I welcome the Minister to the House.
Fishing Industry: Statements.
I am very pleased to have this opportunity to review developments in the fishing industry since I addressed the Seanad last April. My priority is to ensure a sustainable future for the Irish fishing industry which will underpin its vitally important socio-economic contribution to the well being of our coastal communities. My strategic objective in recent months has been competitiveness of the whitefish fleet, in particular the quality of landings, to maximise supply through full and effective take-up of available quotas and to develop non-quota fishing opportunities. A critical commercial imperative for the industry at this point in its development is to ensure that supply is matched to demand in terms of price, quality, availability and regularity. In addition, therefore, to new initiatives on the fleet side, I have identified the need to tackle the demand side by tackling product, quality and markets. This clearly required new thinking and new partnerships between the catching sector and the processing and export sectors. In the context of the strategies needed to deliver on the safety, quality and competitiveness of the industry, I wish to outline what I believe is very significant progress in recent months.
Major changes are taking place in the global seafood market. Patterns of consumption are changing with a huge potential market for a wide variety of high value seafood as well as fresh product. Competition is, however, intense and the liberalisation of world trade is adding to the market challenge for the Irish industry. There are significant opportunities, therefore, but also significant challenges.
I have directed BIM to develop a comprehensive long-term seafood marketing strategy. BIM is working very closely with Irish fish processing and exporting companies in order to maximise product and marketing opportunities for Irish fish on the domestic and export markets. Good progress is being made in developing existing and new markets for Irish seafood worldwide. Fish exports have increased by over 60 per cent since 1990 and are now worth over £250 million per annum. I am currently working with my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Walsh, to establish a sound strategic relationship between BIM and Bord Bia in delivering on their respective and complementary remits. Strategic co-operation between the two State agencies will deliver the most cost efficient and effective use of resources in the global market in the best interests of the Irish seafood sector.
I have been delivering the necessary support for the fishing industry through targeted investment plans under the operational programme for fisheries. The ongoing investment support is specifically designed to deliver on my modernisation and development objectives for the industry and for the communities which depend on it. The operational programme has also delivered on much needed investment in fishery harbour infrastructure, processing and research. However, there is still much to be done and, in addition to my key initiatives on funding for the whitefish fleet and for fishery harbours, we are now working to position the needs of the sector in the next round of EU Structural Funds post 2000.
Those negotiations are getting under way in earnest with the EU Commission. I am working to maximise the allocation for the fishing industry in the new round, reflecting the development needs and economic potential for the sector. There is significant untapped potential in terms of employment and economic growth for the industry as a whole and for our coastal communities.
The whitefish fleet generates most of the employment in the fishing sector and accounts for 65 per cent of the value of fish landings. My first priority in office was to deliver on measures for the renewal of the whitefish fleet, in line with the Government's commitment in An Action Programme for the Millennium. I am pleased to inform the House that the whitefish fleet renewal package which I announced last year is already paying dividends with new boats being ordered for the fleet for the first time in many years. The tax reliefs which I secured in the Finance Act, 1998, and the capital grant programme have created a new climate of opportunity and will catalyse the much needed degree of change in the entire fish sector.
My investment support strategy is helping significant investment in the renewal of the whitefish fleet. The reinvestment now under way in the fleet will enable full and efficient quota take-up and will enable Irish fishermen to develop new non-quota fishing opportunities. Safety and competitiveness will be improved and existing employment maintained, with the potential for additional jobs at sea and in processing and supply services.
There has been some concern in the last number of weeks about fishermen whose fishing activities have been seriously hampered by bad weather. During recent meetings with fishermen's representatives, I heard at first hand some of the hardship being experienced by fishermen and I am particularly concerned about fishermen who operate out of smaller inshore boats, dependent on catches of whitefish for their regular income. My priority has been to devise a structured response that will protect the livelihoods of fishermen during periods when they are unable to fish and have very low incomes. Senators will be aware that EU state aid rules for the fishing industry rule out aid packages for income loss due to periods of bad weather.
However, following detailed discussion with the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, the Government has agreed to introduce a new scheme to benefit low income self-employed fishermen and their families. The scheme, called fishing assist, is provided for in the Social Welfare Bill. It is expected that over 500 low income, self-employed fishermen will benefit from the fishing assist measure, which will cost up to £1 million per year. Under the scheme, 80 per cent of all income from self-employment, including income from sources outside fishing, something which is quite common especially among smaller scale fishermen, will be assessed rather than 100 per cent as has been the case heretofore; there will be child related income disregards of £100 per annum for the first two qualified children and £200 per annum for the third and subsequent children; and there will be a relaxation of the signing on arrangements. The idea is to have an annual signing on or assessment of the position based on annual returns. The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs will provide more detail on this scheme in the Social Welfare Bill.
The scheme provides a structured response to a long-term problem and tackles the situation of low income fishermen in the whitefish and inshore fleets who are particularly vulnerable to prolonged periods of bad weather which interfere with fishing activities. I think there is some lack of understanding, but as the Social Welfare Bill goes through the Houses we will ensure there is a much wider understanding of the real impact of this measure. This is particularly important as it is a long-term structural measure which will underpin the position of smaller fishermen with inshore boats for many years to come. This is a very important measure and that point is being missed by people. We are, of course, looking at other issues but that one will have an important impact, especially on those badly affected by weather conditions. Many of the larger boats can go out and catch their quotas as soon as the weather is improved but smaller vessels cannot do so; they cannot make up time once the weather the improves. A new system is required and that is included in this fishing assist measure, which is very important.
Following a series of meetings with fishermen's representatives, I established a working group to assess the extent of serious short-term problems in the fishing industry. The group comprising representatives of the fishermen, my Department and BIM will report back to me shortly. In the meantime, fishermen affected by bad weather will now receive support under the new fishing assist scheme which the Government has approved.
The continued development of the fish processing industry is critical for jobs, growth, value added and exports in the fishing industry overall. Further capacity expansion and product development in the processing sector will require a significant level of funding support post-2000 and will be a key priority for me in the forthcoming negotiations. The sound economics of supporting investment in this indigenous natural resource based sector are self-evident. A thriving processing sector is vital for the prosperity of the fishing industry and of the communities in which those processing plants are located. This is a labour intensive sector, contributing significantly to local economies.
We add 50 per cent of the value of our fish through processing. Other countries achieve up to 200 per cent added value. Obviously, there is something seriously wrong when we only achieve added value of 50 per cent while other countries achieve up to 200 per cent. We must deliver maximum value out of our fisheries resources and ensure the economic benefits of our exports accrue to Ireland. New products, technologies and first class quality are the key challenges. With an export value of £250 million and growing fairly steadily, it is particularly important that we get the maximum added value because that will have a huge impact on returns to fishermen.
