Irish salmon farmers have welcomed a decision by the European Commission to investigate imports of farmed salmon into the EU.
Allegations of "dumping" cheap salmon by Norway, Chile and the Faeroes on the European market had prompted the Irish and British governments to jointly seek action from the European Commission.
The Commission agreed yesterday to initiate the investigation, noting that it had sufficient evidence to do so. Its trade spokeswoman, Ms Arancha Gonzalez, said that it had noted a "sudden increase from all sources" in farmed salmon from non-EU member-states.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, even raised the issue with the Norwegian prime minister, Mr Kjell Magne Bondevik, last month.
The Minister of State for the Marine, Mr John Browne, said protectionist measures were not normally favoured, but action had to be taken to stop such imports undercutting indigenous industry.
Tariffs or quotas set by the EU can only be applied where there is "serious injury" to European producers. Previous anti-dumping and minimum price measures negotiated with Norway under a 1997 agreement were terminated last May because Norway undertook to control production.
Norway is the largest producer of Atlantic farmed salmon and home to the world's second largest salmon farmer. Recently the Norwegian government issued 100 new licences to salmon farmers.
"This is evidence that it has no intention of controlling production," the European Salmon Producers' Group, an organisation representing 80 per cent of Irish salmon farmers, said yesterday.
