — for EC fish with effect from 1 January 1993; and there will be full free access to EC markets for some EFTA whitefish products with effect from 1 January 1993 and progressive duty reductions from 1 January 1993 to 1 January 1997 for other EFTA whitefish products, bringing the level of duties on these products down to 70 per cent of the present duty levels.
No tariff concessions have been made to EFTA for salmon, herring, mackerel, Norway lobster, coquilles St Jacques, shrimps and prawns, fish oils/fats and animal feeding stuffs.
By way of compensation for increased market access for whitefish granted to EFTA countries, the EC will receive an additional quota of cod in Norwegian waters, increasing progressively from 6,000 tonnes in 1993 to 11,000 tonnes in 1997. The internal EC distribution of these resources will be on the basis of cohesion criteria.
I am satisfied that, in overall terms, the agreement constitutes a most satisfactory outcome to what were particularly difficult negotiations. Vital Community markets for Ireland's three most important fishery exports — salmon, herring and mackerel, where there are serious on-going market difficulties — have been protected. On the other hand, access concessions granted to certain EFTA whitefish products should not impact significantly upon our exports of those products, given the already acute shortages of whitefish on the Community market, but there undoubtedly will be increased competition in certain segments of the processing sector. My Department will be discussing with the industry how best to prepare for this.
In looking at the fisheries sector in the Community, it must all the time be borne in mind that the Community is a substantial net importer of fish and that, as already mentioned, there are serious shortages in the whitefish sector for most species, due to falling stocks and growth in market demand.
Ireland is, of course, among the few countries in the Community which is a net exporter of fish and our interests in this regard are quite different from most other member states. Our objective in the EFTA negotiations was to secure as much continued protection as possible for as long as possible against the wider Community objective of opening up the whole Community market for all products as rapidly as possible.
These negotiations were extremely difficult and I repeat that I am well satisfied that the best deal possible was achieved.
