Scotland urges EU to keep salmon trade prote
28/04/2008 12:00
The European Union imposed minimum import prices on farmed salmon from
European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson must decide soon whether the measures should be continued.
"The Scottish government believes the minimum import price has worked and that there is a strong case for its retention," Michael Russell, environment minister for
The 27-nation EU is
The case is a sensitive one for Brussels because Irish fish farmers have said they will try to mobilise voters along the country's western coast to vote against the EU's new Lisbon Treaty in a referendum in June, if the measures are repealed.
Russell said if
BANK LOANS
Scottish and Irish fish farmers say they are worried after their bigger Norwegian rivals recently took out bank loans by using their aquaculture licences as collateral, possibly signalling an expansion of output and a fall in prices.
"I want to make sure resources are equally available to Scottish companies and I am looking at the way in which we can do that, in terms of Scottish regulations and other measures like that," Russell said.
He also said he was reviewing the way natural spaces were being used for fish farming in
"We want to make sure nobody is sitting on sites and not allowing those sites to be put into use," he said, stressing there was no intention to take licences away from companies.
The WTO found last year that the EU was at fault on several points in its handling of the salmon dumping case, although
Separately in 2007, the European Commission launched an internal review of whether to keep the minimum import prices and Mandelson is due to make his decision based on that review.
As well as the pressure from the Irish fish farmers, Mandelson has also been criticised by the country's beef and dairy farmers for making too many agriculture concessions in global trade talks. They are threatening to urge voters to reject the Lisbon Treaty unless he changes his plans.
Ireland is the only EU country due to hold a referendum on the new treaty -- hammered out in 2007 after years of wrangling -- and a 'no' vote could trigger a political crisis.
By William Schomberg
Reuters,
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
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