I already referred to the challenges facing the fishing industry in the global market. The competitive environment is tough and conditions can be difficult. The herring and mackerel sector is a case in point. The EU and global pelagic market is currently characterised by over-supply, low prices and consumer changing trends. It has also been badly affected by the economic situation in Russia, one of the key markets for mackerel. The main underlying global factor affecting herring continues to be over-supply and changing trends on the key Japanese herring roe and European herring flap markets which are the key outlets for Irish herring exports.
Senators will recall that I briefed the Seanad on the work of the Herring Task Force which had just concluded when I addressed the House last April. Since the publication of the report I am pleased to advise the House that, with Government backing, I have delivered comprehensively on the task force's concrete recommendations on practical actions to deliver change. The strategies proposed were directed at creating a new partnership approach supporting improved operational efficiency and ensuring better co-operation in management and marketing.
A key initiative which I put in place last autumn was the introduction of quality training programmes for the herring fleet and processing sector. There was an excellent take up of the scheme and I am confident that the results will begin to show in improved product handling and processing. I also approved recently the appointment of a pelagic market co-ordinator by BIM, who will work with the Irish herring and mackerel exporters on a co-ordinated focused approach to market development in Eastern Europe and worldwide. I want to see Irish fish exporters working more closely together on sales strategies and market intelligence; that works very well for the Norwegians and the Dutch in the international marketplace. We must aspire to similar high standards of professionalism and teamwork in the overall interests of the Irish fishing industry.
The development of the Irish aquaculture industry is on a steady growth curve. The industry is now worth £60 million per annum and accounts for 30 per cent of the volume of Irish fish production. It is a major supplier of raw material to the processing side and gives valuable employment in our rural and island communities. Downstream jobs are supported in supplies, services and fish processing. Investment support for aquaculture is a key priority for me in the next round of Structural Funds. We have the skills needed to develop aquaculture in our coastal communities. Traditional farming and fishing skills are being successfully harnessed to the new technologies for the production of quality Irish farmed seafood. The three major aquaculture species are salmon, oysters and mussels, but I am encouraging continued expansion into new species, including turbot, halibut, charr and abalone. This will position the industry very well in terms of diversification and expansion. Sustainable and well regu lated development of the aquaculture industry is a key objective and the new licensing framework is designed to deliver on that objective.
I have frequently underlined the importance for Ireland and the fishing industry of a level playing field right across Europe in fisheries enforcement. The viability of the resource and interests of the Irish fishing fleet depend on effective compliance with the rules by everyone. My Department's sea fisheries inspectorate works closely with the Naval Service and the Air Corps to ensure rigorous control of fishing activity and landings in our waters. The agencies are working together to ensure that the resources available for Irish fisheries surveillance and control are utilised to best effect and that illegal fishing activity in our waters is dealt with once and for all.
I pushed successfully at last year's Fisheries Council meetings for enhanced control measures right across the EU. As Senators know, there are particular enforcement difficulties associated with the activities of flagships and the new control regime will improve our ability to police these vessels. I have actively sought more co-operation from other member states concerned in tackling the problem. I have had bilateral discussions with the Spanish Minister, in particular, in recent weeks and I am glad to say we agreed on improved co-operation and better information exchange so that the activities of flagships are verifiably controlled at ports of landing in Spain. I am also working with my UK colleague on tackling illegal fishing activity by UK registered flagships in our waters and this is also paying off.
Fishermen must be able to go about their legitimate business without being subjected to harassment or intimidation. I became seriously concerned last year about incidents between Irish fishing vessels and vessels of other nationalities operating shared fishing grounds with different gear types.
I have raised this problem formally at successive Fisheries Council meetings. This phenomenon is by no means confined to one or two fisheries but is widespread in Europe. I decided to take particular initiatives to resolve difficulties between French and Irish fishermen. We brought the two industries together in Dublin last October and had a wide ranging constructive discussion on practical problems. The two industries are now working together to devise a code of practice for fishermen operating different gear types and I look forward to launching this with my French colleague in the near future. I also agreed a similar initiative with the Spanish Minister two weeks ago under which our two Departments will facilitate dialogue between the Spanish and Irish fishermen at an early date.
We plan to have a similar meeting possibly in Spain, and Irish fishermen will go there for that meeting. The French fishermen came to Ireland and we had an excellent meeting. This is a very significant new development of which it is important Senators are aware. This is the first time we have had face to face discussions on the confrontations, let us say. We are getting down to devising real solutions to those problems. Our inspectors have been invited to Spain to inspect the work done by the Spanish inspectorate and to liaise with it on the methods used. This is something which our fishermen are glad to see because they want a level playing pitch.
In relation to harbours, the fishing industry is critically dependent on berthages and onshore facilities for landings and services. Investment to date under the operational programme for fisheries has delivered much needed improvements in key strategic fishing ports as well as smaller harbours and their related facilities. However, I identified the need for substantial additional investment in our key fishing ports and smaller fishing harbours for safety and economic reasons. I am pleased to inform the House that I secured a 300 per cent increase – up to £10 million – for investment in fishery harbours in 1999. Key priorities include Killybegs, Dingle, Burtonport and Castletownbere as well as a range of smaller though vitally important harbours.
The review of the Common Fisheries Policy will take place in 2002. I decided last year that the strategic process of preparing the national position must begin now. I won Commission agreement to begin their round of consultation here in Ireland, with a series of face to face meetings with the Irish industry last September. I have also established a national Common Fisheries Policy strategy group involving all the key players, including the industry. The group will consult, develop and advise on national objectives and strategies for the review. It heId an inaugural meeting before Christmas and is chaired by Padraic White, who is well known to Members as former chief executive of the IDA. I am pleased he was prepared to put his expertise and experience into this task. He will bring his tremendous experience and expertise to the work. The group will now proceed to work together and use to best effect all relevant expertise to inform the national negotiating position in Europe during the review. The fishery bodies, groups and representatives are widely represented in this Common Fisheries Policy strategy review group. We do not intend to repeat what happened in the past where people were not sufficiently prepared and did not plan properly for the future of these important natural resources. We are planning in advance and everybody will be involved.
I can reaffirm to the Seanad that the Government is fully committed to the continued development of the fishing industry and to assuring its sustainable future. I am working intensively on our objectives for the sector and I am sure I will have the full support of this House in continuing with our wide ranging and challenging agenda. We have made good progress in the last year. There is plenty more to be done and many challenges to be faced but I am confident that we can deliver for, and with, the industry, in the national interest.
I am under some pressure today as I must be in the Dáil for Question Time and I must travel abroad on official business so the Minister of State will take my place later and will conclude.
I welcome the Minister who gave us an overview of the fishing industry. I acknowledge that much progress has been made over the past year. However the last sentence in his statement says "There is plenty more to be done". That is the key sentence. Progress is very slow and many areas referred to a year ago were not dealt with in the statement. While I welcome the progress made, there is a long way to go before we have a viable and sustainable fishing industry.
