Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fish Exports

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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18. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the impact Russia’s import ban is having on Irish fish exporters; the action he has taken to address this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35153/14]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As you are aware, on the 7 thAugust 2014, Russia banned the importation of a list of seafood from the EU for a year or at least until the sanctions imposed by the Western countries on Russia are lifted. Those EU sanctions were, of course in response to the situation in Ukraine, and were fully supported by Ireland.

The effects of the Russian ban will be felt by Irish processors and exporters, by the catching sector and ancillary industries. The overall effects, taken in conjunction with the other global market circumstances, are potentially severe. The Russian market has become, in recent years, an extremely valuable one for the Irish fishing industry, especially for pelagic species such as mackerel, horse mackerel and to a lesser extent herring. The latter will, however, be affected in an indirect way as many of our exports are to countries that in turn are impacted by the ban and so those herring markets will in all likelihood contract.

Ireland’s direct fishery exports to the Russian market for 2013 were valued at €20.2 million. The figure for fishery exports to date for 2014 stands at €17 million. It was anticipated that this sharp growth would continue with the value for 2015 reaching as high as €40 million.

70% of our exports to Russia in 2013 were accounted for by mackerel, which is our single most important fishery. It is expected that there will be substantial pressure in volume and on prices in EU and international markets for pelagic fish as other countries which are affected by the sanctions compete with us in trying to find alternative markets for produce that should be going to Russia.

At the beginning of this month I wrote to Commissioner Damanaki on this issue to articulate the detrimental impact that this ban would have on Ireland’s fishery exports. At an emergency meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers on the 5thof September, I asked the EU Commission to set up a Taskforce to address the situation in Fisheries and to carry out an urgent review of the current rules and amount of funding available for storage aid, with a view to the establishment of an emergency fund. I have also strongly supported calls for a temporary increase in quota flexibility rules to allow Member States hold over more fishing quota until the following year, allowing time for improvement in the market.

The initial response from the Commission has been positive on the possibility of increased quota flexibility, which is seen by our industry as a necessary mitigation tool. To date, the Commission is continuing to examine the setting up of a taskforce. However, it has said that the establishment of an emergency fund would present legal difficulties. I remain hopeful that these difficulties can be overcome.

I am fully aware of the potentially very severe effect of this Russian import ban on our Irish fishing industry and will continue to press for the measures that I have set out, which I believe will help to mitigate the effects of this Russian import ban.

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