Fahey defends Chile visit despite war over fish

The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources has defended his decision to visit Chile this week despite a European trade war over farmed fish.

The trip is the second by Mr Fahey to South America in the last two months with individual businessmen from his Galway West constituency.

Both visits were sponsored by the Minister's Department and by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the sea fisheries board, but industry organisations were not officially invited to participate, as is normal on trade delegations. There is understood to be some anger within the industry over how the trips were organised.

Mr Fahey travelled to Brazil in late August/early September with Mr Paddy O'Malley, a leading fishing vessel owner from Galway. It is understood that officials in the Minister's Department advised against visiting Chile at this time, given that the European Commission was investigating its dumping of cheap salmon on the European market.

US and Japanese farmed salmon markets are already in disarray over the cost cutting, and Ireland and Scotland are preparing to take an anti-dumping case against the South American state. However, the new secretary-general of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, Ms Julie O'Neill, was part of the seven-strong delegation which travelled to Chile last Saturday night.

With the Minister were the chairman of Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Mr Pat Ridge; BIM's chief executive, Mr Pat Keogh; Mr Maurice Mullen, principal officer in the Department with responsibility for aquaculture; the Minister's private secretary, Mr Eamon Confrey, and Mr Johnny O'Carroll, a board member of the Marine Institute and a successful fish farmer in Mr Fahey's constituency. The trip involved visiting smolt production and processing plants, and was paid for by BIM.

Up to 40 per cent of Mr O'Carroll's air fare was paid for by the board. A spokesman for the Minister told The Irish Times that the purpose was to "examine the reasons for Chile's increased output and to understand the competitive comparisons" with Ireland.

Ireland's "concerns" about the cheap sale of fish would have been raised at a meeting in Santiago on Wednesday night with the Chilean Minister for Fisheries, Mr Felipe Sandoval Precht, the spokesman added. The Irish Salmon Growers' Association, which represents all salmon farmers, was not invited, nor was it asked to brief the Minister in advance on the effect of the price war. A briefing on this issue is not due to take place until early next month. Mr Richie Flynn, chief executive of the association, said the purpose of the Chilean trip was "not clear" and he would be "very interested" to hear what the Minister had to say.

The visit to Brazil in late August was also organised with BIM, and Mr Ridge travelled with the Minister. Three fishing industry representatives in Donegal and Kerry were invited but could not travel. Mr O'Malley, who owns a successful long-lining fishing vessel, the Capall Bβn, was keen to investigate the possibility of fishing in Brazilian waters. The EU has no international fishing agreement with Brazil.

The two largest fishing industry organisations, the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation and the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, confirmed yesterday that no official invitation had been forthcoming for this visit. Industry sources said they would be "surprised" if there were any opportunities to be exploited in Brazil. Mr Jason Whooley of the South and West Fishermen's Organisation said if there were opportunities, Irish fishermen would be delighted to take advantage of them.

A spokesman for the Minister said Mr Fahey had already travelled to Newfoundland in Canada, to France and to Scotland this year on behalf of the industry.

He said the Minister believed Ireland was "too insular" and could learn from experience abroad.

However, whereas the trips to Newfoundland and France were well publicised, no publicity was attached to the South American visits.