There is no need to state that the fishing industry has taken a serious hammering in the past two months. Many fishermen are on the breadline because their income has virtually disappeared. The EU may not allow grant aid for fishermen in the event of bad weather but more could be done by the Government to alleviate the situation. While this measure is valuable, it will not go far in improving the incomes of our fishermen. We have no control over bad weather. This has been an exceptional year and exceptional circumstances should elicit an exceptional response. We did not get that response. We got a response but it will not go far.
Underlying the debate on fisheries is the question of fish stocks and their disappearance. On a worldwide basis, the exploitation of practically all fish stocks is tapering off because it has reached a level which the resource can no longer sustain. Catches are starting to dwindle everywhere and there is a limit to further expansion. There is the possibility of getting more from catches and we are not improving in that regard. We could improve fish quality and preservation. The overall limit has been reached and all discussions on fisheries must take place against this background.
In the Canadian example relatively few people are employed in the industry and there is high capital involvement. In this country there is a more traditional less capital intensive model with smaller boats and higher employment levels. We could find a balance in between the two. Harvesting the fish stocks – known as the biological resource – at the proper stage of the life cycle, the size of fish and the contribution to reproduction should all be taken into consideration.
The Minister referred to the review of the Common Fisheries Policy to take place in 2002. He is correct in starting to consider how we will enter those negotiations and how we will manage our fisheries, including the Common Fisheries Policy and the multi-annual guidance programmes. It is recognised that Ireland is doing very badly vis-à-vis those programmes. Ireland has a high proportion of the waters and a low proportion of the total allowable catches. This must be tackled in the new negotiations because the principle of relative stability enshrined in EU policy is working seriously to the detriment of this country.
Many people in the fishing industry feel we should prepare ourselves for the review of the Common Fisheries Policy. It is also felt that we should carry out the necessary research at fisheries and socio-economic levels to be able to make a case for changes in the nature of the Common Fisheries Policy and its effect on Ireland.
Many ideas are floating around regarding how this can be achieved. It is important to form an alliance with other member states where our interests coincide. We might be able to put in place a system whereby this alliance could be maximised when the CFP discussions commence. The principle of derogation in terms of a coastal strip of six or 12 miles must be recognised, and attempts should be made to build on this during future negotiations.
Reference was made to the tonnage bank and the possibility of new entrants to the industry. The question of a coastal preference for designing a new EU policy must be looked at. The type of common policy eventually arrived at will be as a result of these issues being considered. The fact that the EU has a common pond, with access by all member states, is possibly unique in the world, because while many countries have retained sovereignty over their own waters, they have reached negotiated positions with other nations. This allows them to exploit stocks to the betterment of this country. There is a lesson here for those thinking about a fundamental renegotiation of the Common Fisheries Policy. These issues could be examined to see how they might benefit this country.
The Minister's increase in grant aid to the fishing industry was a significant factor in the renewal of our fleet. This country has possibly the second oldest fishing fleet in Europe at present, and the need to up-date it cannot be emphasised strongly enough. The increased grant allocations will go a long way towards achieving this.
The question of how to maximise the quantity and price we get for fish must be asked. People should be reminded that total profit or total revenue is the product of price and quantity. Given the limitations of the stock, we must consider carefully how to maximise the price we get for fish.
Local management of fisheries should be considered. I am pleased that the Central Fisheries Board handed over the Moy fishery to local management. The Minister was very welcome a month ago to make the formal announcement of the handing over of the Moy fishery from the Central Fisheries Board to local management. Efforts will be made at local level to manage this new fishery.
The question of coastal zone management and how to take cognisance of the social problems that arise as a result of fisheries being constrained by stock problems and other issues has arisen. There is a lot of support for the idea that licences and tonnage should be allocated at local level and not at national level. This would be a fundamental change in policy. More responsibility should be devolved to local development companies such as those in the west. National issues could be dealt with more favourably and effectively at local level. This aspect should be considered in advance of the review of the Common Fisheries Policy that will take place in the year 2002.
The fishing industry is a major industry. It is a major resource which is virtually untapped as a result of the failure of our infrastructure. The Minister referred to harbours. Adequate attention has not been paid to harbour development. Priority areas such as Killybegs, Dingle, Burtonport and Castletownbere were mentioned. Many harbours along the west coast do not have adequate landing facilities. There are small harbours such as Killala and Ballina on the north Mayo coast, and harbours around the west coast in general, that are capable of taking only small boats. Given that the industry is moving towards larger boats, small piers and harbours will become obsolete because the livelihood of fishermen with small boats is virtually disappearing.
The Minister must consider investing in areas around the west coast. A development company has been considering the possibility of a deep sea port in Killala Bay. This would be a major facility for the fishing industry as well as for other commercial fishing operations. However, progress is slow and pressure at local level needs to be stepped up if this deep sea port is to be achieved along the western seaboard. The fishing industry will not develop if the infrastructure is not in place. The harbour facilities that exist along the west coast are not sufficient to deal with an emerging larger fishing fleet.
In advance of the review of the Common Fisheries Policy, the study group set up by the Minister should look at some of the fundamental issues raised. As a result, perhaps Ireland will receive a more advantageous deal than it receives at present. We are stymied by the fact that we have a vast amount of water and very limited fish quotas.
Fish farms must also be looked at because they are causing problems in certain areas at present. There is a lot of ambivalence towards them and much research needs to be carried out in this area. The facts need to be placed in the public arena so that people can decide how injurious they are. However, the facts are not available and I would like to see more research in this area.
I welcome the proposals and hope substantial progress can be made in key areas so we will enter the new millennium with a healthy fishing industry. We should have such an industry as we have the natural resources, the water, the fish stocks, to a degree, and the manpower and expertise capable of exploiting those stocks. It is up to the Minister and the Department to move with greater alacrity. I hope to see major changes in the fishing industry in the next millennium.
I welcome the Minister to the House. Last week I called for a debate on the fishing industry and I thank the Minister for coming into the House at such short notice. Most of my contribution will refer to the situation in Donegal. I appreciate that there are many problems in the industry but in no way do I blame the Minister for creating those problems. They have arisen for historic reasons and the Minister's hands are tied. However, a major crisis is pending in the fishing industry in Donegal, particularly in Killybegs and along the west coast.
There was much debate on the crisis in agriculture at a recent Oireachtas joint committee meeting. We all appreciate that this crisis exists. However, I have always thought it strange that while Governments and politicians react to such crises few ever raise the problems facing the fishing industry. This is why I called for a debate at this critical time.
