We are dealing with perishable products here. It is the primary function of the producers organisations under EC regulations to align market supply of fish with demand. It is extremely difficult to do that. The intervention system is a safety net which helps fishermen stay in business. I appreciate the Deputy's point. We do not want fish to go for fishmeal or for animal feed. We are making every effort to deal with this problem. There are two fish producers organisations here, the Killybegs Fisherman's Organisation and the Irish Fish Producer's Organisation. The KFO, for obvious geographical reasons, draw their members from Killybegs and Donegal generally. They have a large fishmeal plant in the area. The IFPO, headquartered in Dublin, have members throughout the country, including Donegal. There is one other small fishmeal plant in Galway. If there are ten or 20 tonnes of surplus fish in one part of the country, the fish producers organisations must consider the economics involved and it is more economical to dump the fish than to transport it for fishmeal purposes.
Lest there be any fears that fish is being dumped in the channels or alongside the harbours, I should like to say they are disposed of at sea under the direction of the Department's sea fishery officers.
We would all like to see the day when fish are not being dumped but we are dealing with a perishable product, not with cows and calves which can be put aside until the next day. Fish are killed at sea, not when they land. We are well aware of the concern but I hope my explanation satisfied the Deputy.