Opening Address – BIM Fish Ireland 2008 Conference

Speaking notes for Minister of State for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mr. Tony Killeen, T.D. at the BIM ‘Fish Ireland 2008’ Conference at the Lough Eske Hotel, Donegal on the

26th June 2008

  • Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen, and welcome to the ‘Fish Ireland 2008’ conference. I would like to thank the organisers, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, for organising this important event on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  • Although I am not longas Minister with responsibility for Fisheries and Forestry, Minister Brendan Smith and I have been very engaged, especially with the catching sector as we have attempted to deal with the challenges presented by the recent steep rises in fuel costs.

As you may be aware from all of the media coverage, our fishermen are having a very tough time and we are doing everything we can, both at home and at EU level, to try and help them however possible.

  • As a coastal TD from Clare, with many fishermen and fish farmers in my constituency, I am very aware of the importance of fishing, aquaculture, and the wider seafood sector to our rural communities.

This indigenous sector, which sustains our coastal communities, is greatly valued, particularly as it creates wealth and employment where there are few other alternative opportunities at present.

  • I am especially pleased to be able to come here today, to the lovely County of Donegal, to meet the wider seafood industry and to discuss how we can drive the industry forward and generate more value and higher profitability for all involved in the sector.
  • While these are challenging times, Minister Smith and I felt it was important to proceed with the Conference as we want to send out a strong message to the fishing industry that the government is committed to the Irish seafood sector in line with the strategy laid out in the Cawley Report and reflected in the National Development Plan.

By the “Irish seafood sector” I include, catchers, farmers, processors and marketers and indeed every link in the production chain. I am determined to follow through on the implementation of the Cawley Strategy, so ably developed by Dr Noel Cawley and his colleagues in full consultation with the Seafood Sector. This is why I feel it is so important to be here today.

  • I am very pleased to see the wide spread of representation from right across the industry here today. It is heartening for me to be able to see at first hand the commitment you have all shown in coming here today to discuss, to reflect upon the opportunities and to drive your seafood business forward.
  • I understand that this is the first time that a conference has been held that deals with all aspects of the Irish seafood sector and I would like to thank all the speakers, and in particular the speakers who have come from abroad for taking the time to talk to us today.

It is always helpful to hear how similar issues are dealt with from an international viewpoint. Their experience helps to put Ireland’s position in perspective, because many of the challenges & opportunities we face are also being faced by other counties in the EU and globally.

  • Indeed, in light of recent events, I believe that this Conference will prove most helpful in allowing us to take stock and to identify the key steps required to lift the industry.
  • I would like now to return to address the immediate issues facing the catching sector. I’ve held lengthy meetings with the Federation of Irish Fishermen who have clearly set down the immediate difficulties facing their sector arising from the sharp increase in fuel prices.

I met EU Fisheries Commissioner, Mr Joe Borg last week where I outlined in detail to him the urgent issues facing the Irish Fishing Industry.

  • Following a meeting with the Federation of Irish Fishermen on Monday, I outlined a strong case for a package of EU-funded measures to address the current difficulties being experienced by fishermen in Ireland.

I was supported by a number of other Ministers from other Member States in expressing the view that there was an urgent need for a pan-European approach to resolving the short and medium-term difficulties.

I was pleased with the support offered by a number of other Member States and with the response of the EU Fisheries Commissioner Borg, who has undertaken to come back to the next Council meeting on 15th July with definitive proposals.

  • Apart from the lengthy discussion on the fuel issue, I was particularly pleased with the progress made in a number of other areas of concern to Irish fishermen.

The meeting was positive in the areas of restructuring the industry, action to combat illegal fishing and a possible increase in access for Irish fishermen to Cod stocks in the Celtic Sea - all of which are issues of particular concern to Irish fishermen and which I have been pursuing with the Commission.

  • The proposals which I discussed at the Council of Ministers have to be seen in the context of the Government's initiative to implement a major restructuring of the Irish whitefish fleet.

We are currently in the process of a major decommissioning programme to remove up to 35% of the larger whitefish vessels from our fleet and we issued offers worth €41 million last Friday to vessel owners under the scheme. Clearly the completion of the current planned decommissioning measure must be our first priority.

  • I also pressed the Commission to examine new initiatives at EU level to increase the return received by fishermen at the quayside and improved labelling to assure consumers.

I joined with other like-minded Member States in asking the Commission to bring forward initiatives on research and innovation into ways to develop more fuel-efficient engines and fishing practices as a priority.

  • If we are to introduce short-term measures to compliment decommissioning underway in our fleet and address the immediate financial hardship faced by vessel owners and crew, we will need additional funding from the Community.

There is a requirement for the Commission to source additional funding and at Council I strongly urged the Commission to urgently source additional funding to support the industry during this period of restructuring and put it on a firm and sustainable footing in the future.

  • We must tackle the problems of the Industry on a number of fronts. In that respect I believe that the agreement reached at Council on illegal unreported and unregulated fishing as very significant.

The estimated €1.1 billion of illegal imports annually in the EU was a cause of concern as it had the effect of depressing the price of fish within the Community as well as causing serious environmental damage.

I believe that the introduction strong laws to remove illegal imports from the EU market will be of substantial benefit to our fishermen by removing unfair competition in the market and helping to increase the price they get at the quayside.

  • Turning now to the broader seafood sector, it is true to say that the current crisis has had the effect of sharply focussing minds.