The erratic supply of fish and reduced quotas are the main problems facing the industry in Donegal. The Minister attended the annual review before Christmas at which he did tremendous work concerning many species. People in Donegal are reliant mainly on herring, mackerel and horse mackerel. The quota figures speak for themselves. This year the mackerel quota is down to 60,000 tonnes, a reduction of 6,000 tonnes; the herring quota is down to 59,000 tonnes, a reduction of 8,000 and the horse mackerel quota is down by 13,000 tonnes to 63,000 tonnes. We are most alarmed by the fact that last year, for the first time, the quota system applied to horse mackerel which has been a mainstay of the industry in Donegal over recent years.
The greatly reduced quotas, particularly for mackerel, are a major cause for concern. West Donegal, in particular, is totally reliant on the fishing industry. More than 3,000 people are employed, directly or indirectly, in the industry in Donegal. This represents 20 per cent of total employment in the county. Any crisis in the industry will cause even greater problems than the Fruit of the Loom disaster which occurred before Christmas. Fish processors in Killybegs employ 1,533 people out of a total of 1,700 employed directly in processing in the county. Approximately 5,100 people are employed in the processing industry in the State so almost one third of total employment in processing takes place in Donegal.
Unfortunately, we have become very reliant on pelagic fishing. In 1970 approximately 11,000 tonnes were landed. This rose to 63,000 in 1980 and 84,000 tonnes in 1994, reaching a high of 218,000 tonnes in 1995. However, the figure for 1997 was 121,000 tonnes. The growth in the pelagic industry has been mainly due to the introduction of super trawlers, an initiative taken by the fishermen and skippers who provided all the investment without any EU or State assistance. A recent survey indicated that the turnover of 19 of the 26 fish processing factories in Donegal totalled £112 million. Jobs in these factories are dependent on the supply of fish. Unfortunately, the growth of the past two decades is coming to an end. Between 1995 and 1997, quotas were reduced by 35 per cent and the level of foreign landings by Irish boats increased by 42 per cent.
The lack of continuity of supply due to the bad weather is another difficulty. In the past month, herring supplies were transported from the south and south-west to Killybegs to enable processors fulfil their orders. Mackerel stocks in the North Sea are being landed in Norway which is normal for this time of year. However, a problem arose last March because stocks reached Irish waters one month later than the previous year. They will probably be even later this year. There are fears that when the fish arrive in Irish waters trawlers will have used up their quotas as happened last year to some degree.
In order to protect jobs in the processing factories in Killybegs, Carrick, Burtonport and Carndonagh, we need to manage quotas to ensure that enough is retained for when stocks are nearer to our coastline. Procedures will have to be put in place to maximise volumes landed in Irish ports and minimise, as far as possible, landings abroad. Failure to reach an accommodation on the management of quotas could have far-reaching effects for the fish processing industry in Donegal. Our quotas and total allowable catch are a national resource. We cannot always blame the incumbent Minister, the Department or the European Commission for all our problems. Our fishermen must accept some responsibility and share some of the blame. They should remember they are only licensed to fish the national resource.
Processing factories need a fair share of our national resources to protect employment. This valuable resource needs to be managed properly for the fishermen and the industry as a whole. We are not against the management of fisheries or conservation. We want a level playing pitch. There is a feeling that our EU partners can almost do what they like off our coast. Anyone can define the problem but we need to find a solution. The Department will have to find answers to the crisis facing the industry in Donegal. We all accept that this will be a poor year.
The root of the problem did not arise in recent years or with the first Common Fisheries Policy in 1983. When Ireland joined the EEC in 1973, the performance of the Irish fishing fleet was accepted by the then Government as the basis on which we received our percentage allocation of resources under the Common Fisheries Policy. At that time we had an underdeveloped inshore fishing fleet with an almost non-existent track record when measured against the developed fleets of the Dutch, British and Norwegians. Decisions made in 1973 have resulted in Ireland being left with only 5 per cent of the EU quota while having approximately 25 per cent of EU waters and with the new entrants to the Community we will have approximately 16 per cent of the waters. Major fundamental adjustments are required in the review of the CFP in 2002 and not only a little tinkering on the edges as commentators and EU partners suggest.
Regarding mackerel, the national migratory patterns show mackerel staying in Norwegian waters until later in the season, with the result that fish do not come to the Irish coast until February, and possibly even later this year. In other years fish was available in September and October for our fish processing factories. This has resulted in processors receiving perceived poor quality fish with low fat content, milt and roe build up and small sized fish. Even in good market conditions, these fish are difficult to sell.
There is also a major problem this year in relation to markets. Mainland European countries have been traditionally strong markets for Irish mackerel and herring products but it has become extremely difficult in the 1998-99 period to sell fish to these markets. As the Minister stated, the Russian market has practically collapsed and is effectively closed due to lack of funds. This has resulted in more processors targeting the French, German and Benelux markets.
In addition, Norway will have unrestricted duty free access to the EU market from 15 February to 15 June. This involves a country which refuses to join the club. The Polish market is becoming increasingly important to the processing industry and needs to be developed. Norway, through its EFDA membership, has duty free access to this market. EU countries have a 20 per cent duty imposed on their fish products for the majority of the year on entry into Poland. Freight from Norway to Poland is 30 per cent to 50 per cent less than the rate from Ireland. It should be noted that Poland has applied for membership of the EU and every step should be taken in those negotiations to influence the decisions and to give Irish processors a more competitive edge.
The historic west African markets are flooded with cheap fish supplied from freezer trawlers. Prices are as low as US$280 per tonne for some pelagic species delivered to the marketplace. Irish break even minimum prices for mackerel or horse mackerel are approximately US$380 to US$400 per tonne.
EU fisheries policies allow foreign investors to take as much fish as they can from Irish waters as they have no regard or loyalty to the long-term stability of stocks and supply in the region. This applies to white and pelagic fish. It is the perception of many that foreign factory trawlers are totally unregulated in terms of what they catch, grade on board and discard while at sea. There is evidence of factory trawlers and Norwegian fishing boats leaving large tracts of dead fish on the sea bed. We must ask how a situation was allowed to develop where the Norwegians have up to 23 freezer ships.
Many EU ports have limited landing controls of fresh fish, encouraging Irish and other foreign vessels to land there. In some cases, the vessels of some fleets have no log books on board. RSW vessels landing to the on-shore processing industry provide substantial employment in County Donegal. It also creates income and employment in various other areas in terms of support services such as electricity supply, transportation, water services, refrigeration, engineering companies, electronic support, shopping and banking.
The mackerel stock spawns to the west of the south-west of Ireland. Juvenile fish grow on Irish coastal waters making them Irish fish. As a result, we should have a larger share of the total allowable catch. Herring quotas have been reduced by 25 per cent in 1999, despite, at best, haphazard stock assessments. Is there is a solution to the problem? Control of the herring fishing waters should be returned to Ireland as this is the only solution to conservation problems facing the industry. Peripheral regions should have guaranteed access over foreign vessels to adjacent fishing stocks in order to maintain regional fishing communities and secure employment where there are no other viable alternatives. I understood the EU policy was to maintain peripheral communities.
