MEP visits Norwegian fishing industry
02 June 2008
Above: Jim Allister MEP meets Norwegian Fisheries Minister, Helga Pedersen in Tromso
Speaking at the end of a 3 day fact-finding trip to Norway, Traditional Unionist MEP, Jim Allister, said, “If ever an industry vindicated Norway’s persistent refusal to join the EU it is its fishing industry. Under their own management it has thrived remarkably, while within the EU the Common Fisheries Policy has been thwarted growth and presided over decline.”
Mr Allister was part of a 5 man delegation of MEPs from the Parliament’s Fisheries Committee which visited both the sea-fishing industry, where cod predominates, and the aquaculture sector where salmon is king.
Speaking of the visit, the Ulster Euro MP said, “Coming from within the EU, where our fishing is under tremendous pressure, it was such a contrast to see fishing flourishing. Such is the abundance of cod that in Norway the key cod fishing season is during the spawning, whereas in the Irish Sea we have our infamous closed period at that time. Doubtless, if the EU was managing the Norwegian fishery, it would not be so. Yet the stock is in a wholly sustainable state, with, according to the scientists, the catching of many of the 6 and 7 year old stock reducing the number of young cod eaten by these older fish.
Another radical difference of approach arises over “discards”. In the EU, because we compel our fishermen to discard any over-quota or undersized catch we have the scandal of tons of dead fish being thrown back into our seas every year. In Norway the opposite approach is taken, with the law requiring everything to be landed. Anything that is over quota or undersize is then sold but the fisherman only gets 20% of the sale price (the balance going to the marketing organisation), so as to discourage over-fishing and the taking of undersized fish. The further advantage of this no discard policy is that accurate records can be kept of what is actually being caught and, thereby, the scientists have a far more accurate picture of stock levels than our ever obtain.
I have long been convinced that the EU’s discard policy was both amoral and self-defeating. I strongly believe we should learn from the Norwegian experience and introduce the banning of discards.”
Turning to the organisation of the market Mr Allister explained how the Norwegian market works and the successes which it has seen. “In the 7 fishing areas of Norway there is a Government appointed Agency, which in large measure is a co-operative of the fishermen. All fish must be sold to this Agency. It negotiates the price with the buyers and sets a minimum price. This price reflects such exigencies as fuel costs, thus the edge is taken off the type of crisis situation which we are presently enduring. The Agency is funded by a mandatory levy from the fishermen – about 0.8% of catch value – and definitely works in the fishermen’s interests. With control of the entire catch it can extract from the buyers a viable price and avoid fishermen becoming the perpetual loser in the supply chain.
Of course, the scale in Norway is way beyond anything we have, but even in organisational terms I believe we could learn much from their practices and expertise.
During the trip Mr Allister met with the Norwegian Fisheries Minister, Helga Pedersen. With an obvious adverse reference to local Fisheries Minister, Gildernew, Mr Allister said, “How refreshing it was to meet a Minister who was up to the job, expert in her subject and determined to deliver for her fisheries sector. Her “can do” attitude and working with, rather than against the fishermen, contributes greatly to the flourishing Norwegian fishing industry.”
