EU salmon producers to lodge anti-subsidy case against Norway

17/04/2008 12:00 - 842 Views

A EUROPEAN Union salmon trade organisation is on the verge of lodging an anti-subsidy case against the Norwegian salmon industry, Fish Farmer has learned.

A source close to the European Union Salmon Producers' Group (EUSPG) told Fish Farmer today that there has been a "very strong" submission from the Scottish and Irish Governments and the EUSPG to the European Commission's trade department, for retention of the minimum import price for Norwegian farmed salmon.

The Irish fisheries minister John Browne is due to meet with David Sullivan, the European Commission director general for trade next week.

Meanwhile, the EUSPG says it has fully prepared an anti-subsidy case against the Norwegian industry.

Whereas anti-dumping cases have been brought against Norway in the past, in a bid to expose "the fact that fish were sold below production costs", the anti-subsidy case will reveal illegal subsidies to the Norwegian industry by the Norwegian Government, the source claims.

He said this is across a range of spheres, including tax, and also the way licences are valued as collateral to raise capital for the Norwegian industry. Scottish and Irish companies aren't able to do this, he added.

"The EUSPG is on the verge of lodging the anti-subsidy case to the EU Commission and we are highly confident given the wealth of information we have on the Norwegian industry that this will be successful," he concluded.

11 April, 2008

Source: www.fishfarmer-magazine.com