I praise the fisheries officers who have operated in County Donegal. They have been most helpful in trying to build up the industry and at all times have had a great working relationship with the processors on-shore. Due to the new régime introduced on 31 December 1998, the stock of fish is logged and cold stored at each factory. A daily record is kept of the fish received and its source. This is collected by the officers regularly. The results of this new regime show the quantities being landed and the level of processing in Donegal and Killybegs in particular and that greater quantities are being landed and processed in the North of Ireland. The net result is less employment locally in County Donegal.
Some factories have laid off their full-time staff and others are actively considering doing so. There are seasonal staff with many employees working for approximately six months of the year. However, now for the first time in many years, processors are talking about the possibility of letting their full-time staff go. This will have a knock on effect on the service industry.
Fishermen and processors look to the 2002 review of the CFP as a chance to put matters right. However, the weight of bureaucracy is likely to keep the review technical and narrow. Revision rather than a review is needed. I welcome the Minister's statement on the setting up of a strategic review group under the chairmanship of Mr. Pádraic White. Unfortunately, that report will take time to prepare and I ask the Minister to start seeking change in Europe now because political efforts will ultimately inform the decision.
There is a need for Enterprise Ireland to invest in re-equipping plants in the fish processing area and to assist in providing better added value. A policy which allows for upgrading is required. I have been in the service industry to the fishing industry for 27 years; I grew up with it. Much of the machinery is up to 25 years old and needs to be replaced so that processors can become more efficient and face the competitive challenges of our EU partners.
More effort must be put into fishing the under-utilised quota and non-quota species, such as deep water blue whiting. Other opportunities must be sought. At the recent seminar in Gweedore in County Donegal, other areas were identified. In 1997, marine tourism provided income of £329 million. There will be many opportunities in the future in terms of oil and gas exploration, provided there is proper investment in harbour infrastructure. I welcome the announcement made by the Minister after the budget regarding the increase of £10 million in investment in harbours.
Aquaculture is experiencing steady growth. There are over 70 producers of mussels, oysters and clams in County Donegal. However, it will take many years before the side industries outstrip what has been achieved in the fish processing area. County Donegal is totally reliant on the industry and I have great fears for its future and sustainable employment. The industry in west Donegal, which stretches from Dunkineely to Burtonport and Bunbeg, is the major source of employment. Regarding the legislation introduced by the Minister in relation to aquaculture, the people of County Donegal appreciate his efforts and achievements.
Mr. Ryan
One of the delights of joining a party is that one gets jobs one does not expect. I am intrigued by the small responsibility of having to talk about something like fisheries that has always been of interest to me.
Senator Bonner's speech was thoughtful, provocative and challenging. He should repeat it regularly inside the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party over the next couple of years. He said one thing of fundamental importance, which was that with the review of the EU Common Fisheries Policy we will have perhaps the last opportunity to repair the extraordinary damage done when our original accession to the EU was negotiated.
Some years ago, at my request, a Member of the Dáil asked a question of the then Minister for the Marine, Deputy Seán Barrett, about the proportion of fish caught by non-Irish registered trawlers in the Irish zone of economic interest. The total figure for catches that year was £800 million – I hope it is a bit higher now. I have mentioned this figure before and I will not argue about its precision. Of the £800 million in that year, £650 million worth of fish was caught by non-Irish registered trawlers in what would be – if we were not tied in by the Common Fisheries Policy – our area of economic interest.
I know that, because of the change in money values, it is difficult to calculate, present day fish prices and the drop in fish stocks, but if one multiplies that figure by 25 it represents something in the order of £20 billion worth of what was, to paraphrase Margaret Thatcher, "our fish that we gave away".
I do not want to be simplistic about this. I do not know how reliable the figures are, but they came from the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and they are the best available. The overall figure is significant enough to be dealt with and faced up to. I am not saying, simplistically, that we could have used all those fish stocks, nor am I saying that it would have been possible to insist upon having it all. However, I would point out that Iceland is a little island in the North Atlantic, miles from anywhere, with a population of 250,000. It has ended up with one of the highest standards of living in the world, essentially on the strength of an intelligent, long-term fisheries policy.
It is true that we have done many things very well. For example, we have made strategic choices in education that have paid off extremely well. However, in the period up to our accession to the EU, one of the disaster areas in terms of strategy and long-term thinking was the neglect of fishing and a disbelief in the possibility of having a commercial fishing industry. It was always seen thus. I suppose it had something to do with the historically penitential aspect of fish. It took us a generation to move from believing that fish was a penitential food to the view most people now have – that seafood is one of the great delights of life.
Because of that, or for whatever other reasons, we entered negotiations with the EU and made a fundamental error by sacrificing fish – an industry with a potential for expansion and development – for agriculture, despite the fact that there could not have been a long-term future for the Common Agricultural Policy. If Members so wish, I will dig out a speech I made then, as a student, about agriculture. We all know that there is no such future for the CAP now in any form that would have been familiar to anyone 25 years ago.
That is why the negotiations for the review need to be, as Senator Bonner said, not simply tinkering around the edges. We must do a number of things. We cannot realistically claim back the large area of economic interest that would have been ours had we remained outside the EU, but we can demand that we should determine how conservation operates in our waters. We should be provided with resources by the EU so that nationally we can look after that resource. A vague collective responsibility for it, as described by the Minister in terms of bilateral meetings with British or Spanish Ministers, is not a solution. It must be accepted that ultimately the resource is ours and that it is more in our interest than of others to conserve the resource and, therefore, we are the best people to do it. In the EU's collective interest we need the resources to protect that resource.
We made a fundamental strategic error, but there is no point talking about the past. We now have an opportunity to restructure that policy. We should be talking about a move from having access to 5 or 6 per cent of the total EU fish catch to something approximating 20 or 25 per cent. We should demand the scope to do that.
It is not our fault that other countries have destroyed their own fish stocks and it is not our responsibility to deal with their problems. It is ridiculous to suggest that because Spain, in particular, has behaved irresponsibly about its own fish stocks, we must accept that country's demand for fish has to be met at our expense.
The figures become even more terrifying in light of the Minister of State's suggestion that the value added from fish processing could be as high as 200 per cent. That suggests that if we were doing our job as well as we should in maximising value added, the loss in value to this country of fish caught by foreign trawlers could be as high as £40 billion. I am prepared to accept a fluctuation in those figures of 25 or even 50 per cent. The issue is not whether the loss figure is £30 or £40 billion but that it is an enormous multiple. It is as big as the sum of all the transfers from the EU to this country in the last 25 years. That is the scale of it.
