Pan Fish chief hits at Commission over Scots, Irish influence

EU - A Leading member of the Norwegian aquaculture sector has launched an outspoken attack on the European Commission for being "lured" into a salmon prices regime by Scottish and Irish interests.

Atle Eide, Pan Fish Chief Executive and board leader of the Norwegian Seafood Federation opened the aquaculture session at the Federation's Annual Meeting, held earlier this week in Oslo.

In his speech he spoke of the challenges the Norwegian aquaculture sector is facing. He said: "We are in a very demanding, but also very exciting time."

The EU's council of ministers in January this year implemented a minimum import price regime to be in force for five years.

Despite "significant and costly effort" from the industry throughout 2005 to avoid the "unjust" punishment measures - firstly through a safeguard case and later through a dumping case - the EU had implemented a policy that at the expense of close to 20.000 jobs in the Community, would protect the interests of an "ineffective little group" in the Scottish and Irish fish farming industry.

This was he went on "A group that, against all we in this room believe in, puts artificial protectionism ahead of dynamic development and improvement of its own achievements".

Source: FishUpdate