July 7, 2005

Australia's fishermen demand reduced tariffs and import quotas

Australian fishermen said an offer by US President George W Bush to slash subsidies on farm goods would not remove other trade roadblocks which currently restrict Australian seafood exports.

President Bush had promised to drop subsidies if Europe did the same, but the Australian Seafood Industry Council said tariffs and import quotas also needed to be cut.

Australian seafood exports were worth A$2 billion a year, but only 5 percent went to Europe because of trade barriers, underscoring a lack of diversity existing within the Australian seafood industry, the council's chairman Bob Pennington said.