I will not argue over the details because we do not know them. We want to begin to build back those losses. As Senator Bonner said, fishing is the industry which could regenerate the whole western seaboard. There is, of course, an immediate problem which we also neglected and which will make me sound like an apologist for the west. However, as Senator Tom Fitzgerald knows, I have a soft spot for a part of the south-west. It is extremely difficult to deliver fish caught anywhere in the west to international markets because our road infrastructure is so appalling. Somebody somewhere decided that, because those regions were peripheral, they did not need good roads. Because of that they did not develop industries and so they did not get the roads. It was a fundamental error not to build a good road infrastructure to enable fish caught on the west coast to be transported rapidly to international markets at a competitive cost.
I cannot understand some of the strange contradictions in fish markets because, on the one hand, we have severely cut back on quotas yet, on the other, it appears that some markets no longer exist. Where are the pressures on quotas coming from if the demand for fish has dropped? I am at a loss to figure that out. One would have thought that if the markets were depressed, pressure on quotas would have diminished but that does not appear to have happened. We need to dig a bit deeper.
I do not want to argue with people, who know far more about this than I do, about the relative merits of large scale offshore fishing and small scale inshore fishing. There is no doubt, however, that small scale vessels tend to be more useful in generating employment. We have both a strategic and social justification for encouraging and protecting small scale fishing. It may not make a huge economic contribution but a well developed fishing industry is much more secure for somewhere like Donegal than Fruit of the Loom could ever be. It is not of its nature going to relocate to some other country simply because of changes in the international marketplace.
If small scale inshore fishing is to be facilitated, one of the fundamental needs must be a large network of good quality harbours around the coast. The figure of £10 million about which the Minister of State boasts is very little at a time when the State has a budget surplus of £750 million to £1 billion, depending on whose figures are believed; it is less than the Minister for Finance gave the bookies this year in tax reductions on betting. That is not the way to maximise the capacity of small scale fishing to make the best use of limited opportunities. The weather cannot be changed but it can at least be ensured that those involved in small scale fishing have the basic facilities. A strategic decision must be made, as with agriculture, to ensure support for people who are only marginally commercial goes to them and is not distributed in a scatter-gun effect across the fishing industry. There is a section of the fishing industry which is obviously commercial and internationally competitive, but it is not necessarily the sector which will generate jobs and long-term economic development in the areas where fishing should be the natural force for economic development.
There are greater issues than Irish concerns in fishing. The EU is beginning a policy of what I call predatory agreements with developing countries, particularly in west Africa, to allow EU fleets to fish in their zones of economic interest. The ethics of an economic area such as the EU, which is working well at destroying its resources, deciding the way to surmount that is to buy the resources from another country, which is so under-developed that it cannot afford to develop its own fishery resources, have parallels for us and the deal we struck on accession. It is the same idea: people are given a few good deals in return for access to resources they apparently cannot develop. I am not sure in the context of the public policy strategy of sustainable development that it is sustainable for the EU to be building larger vessels to travel longer distances to essentially destroy other people's fishery resources.
The central factors at this stage of the process are a recognition of the scale of fish catches in our zone of economic interest, a recognition of the scale of what we have lost and an allocation of resources and priorities to renegotiate that because of the scale of what is involved. As well as that, we need a strategy to maximise the capacity of small scale vessels to have access to fish stocks. The control of those resources needs to be renationalised, with EU funding because of its scale. If EU fishermen are to be allowed fish in our waters, we must be given the resources by the EU to ensure our interests are defended. A strategy must then be developed of facilitating the development of harbours along the south-west coast which would be useful to small scale fishing, which is the area in which the greatest economic and employment gains are most likely to occur.
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I had not expected to take part in the debate but as I am, I enthusiastically support the points made by Senators Bonner and Ryan with one request about which I will be brief. I grew up in a fishing village in County Down and I live near Ardglass, which is equidistant from Kilkeel and Portavogie. I empathised greatly with Senator Bonner when he described the impact of the Common Fisheries Policy on fishing communities on the island. Such communities have paid the price of the benefits other sectors in the economy have derived from the CAP and other European Union schemes. To see whole areas lose their economic base, to see the loss of traditions and skills which have existed for centuries and which have been handed down to successive generations, and to see the loss of hope which goes with boats being burned, is very striking.
We must concentrate on protecting our fishery resources. There is no point having conservation policies unless there is effective policing and protection. I was glad to hear the Minister of State speak of added value. It is not only what is taken from the sea but also what is done to the catch after that. We should aim for quality rather than quantity. I was delighted this time last year when I was in an oyster and mussel producing area of France to see Irish mussels and oysters available on the market at a premium price.
My one request is that the Minister of State remember my friends and neighbours engaged in the fishing industry in Northern Ireland and to regard them as partners rather than competitors in this great enterprise. We all have an interest in protecting scarce fish stocks from exploitation and destruction by piratical and exploitative fishing. Like Senator Ryan, I believe small boat fishing and inshore fishing tend to be more environmentally correct. They do not do the same damage to stocks and fishing grounds. If we are to continue along that route, such people need a great deal of support in marketing, preparation and processing.
It seems to me that, under the North-South bodies which are now emerging from the British-Irish Agreement, fishing, aquaculture and mariculture will be areas of potential development. I hope the Minister of State will try to ensure that synergy is developed and that the waters around the island are developed in the interests of all the fishing people on the island. I appeal to the Minister of State to take what steps he can to ensure the interests of fishermen in Northern Ireland are also taken into account.
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and I welcome the Minister, Deputy Woods who was here earlier. I compliment them for their excellent work since the formation of the Government less than two years ago. I was pleased when the announcements were made because, being a former Seanad colleague of the Minister of State and knowing from where he is coming, I was aware of his keen and deep interest in the fishing industry. He is proactive and progressive.
Tremendous work has been done by the Government. Ten or 12 years ago when Fianna Fáil was in power, it established a new Department of the Marine. I concur with Senator Ryan that marine was the poor relation in the Department of Agriculture and Food. Fishing suffered but, over the past eight to ten years, immense work has been done by the Department of the Marine. It is a separate Department and the progress it has made must be acknowledged.
I listened to Senator Ryan, whom I wish well on joining the Labour Party. Some of his colleagues in the newly formed party are from Democratic Left and it annoyed me, as a person whose family has been involved in fishing in west Cork for five generations, that in the last programme for Government Democratic Left was the only party which had no programme with regards to fishing. They were not interested. The Labour Party position was extremely weak also. I recognise the work of the late Minister Coveney in the then Department of the Marine. He was an excellent Minister. He had seafaring blood in his system and, as a former chairman of Cork County Council and a member of its coastal management committee, I often complimented him on his excellent work. He was a huge loss to the fishing industry, particularly on the south coast.
