Trade defence measures are a “nightmare” and the salmon industry should be working together to resolve its issues on pricing, a top civil servant told a key UK aquaculture conference today.

Phil Gilmour, from the Scottish Executive, said that in his opinion a minimum import price scheme was the answer to the dilemma of protecting European producers from perceived unfair competition from Norway and Chile.

In a frank and absorbing presentation, Mr Gilmour said: “The sooner that the industry gets to grips with with this (issue) and starts to sort it out the better.”

“Trade defence (measures) is not something that we should be spending time on.”

He pointed out that pattern of ownership of salmon production in Scotland was complicated: with Dutch and Norwegian ownership of many farms alongside smaller independent producers.

He said that he felt safeguards such as sanctions or duty would merely take money out of the industry in general. This could be counter-productive in terms of creating investment capital.

He said: “I am absolutely convinced that the MIP (minimum import price) is in interests of everybody but you are going to have to make up your own minds on this one.”

The civil servant updated the conference’s 160 plus delegates on progress being made on a government industry process known at the Strategic Framework for Aquaculture. He said that of 55 aims outlined at the start of the process, 27 issues had been completed while 17 were aims that were ongoing processes.

He said pushing progress on this agenda was proving to be difficult and complicated.

Meanwhile, he expressed a measure of sympathy for the industry given its environmental protection obligations. The civil servant said he had previously worked on transport planning. If the same level of scrutiny had been in place then, he said, the M8 motorway between Edinburgh and Glasgow would probably still be a General Wade road, stuck in the 18th century.

“Fish farmers are not given an easy ride on the environment.”

Aquaculture Today 2005 is organised by Fish Farmer magazine. The two day conference in Edinburgh at the Marriott Hotel attracted a high turnout of prominent delegates from fish farmers, scientists, industry representatives and politicians.

The conference was opened by Lewis Macdonald, the Scottish Executive minister for aquaculture on Wednesday.

Printer friendly version
Email this article to a friend

Related articles:

• 2005 CONFERENCE REVIEW
• Landcatch - Aquaculture Without Frontiers Competition
• Aquaculture Today 2006 Conference
• Aquaculture conference hailed a major success
• Top offical hits at Norway salmon "running sore"