There is no doubt that the problems identified in ‘Steering a New Course’ seafood strategy have been further compounded by the increases in the price of fuel.

Recent events have shown us that there is no time to spare in terms of achieving the objectives set out in the “Steering a New Course” seafood strategy and in doing so, ensuring the ongoing viability of this crucial sector.

  • It is fair to say that the good news is that we already have an excellent blueprint available to us to transform the Industry and the domestic market is continuing to grow rapidly.
  • The “Steering a New Course” strategy sets out a vision for a sustainable, profitable and self-reliant industry. As you will, I’m sure, remember, the strategy was as a result of an independent review chaired by Dr. Noel Cawley, who will be speaking later this morning.

Noel worked with Mr. Joey Murrin and Mr. Ruain O’Bric and together they engaged in a set of intensive discussions around the coast with fishermen, fishing communities and all of the other players in the sector.

Their expert analysis remains valid today and we need to ensure that we do not lose sight of our agreed goals and that we use this opportunity to continue to implement the key recommendations.

  • Noel agreed to a request from the Government to chair an Implementation group, which had its most recent meeting in the hotel here yesterday. Noel will be reporting to the conference here on the progress being made and the challenges which are being tackled.
  • In the meantime I am pleased to be able to report to you that a number of the structural measures outlined in the strategy have already been successfully implemented.

These include the first phase of the 2008 Whitefish Decommissioning Scheme which I referred to earlier. Michael Keatinge, Fisheries Development Manager with BIM will give you a detailed overview of what the scheme will do for the industry in his presentation later this afternoon.

  • Other initiatives currently underway include measures to enhance the differentiation of Irish seafood products in the market place in order to capture more of the domestic market growth.

Happily I can report that Irish consumers are eating more fish, whereby last year’s retail sales figure grew by 17%. Now the challenge is to ensure that the Irish consumer eats more Irish seafood which would enhance the benefits along the value chain to our catchers and farmers.

  • To help meet this challenge I have recently established the new Irish Seafood Market Initiative under the chairmanship of Jason Whooley, Chief Executive of BIM.

The remit of the initiative will be to discuss, identify and maximise the opportunities for the domestic seafood supply to the Irish Seafood market.

The objective beingto bring fishermen, fish farmers, processors, wholesalers, distributors and retailers together to ensure that they are supplying the Irish domestic market with as much Irish seafood as possible and to lessen our reliance on imports.

I am progressing this initiative and have invited a broad spectrum of industry bodies to nominate representatives to the forum to enable this critical work to commence as quickly as possible. I await the outcome of those meetings with interest.

  • In tandem with this initiative and in response to concerns from the Federation of Irish Fishermen, I have established a new Irish Fisheries Science Research Partnership under the chairmanship of Dr Peter Heffernan, Chief Executive of the Marine Institute to enable both fishermen and scientists to share vital information to benefit the long-term future of the Irish fishing industry.

The experience of sharing and collaborating will help build mutual trust and confidence between the scientific and catching communities the benefit of which will I believe be a better shared understanding of the state of the fish stocks around Ireland.

  • In addition to these actions, I am pleased to be able to tell you about a number of other initiatives that BIM are currently rolling out in line with the recommendations of the “Steering a New Course” Strategy.

  • These include a BIM/FAS collaboration that will offer fishermen, who have been affected by the decommissioning scheme, to receive training opportunities and to begin alternative careers.

For many fishermen it will mean a re-appraisal of their situation in the light of personal circumstances and a decision on a new career in the maritime sector or elsewhere in the workplace. Opportunities exist for experienced crewmembers to upgrade their skills to become masters of passenger boats in the marine tourism sector.

A job in aquaculture would allow fishermen to deploy their considerable range of maritime skills and enhance them through further training. For others, a job ashore in the fish processing sector might be more appropriate to their needs. I believe that this initiative is hugely important and will help ensure the sustainability of coastal communities

  • I am planning to launch in the near future a Wild Caught Seafood Environmental Management System or EMS that will enable the catching sector to demonstrate their responsible fishing practices.

This development will complement the existing suite of assurance schemes and Eco-labels, which BIM have developed for the aquaculture sector and allow for an integrated approach by BIM to promote the environmental credentials of the Irish industry as a whole.

I see from the Conference programme that there are expert speakers on this key area of market development and it will be interesting to hear their comments on what we are doing here in Ireland.

  • I am also pleased to be able to report further progress with implementing the recommendations of the seafood strategy in the area of the Bottom Grown Mussel Sector.

This Sector has been growing rapidly in recent years and offers very good opportunities for the future; I am committed to its development. The Government had an all Ireland review, which was undertaken in conjunction with our northern colleagues in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and with the Loughs Agency.

  • Following the launch of “The Rising Tide” review, by my colleague the Tanaiste, I can tell you that the process of implementing that review is underway. As a first step the all-island industry liaison body, recommended by the review group, is currently being formed, under the chairmanship of BIM.
  • I am sure you are all looking forward to hearing the views of the expert line up, so I will not delay proceedings any further.

I will sum up by saying that I look forward to working with the industry and with BIM, and the Marine Institute with a view to implementing the “Steering a New Course” seafood development strategy. I can tell you that my officials and I will spare no effort in ensuring that this vital indigenous industry is protected and strengthened to meet the challenges of these uncertain times.

  • I hope that you have an informative day and that this conference helps you in driving your seafood business forward.
  • Thank you for your attention.

ENDS

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