Coming from west Cork, I welcome the fact that the port of Castletownbere has been included by the Minister in his £10 million funding of commercial ports and harbours. I am also glad that the Minister, Deputy Woods, has been to west Cork on at least four occasions since he came to office. As recently as Monday of last week, he was in Union Hall announcing the opening of a new facility called icelink. The House will be aware of banklink, but icelink is a new phenomenon where one can use a credit card to buy a number of tonnes of ice at a certain price. The ice is shuttled on board the trawlers unlike the old system where, if there was ice available, one had to manhandle it onto the boats. This is a great innovation.
In addition, the Minister provided in the region of £70 million for the white fish fleet to upgrade the safety features of boats and to provide new boats. On that day in the local hotel in Rosscarbery six contracts were signed by local west Cork fishermen and other contracts were signed in County Donegal and in other parts of Ireland. This is indicative of the keen interest the Government has in the fishing industry.
In my constituency there are about 400 people employed directly or indirectly in the aquaculture industry, which is dear to my heart. I was glad to see the Minister, Deputy Byrne, laying a foundation stone for a new state-of-the-art factory for the mussels industry, for a company called Bantry Bay Mussels. The Government, with EU funding, grant aid and support from BIM etc., is pumping almost £7 million into this factory. Knowing that this debate was to take place today, yesterday I deliberately drove to Gerahies, which is only four or five miles from my home, to look at the factory which is now in place and subject to the installation of equipment. It is less than three months since the Minister, Deputy Byrne, laid the foundation stone. The opening of this factory will consolidate about 120 existing jobs and create another 70 or 80 jobs. It is a wonderful development.
The mussel industry started off in Bantry in 1982 as a result of the Betelgeuse disaster when there was a huge explosion on Whiddy Island and it was a case of trial and error. I was involved in the initial pilot scheme. Our first rafts sank because we did not realise that the mussels would grow so quickly and the mussel rafts were not buoyant enough. We felt, from our research, that it would take between 18 months and two years for the mussels to develop for processing. It transpired that this can be achieved in about nine months. By trial and error, an industry has developed from nothing to create 300 or 400 jobs in a peripheral area where there are small farmers. One is dealing with peninsulas, like the Beara Peninsula, Mizen Head and the Sheep's Head Peninsula, and this is a wonderful assistance to the area. I am reliably told by the powers that be that the aquaculture and fishing industries are the second biggest employer in the area.
With regard to the development of harbours and piers, I must acknowledge the first Minister to visit Union Hall when the pier was falling down. That was less than ten years ago when juggernaut lorries could not turn at the pier but had to reverse about half a mile down a winding road. The Minister, Deputy Woods, who was then Minister in a previous Administration, visited the area and saw the potential there. In 1984 landings were worth about £300,000 or £400,000 and the industry is now a multi-million pound development. A number of Governments, initially that of which the Minister, Deputy Woods, was a member, pumped about £8 million into developing Union Hall, with the building of a brand new pier and an ice plant. There are now 200 jobs on shore in Skibbereen as a result of processing from fish landed at Union Hall. The important point about Union Hall, which the Minister realised, is that many of the species landed there are not subject to quota system cuts. It is a wonderful development and long may it last. Union Hall has been developed from a sleepy little village to a thriving economy almost 90 per cent dependent on fishing and fish landings.
I agree with Senator Ryan that when we negotiated the deal with Europe in 1972 we were in a disorganised position. We did not get the best deal possible, bearing in mind that Ireland has almost 25 per cent of EU waters and less than 5 per cent of the quotas. Much positive work, however, has been done in the past ten years and much more must be done. The industry has two capable people, the Ministers, Deputies Woods and Byrne, looking after it.
There is work to be done on other piers and harbours in my area but over the past ten years extra jobs have been created on-shore. There is a success story in west Cork and it can be copied in other parts of the country.
I welcome this debate. Like my colleague, Senator Bonner, who spoke eloquently, I could speak for two or three hours on the fishing industry. I emphasis and recognise the huge commitment of the Government to the fishing industry. I have seen the rewards and dividends in my area and they can be seen in County Kerry also. I am not au fait with the scenario in County Donegal, but I am sure what has been done and what is proposed is wonderful.
It is unfortunate that herring and mackerel prices have collapsed but one must realise that there were often 30 Russian factory ships in Bantry Bay taking thousands of mackerel from the area. That created jobs in Castletownbere also. These markets have collapsed.
I recall fishing herring in Bantry Bay when we were getting £17 per box and now the price is £4 per box. That indicates that markets have collapsed. It is an important point on which to conclude.
I am from the same type of community as Senators Bonner, O'Donovan, Caffrey and most of those who spoke. The communities of the west are nearly totally dependent on the fishing industry. Senator Bonner outlined that the farming community is going through a difficult time. Nobody denies that, and every effort is being made to help farmers, but the same may be said of fishermen. Bad weather conditions cause great problems for fishermen. If they can get out to sea, at least they can make a few pounds and keep the show on the road.
I agree with everything that was said on both sides of the House. Huge mistakes were made in the past when we started negotiating, as I am sure the Minister and Minister of State would agree. I compliment them. Let us refresh our memories about the number of things that have been achieved in the last 18 months. Senator Hayes mentioned small ports and North-South regulations. Shortly before Christmas, the Minister, Deputy Woods, negotiated an increase in the fish quota which is worth £9.5 million over what was proposed for fishermen North and South. There were cutbacks but the figure negotiated by the Minister was greater than that proposed. A major part of the argument put forward by the Minister related to the unfair dumping of herring in the EU by countries outside the EU who are not required to pay duty on them. Outside countries were selling herring to the EU without any restriction. This did huge damage to our sale of herring and led to a drop in price. This caused a major crisis last year which was solved by the Minister's successful negotiations before Christmas.
The Minister placed much emphasis on the added value of the processing industry. He said we add only 50 per cent to the value of our fish through processing while other countries add 200 per cent. The answer to this problem is very simple. I recently watched a television programme on Japanese fish markets. The largest fish markets in Britain and Ireland have an average of 12 species of fish for sale; Japanese fish markets have more than 1,000 species. I cannot see the fish processing industry developing here because we are producing top quality fish that is not suitable for canning or packaging but is best eaten fresh. One would laugh at the idea of buying a can of black sole. Our fishermen throw away many species of fish while fishermen in other countries land and sell every fish caught.
In the last year, six small piers in my area which had deteriorated badly were refurbished. Roinn na Gaeltachta gave a grant of approximately £30,000 per pier and the local authority added 50 per cent making a total investment of approximately £45,000. That investment was worth millions to the local communities. Senator Ryan was right when he spoke of the importance of the small boat fishermen who, for example, fish for lobster part time.
I give credit to the Department, the Minister and the Minister of State for the investment in the new white fish fleet. The last time we discussed the fishing industry we condemned the lack of investment in new boats. Our fleet is old and out of date. The investment of £9.5 million announced by the Minister will improve the white fish fleet greatly.
