What are the implications for the white fish industry of the decision taken at the last meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers?

This is nothing new. It happened last year and as a result our proposals for imports of white fish species into the Community are being put into effect on a planned basis this year. The decision can be made only when we are aware of the tax and quotas for the other countries. It strikes a balance between the needs of the processing industry and the need to protect the livelihoods of Community fishermen. I am always fearful of any imports of white fish because they may affect white fish prices here. We continue to oppose such imports and, in fact, we are the only member state to do so. What is coming into the Community is sufficient to take up the slack between the capacity of the processing factories in the Community and the tax. However, I hope that our industry will avail of the opportunities that exist to import white fish and process it to a finished product.