I will do my best to make my case within the time allocated.
I would like to record my gratitude to the Cathaoirleach and the Minister for the opportunity of raising this matter. To me and to the people in the part of the country I come from it is of importance equal to any major concern that might be expressed in the city of Dublin.
I will briefly outline the size of the problem and the publicity it has got already. I have copies of a number of papers which are circulated in the north west. One is the Donegal Democrat. In the issue I have here, there is the heading “Pollution Problem Disturbing”. The Minister's response to the problem is outlined also in this paper. I have here also an issue of the Irish News, dated 30 June, which is published in Belfast and which contains an article on the pollution of the Foyle. This refers to “Foyle deadly poison puzzle” and goes on to give account of traces of DDT chemicals and pesticides, banned for over 30 years, but which have been found in the Foyle. That is according to the environmental group, Greenpeace. Members of Greenpeace were in Derry to investigate recent reports of pollution in the River Foyle. This is the problem I am forced to take up. I have a lot of information to support my case. We are talking of a very dangerous development that cannot be allowed continue.
I have another paper here —The Derry Journal printed on 1 June which contains the following “Something malicious going on in the Foyle.” In the Donegal Democrat of 1 June we read that a meeting of fishermen was held prior to 1 June. It reads:
There was a sinister undertone to last night's meeting when Foyle salmon dealers met fishermen in St. Johnston to discuss a pollution problem of a different kind on the River Foyle. A spokesman for the Foyle Salmon Dealers' Association, Mr. Frank Casey of Strabane, County Tyrone told the meeting that "their association was set up last winter because of the serious pollution problem they had experienced in the River Foyle last year.
With less than five weeks to go to the start of the fishing season, we thought it our duty to come here tonight and to explain to you clearly why this association and its members will not be buying salmon this year off the River Foyle."
This refers to fish buyers. Mr. Casey of Strabane was a spokesperson for the fish buyers.
Mr. Casey did not stop there. He invited RTE to do a programme and they were quick to oblige. I have here a copy of that "Today Tonight" programme and I will be presenting it to the Minister. Mr. Casey invited RTE to the area. The programme began in Strabane with salmon that was caught in the Foyle, or was supposed to have been caught in the Foyle being eaten. Mr. Casey went to a lot of pains on the film to indicate that there was a taint or a taste off the fish. I believe the end of the story has not yet been reached. There is serious damage to the fishing industry on the Foyle. Those whose livelihoods have been affected are entitled to look to RTE and to claim compensation. I believe they will be doing that.
The people who invited RTE to make a video film of the salmon fishing industry in the Foyle refused to pay for fish caught last year. They put forward a reason for that, that they had 500 boxes of fish in cold storage in the North of Ireland, and that those fish were unsaleable. The licensed fishermen made it their business to locate the cold store and check out the story. It transpired that 23 boxes of salmon in that store were caught last year in the Foyle, but 400 boxes were also in the store marked to the same Mr. Casey. I have the addresses and the labels that came off the boxes — from Perth in Scotland. I am using this opportunity of saying this in order to bring it home to the Minister and his Department that this is not a political topic, it is not a political bandwagon, it is not a matter for discussion but it is a serious matter and one that has to be examined very quickly.
We are very fortunate in Donegal in that we have a quality control laboratory at Killybegs. It is recognised, supported and financed to some extent by the Department of the Marine and used by the Department. It tests the quality of all the fish that leaves Donegal by the lorry load daily. The are doing satisfactory work. We have had the Foyle fish tested in that laboratory. I have certificates of a clean bill of health for the Foyle fish. I am passing some of this information to the Minister today. After Mr. Casey and Mr. Frank Foley who represent Atlantic Harvest——