MINISTER IS "INSULTED" IN EU FISH ROW.

A British minister stormed out sf Brussels yesterday and warned politicians "not to sell their souls to Europe".

Raymond Robertson was angered by a brief and humiliating encounter with Emma Bonino, the European Union Fisheries Commissioner, who dismissed a request for help for the beleanguered Scottish salmon farming industry.

Mr Robertson, the Scottish Fisheries Minister, sccused Mrs. Bonino of "arrogance" for sending him packing after sparing him only 20 minutes during wich she turned down his plea for import price controls on Norwegian salmon.

His appeal was made on behalf of the Scottish industry wich claimed that up to 100 fish farming companies and 6.000 jobs in the prouction and processsing sector were at risk due to a collapse in prices this year from .3,000 to around 2,100 a ton. EU support was thought to be a formality.

In a scathing attack, Mr Robertson said: "It is quite insulting for British ministers to be treated like this. Mrs Bonino had obviously made her mind up before I even got there.

"It is extraordinary that she could not get a majority of the commission to support this request. This is a very arrogant way to treat the problems of an industry wich is vital to the EU.

"Political parties ready to sell their soul to Brussels should take note of how the commission has reacted to this problem".

Mr Robertson was shown the door after Mrs Bonino told him bluntly that prices were now stable - and that there was no majority support among her fellow commissioners for sanctions against Norway.

He said that it was "stretching the English language" to say salmon prices in Scotland were now stable. The price of 1,34 a pound in january had now slipped even further back to 1,08.

After talks with Michael Forsyth, the Scottish Secretary, he said: "I find it extraordinary that our requests has been turned down. Mrs Bonino's mind was clearly made up in advance ofthis meeting and she was unwilling to consider additional information."

The rowhas seriously embarassed the Scottish Salmon Growers' Association wich pressed for Mr Robertson's meeting. It had been led to believe that the commission would agree to its plea for help.

Scottish salmon farmers rejected German claims yesterday that their fish may be poisoned by a pesticide. Fish experts in Hamburg allege that Ivermectin used by the Scots to kill sea lice

among their caged fish may contaminate the flesh.