Tuna fishing has gained in importance in recent times. No sooner did it become a major fishery than it was handicapped by the condemnation of the use of drift nets by tuna fishermen. I am delighted to hear the Minister has decided to support France in taking this matter to the European Court.
Will the Minister take up the issue of the 136 licences for small fishing boats of 20 feet and less? There are still some boats which do not have licences because their owners were late in applying or had forgotten to do so.
I hope the Minister will continue his good work and I was delighted to hear him mention Dingle when he spoke of his proposal to spend £10 million on harbours.
I wish to share my time with Senator Chambers.
When there is a crisis in nursing or farming, when the Army go deaf or the gardaí have a blue flu or when there are insurance or banking collapses the whole country becomes involved. When something similar happens in the fishing industry the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources is left to solve the problem on his own. I congratulate him for the work he has done. However, there are major problems in the fishing industry. In Killybegs, the town I come from, the processors can hardly take any more fish. Senator O'Donovan mentioned the Russian ships which used to buy fish. Why has the Government sent no one to Russia to try to reopen these markets? I have tried to do this myself in the last week or so but I am only one person.
The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources now insists on a new monthly landing system which will ensure that the pelagic boats land in Killybegs. They are no longer permitted to land catches in Norway or Denmark. In Killybegs the processors cannot cope with the catches and cannot pay even half what the boats are paid elsewhere. Can you imagine what would happen if farmers were told they must sell their beef to a particular factory and could not export it because it belongs to the Irish people? There would be sheep inside the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture and Food within an hour.
The fishing industry has been abused for years because of the small number of fishermen, but we have taken enough. Quotas are going down instead of up. Senator Bonner has not mentioned the quota system. It has gone down repeatedly and we are suffering from this development. He mentioned 3,000 jobs in Donegal. What will happen to these jobs? Processing plants are laying people off because they cannot do any more. This must stop. Fisheries officers – spies – are going to factories in ones and twos at night to count the fish. Fish coming off boats in Burtonport, Greencastle and Killybegs are almost counted singly. The Dutch, the Danish and the Spanish do not do this. Why are we penalising the Irish fishermen?
I can see jobs disappearing. It is not enough to build up a whitefish fleet or to have fish farms. There are now three Killybegs fishing boats fishing off the east coast of the US because the Americans appreciate fishing and allow them to fish there. Does the Minister of State think it will help the Irish economy to have our boats landing fish in the US because the Americans will pay them and allow them to fish there? Our waters are full of foreign fleets. Senator Bonner referred to the Norwegian super trawlers leaving trails of dead fish across the bottom of the sea.
The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources is not doing enough to encourage people to eat more fish, which is one the healthiest foods one can eat. The only people who are going to make money out of fishing in the future are the fisheries officers who will be the only people left in Burtonport, Killybegs and Greencastle with enough money to buy a pint because everyone else will be broke. This situation must stop.
We cannot even aggregate quotas now. Unlike in Holland, Denmark and the UK, pelagic skippers here cannot even sell their track records. They will be unable to reduce effort, either by leaving the job or by aggregating, but must continue to operate until they are bankrupt. However, they will not become bankrupt because they will go to the US to fish. What will that do for the people in Killybegs and the associated jobs in hotels and so on where young people were returning to the area?
I am not attacking the Minister of State who is doing a good job. However, I want the Government to do more. Kevin McHugh's father asked me long ago what I would say if he could show me an industry which would produce 600 jobs in towns all around the country, perhaps 60,000 jobs nationwide. I said I would say to go for it bald headed. He told me that that industry was fishing.
We have never done enough for fisheries, regardless of who was in power. I am not blaming any particular Minister or Government. Fishing is not taken seriously because it is perceived there are just a few fishermen involved who are making a great deal of money. However, that is not true. There is a huge industry there waiting to be developed. We must take this issue more seriously. The Government must develop an action plan and open up the markets, in Russia and elsewhere, as it has done for the beef industry.
I welcome the genuine interest shown by the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, in fisheries. The funding provided by the Department over the past year and a half for the development of the whitefish fleet is a positive investment. The recent announcement of supports for inshore fishermen and the extra tonnage that has been achieved by the Minister in the negotiations will help people to sustain and develop that industry which is based on an existing natural resource.
While there are some constraints at EU level, which is where some of the major problems occur, in terms of processing and sales of fish, the Department should develop a proper marketing strategy.
While there is a certain level of resistance to the introduction of the recent salmon management structures, this is accepted by the fishermen in principle because they know it will be to their detriment in the long run if they do not manage the resource. If there can be cohesion at departmental level, we can manage our stocks better while, at the same time, sustaining the long-term investment of the people involved.
I welcome the Minister of State's involvement in aquaculture development. If that is managed properly, it will not interfere with the natural balance of wild fish. However, that must be catered for and resources must be provided.
People who invest substantially in the development of facilities for the growth and promotion of aquaculture, particularly those who provide big buildings, should receive rates remission, as happens in industry and other areas. The Government should seriously examine that because those people are entitled to the same incentives as are provided for the industrial sector. Some people have made very substantial investments in facilities for the management of shellfish and the development of cultured fish.
I see inshore fishing playing a major part in the sustaining of our people along the coast, particularly the western and north-western seaboards. The fishing industry has the necessary power, strength and commitment from the Minister to develop and manage itself in the long-term. The work of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources on the strategic development of piers and harbours will help to sustain people in areas where farming is in decline. There should be increased involvement between those two Departments in the development of those areas which will enable us to plan a long-term, sustainable future for our people.
I wish to draw the Minister's attention to a policy that has been implemented for our inland lakes, particularly in the west, where gill netting is being used as a way of removing large pike from Lough Corrib. There are three difficulties with this. First, it has a huge impact on tourism. Many tourists who would have come in the off peak seasons to fish pike on the lakes, are no longer coming because they are completely against this type of culling, which they believe damages the fish and the ecology of the lake. Second, many fish which go through this type of netting are damaged. These nets damage the skin of smaller fish, which then become more prone to viral infections. That, in turn, causes further difficulties for these fish, which are mostly trout. Third, it is not guaranteed that large pike reduce the stocks of trout. A policy of removing large pike from the lake will seriously impact on the development of the lakes.
Is é cúis mór áthas orm bheith anseo. Ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas agus buíochas a ghabháil le gach cainteoir who spoke very eloquently and coherently. We had ten speakers in a very short time and I know each of them could have spoken for far longer.
Common threads throughout the excellent speeches were harbours, the fleet, stocks, processing and, above all, income. I assure Senators their comments will be favourably considered. I thank the two spokespersons – Senators Bonner and Caffrey – in particular for remaining in the House throughout the debate. I also thank Senator Cox. I welcome Senator Ryan onto the Labour benches. The Labour Party appears to have picked up some very interesting species in its recent trawl.
The fishing industry is a very important one with tremendous prospects. Although some of the contributions were somewhat negative, they were excellent overall.