Salmon on the table

War of Words on Salmon

The European Union has agreed on measures to protect Scots and Irish salmon producers against cheap Norwegian imports. The Scottish salmon industry has blasted the deal's broker, Sir Leon Brittan, for being soft on the Norwegians. They say the Norwegians won't police their own industry, and the European Commission can't.

The agreement fixes minimum prices for Norwegian salmon in EU markets for the next five years after months of ruinous "dumping" which threatened 5,000 Scottish jobs and 2,000 Irish jobs. But it relies upon a system where the Norwegians police their own industry.

Kirsty McCullum, Chief Executive of the Orkney Salmon Company, said she "can't believe Sir Leon thinks it's better for Scottish salmon producers". On the BBC's Today programme she said "If duties ran for 6 months and didn't work then we could go back to the Commission for more. But this way the Norwegians won't police themselves, and the Commission can't."

Kirsty McCullum gives the Scottish industry's reaction (dur 2'03")

Brittan - EU Trade Commissioner

Speaking on the BBC's Today programme he said the new deal "protects jobs in the Scottish salmon industry much better than the dumping duties for two reasons. Firstly it guarantess that Norwegian salmon will enter the market at a higher price, and secondly it lasts for 5 years, not 6 months as with duties."

Sir Leon said the Commission had "learnt the lessons" of past deals to which the Norwegians had not adhered, and now had "clauses to prevent the kind of things that happened before".

Sir Leon defends the deal he brokered (1'56")

But the deal outraged government ministers who flew to Brussels demanding nothing less than immediate swingeing duties on the Norwegians, who are accused of illegally subsidising the salmon growers.

Sir Leon Brittan emerged victorious from late night talks at Commission headquarters insisting the government was only objecting because it did not understand that the outcome was in the industry's best interests.

Brian Wilson, Scottish Office Industry Minister, said: "I think it is perverse that Sir Leon thinks that this is a better deal for the Scottish and Irish fish farming industry than they themselves thought."

Scottish Agriculture Minister Lord Sewell said he understood the needs of the industry perfectly well. The Norwegians and the Brussels Commissioner were now "on trial" to enforce a deal which he said was not what the government wanted.

Sir Leon had fought hard in the Commission against immediate anti-dumping duties of nearly 14% which would have lasted for only six months. Against opposition from a handful of commissioners, he said a five-year solution with minimum prices higher than those which anti-dumping duties would have produced was the answer. Sir Leon insisted the deal was "watertight" and fully enforceable.

But Lord Sewell and Mr Wilson were leaving Brussels later today accusing Sir Leon of ignoring the needs of the fisherman and defending the EU's diplomatic ties with Norway.