At 345,000 metric tons, sales of Irish seafood to both domestic and export markets, excluding landings for Irish vessels into foreign ports, amounted to EUR 730 million (USD 983 million) in 2008, according to new figures released by Bord Bia, Ireland’s food board.
“Recent months have seen a strong recovery in the value of Irish food and drink exports … helped by a stronger export performance in the beverage, dairy and seafood sectors,” said Bord Bia CEO Aidan Cotter.
EU markets are the principal buyers of Irish seafood, consuming about 75 percent of all Irish seafood exports. And boasting a 23 percent share by value in 2008, France represented the No. 1 export market, followed by the United Kingdom (19 percent) and Spain (14 percent). Germany, Italy and a host of other countries made up the remainder of the export market. Nigeria and Russia, for example, are among the main markets for Ireland’s pelagic fleet, which fishes mainly for mackerel, herring and blue whiting.
In terms of farmed fish, Ireland’s aquaculture industry was valued at EUR 131 million (USD 176.4 million) in 2008 and “continues to significantly contribute to the seafood sector,” according to Bord Bia.
Bord Bia went on to say that Ireland’s aquaculture industry follows “strict quality guidelines” through the BIM-run Quality Seafood Program, which includes schemes for Irish Quality Salmon, Irish Quality Mussels and Irish Quality Oysters.
Irish farmed salmon is certified under schemes audited to the EU 45011 standard, including salmon bearing the labels AB Bio, Naturland and Label Rouge. Farmed mussels and oysters feed naturally on wild phytoplankton, and many Irish mussel farmers are certified under BIM’s Quality Seafood Program, which controls environmental management practice, food safety and product quality.
Irish oyster farmers are certified under the Irish Quality Oyster Program, which dictates criteria such as shell shape, meat content, farming and environmental management practices.
Ireland is a member of the European Union, so its wild fisheries fall under the region’s Common Fisheries Policy.
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