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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 24 Jun 1993

Vol. 432 No. 8

Written Answers. - Fish Withdrawals Scheme.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

58 Ms McManus asked the Minister for the Marine the total value and tonnage of fish dumped during 1991 and 1992; the way in which such fish are disposed of; if any progress has been made in finding a less wasteful way of disposing of such fish; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The purpose of the European Community's fish withdrawals scheme is to support the market for fish when demand is low. Each year the Commission, in consultation with the member states, fixes withdrawal prices for the species covered by the scheme. Once the market price for a species falls to the level of the withdrawal price fish is withdrawn and compensation is paid to fishermen. A feature of the withdrawals scheme is the requirement that withdrawn fish must be disposed of in such a way that it does not interfere with the normal marketing of the species in question. Consequently, withdrawn fish is either used as fishmeal or animal feed or is dumped.

It is calculated that 901 tonnes of fish valued at approximately £320,800 were withdrawn from the market and disposed of by means of dumping in 1991. The corresponding figures for 1992 are 1,138 tonnes of fish valued at £405,200.

Withdrawn fish can only be disposed of by means of dumping at sea under the direction of the Department's sea fishery officers. The fish is sprayed with dye to prevent it being used for human consumption.

The Fishermen's Producer organisations have been urged by the Department to avoid the dumping of fish where possible and to dispose of surplus fish through fishmeal or animal feed processing outlets. I should point out that the vast majority of the fish withdrawn — well over 90 per cent — is used for processing into fishmeal or animal feed.

It is encouraging to note that the percentage of withdrawn fish disposed of by means of dumping has decreased in each of the last four years, including a fall from 9 per cent in 1991 to 6.2 per cent in 1992.

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