Brendan Kenneally (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the fishing industry in general and the salmon farming industry in particular. Unfortunately, my allotted ten minutes will not allow me to cover all the ground I would like in relation to a complex issue and an industry of particular importance to this country.

I congratulate the Minister on his great success in the negotiations in the European Council meeting last Monday in regard to the Irish Box. Before this meeting, people were very fearful of what the outcome might be in regard to Spanish access to our waters. We knew the devastating blow it would be to our industry if we were not able to maintain, in some fashion, the integrity of the Irish Box which has been so important to Irish fishermen over the years. From the media reports, it is quite obvious that the Minister played a very successful tactical game in the negotiations. When the fishing interests are able to acknowledge that the Minister gained a reasonably good deal, we can take it that he came home with the very best that was on offer. For those with such an interest and dependency on the fishing industry and the Irish Box in particular, this must mean they are aware of the tremendous success he has had. In contrast, the annoyance of the Spanish Minister, as displayed on television news reports, might be taken as a sign of our success, given the polarity of our positions on the subject.

I do not agree with the criticism by a Fine Gael MEP, who stated that no fishing whatsoever should be allowed in the Irish Box. It is generally agreed that we must control the fishing activities of this region and the fishermen are in full agreement with that. They have a vested interest in controlling and preserving the industry into the future and a responsible attitude to the problem of dwindling stocks. I was also disappointed by the comments of the Labour Party spokesperson on marine issues, who appeared to side with the Spanish view. It was important that Spanish access to this resource did not increase and I am extremely happy this was achieved by the Minister.

I now wish to address the salmon industry. One cannot discuss salmon farming without also referring to the wild fish sector. This has been the subject of a very extensive debate over the years. Salmon fishing in the wild is almost as old as Ireland itself. It is part of our culture and folklore and has been a way of life for many centuries. It is essential for us to retain as much of our traditional salmon fishing industry as possible, not least because much of it is based in those relatively remote areas of our country where our traditions and language are strongest. In many cases, it is the only employment available and, if fishing goes from these areas, there will be nothing left to sustain them and they will become a burden on the State. More importantly, their quality of life will deteriorate significantly. We must maintain our coastal communities where at all possible.