Growing the success of Irish food & horticulture
Irish seafood
a responsible choice
Irish seafood – a responsible choice
Ireland
the responsible seafood choice
Ireland is an international leader in responsible and organic seafood
production. Irish organic salmon was the first seafood product to
achieve the official French Agriculture Biologique (AB Bio) status and
is recognised as the market leader throughout Europe. Responsible
stewardship and environmental protection are core principles guiding
the development of our wild fisheries and aquaculture.
European consumers increasingly demand assurances on the
environment and biodiversity, in addition to expecting the highest
standards of quality and food safety as a matter of course.
Participation in internationally-certified quality schemes such
as AB Bio and MSC, confirms the ability of Irish seafood producers
to meet, and surpass, these expectations.
Bord Bia and BIM, the Irish Sea Fisheries Board, are delighted to
share with you the opportunities presented by Irish fisheries and
aquaculture. A commitment to excellence means that this sector is
uniquely placed to offer seafood that is better for the environment
and better for you.
Aidan Cotter
Chief Executive
Bord Bia
Irish seafood – a responsible choice
Irish aquaculture
committed to quality
Ireland is a leader in organic seafood production and in the
responsible harvest of its renewable marine resources. BIM, the Irish
Sea Fisheries Board, works with the aquaculture sector, supporting
the production of world-class farmed seafood. Independent EN45011/
ISO-65 accredited quality assurance programmes include Irish Quality
Salmon, Irish Quality Trout, Irish Quality Mussels and Irish Quality
Oysters.
In addition, the independently accredited Irish Quality Eco-Standard
allows producers to demonstrate a commitment to reduced
environmental impacts through positive and responsible actions.
The award currently focuses on mussel and salmon production.
Key principles of sustainable production in Ireland include:
• Healthy and sustainable aquatic ecosystems
• Healthy and naturally selected stock
• Controlled stocking densities
• Strictly regulated use of feed
• Use of natural products and processes
• A commitment to renewable energy use
• A focus on recycling, reusing and recovery
BIM, the Irish Sea
Fisheries Board,
works with the
aquaculture sector,
supporting the
production of
world-class farmed
seafood.
Irish aquaculture products are certified to major international quality
labels such as AB bio, Naturland, and the new European organic
certification.
Irish seafood – a responsible choice
Wild Irish fisheries
working towards sustainability
Irish wild fisheries are governed by the
EU’s Total Allowable Catch and quotaregulations.
Irish fishermen work with co-ops,
processors and BIM, the Irish Sea
Fisheries Board, to land, process and
market responsibly-caught seafood.
The BIM Seafood Stewardship
Standard, accredited to EN45011/ISO
65 by the Irish National Accreditation
Board, provides an assurance that care
of catch, traceability and provenance,
environmental management, education
and awareness of Irish seafood operate
to the highest international levels.
Quality guides help Irish fishermen
assess the quality of their pelagic,
whitefish and shellfish catch, and
encourage good management practices
in handling, gutting, icing, packing
and storing fish.
Examples of key responsible actions include:
• Conservation measures appropriate to the species caught
• Enforcement of closure areas to support stock recovery
• Net designs that allow unwanted catch to escape
• Sonar technology to deter marine mammals from capture
Additional internationally recognised schemes include Irish mackerel
and Irish Albacore tuna, which have been certified by the Marine
Stewardship Council (MSC) and Friend of the Sea, respectively, as
being from well-managed and healthy fisheries, which are biologically
sustainable.
Irish seafood – a responsible choice
Organic Irish salmon
a European leader
Ireland is one of Europe’s largest and most sophisticated producers
of organic salmon. Over 83% of total annual production in Ireland
is organic and certified to quality labels such as AB bio, Naturland,
Irish Quality Organic and the new European organic certification.
Irish salmon farming conditions are unique. Huge sea pens, located
on the Atlantic coastline, expose salmon to strong marine currents
and provide more than 10,000 cubic meters of water to swim in –
the equivalent of a large cathedral. Stocking densities are very low:
approximately two fish per 1,000l of pure seawater and, over an
average of 18 months, salmon swim an equivalent of 13,000kms
before reaching market size, comparable to the distance travelled
in their natural migration.
Over 83% of total
annual production
in Ireland is organic
and certified to
quality labels
Key principles of organic fish production include:
1. Only organic, sustainable and GMO-free feed is used
2. Low stocking densities protect welfare and health
3. Natural ingredients are used for pigmentation
4. Producers operate environmental management systems,
committed to:
• Environmental monitoring
• Reduced waste outputs
• Elimination of non-recyclable materials
Irish seafood – a responsible choice
Irish shellfish
excellence assured
Key principles of organic shellfish production include:
1. Respect for nature and biodiversity
2. Responsible sourcing of seed from sustainable stock
3. Sustainable environmental and waste management
Irish mussels
When the Irish Quality Mussel Scheme was launched by BIM in
2002, it was the first fully-integrated shellfish scheme in the world
accredited to EN45011/ISO65. Today, Irish mussel producers may also
certified to the European organic mussel standard. As mussels are
not fed, the standard relates to environmentally-friendly management
practises and mussels that meet these requirements can carry the
new EU organic logo. More on Irish mussel production techniques,
and quality and food safety monitoring can be found on
www.irish-mussels.com
Irish oysters
Oyster culture is one of the most
environmentally friendly types of
farming, requiring no external inputs
and having a low carbon footprint. Irish
producers focus on optimum quality
production with low stocking densities
in clean waters sites. Find out more
about the Irish Quality Oyster at
www.iqo.ie
Irish lobsters
The Irish lobster ‘V’ notching
programme has been in operation
for 12 years and ensures that female
lobsters are returned to the sea to
continue breeding.
Irish seafood – a responsible choice
Quality and food safety
Irish seafood is cultivated in a pristine
Atlantic environment, with finfish and
shellfish reared in clean water areas,
far removed from heavy industry.
Irish seafood
consistently complies
with EC and other
relevant limits.
A number of official authorities in
Ireland, including the Food Safety
Authority of Ireland (FSAI), the
Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority
(SFPA) and the Marine Institute, work together to carry out regular
monitoring and surveys of Irish aquaculture and seafood, ensuring
that consumer products comply with Irish and European food safety
legislation. The Irish shellfish industry is also strictly controlled through
bacterial and biotoxin monitoring programmes.
Veterinary residues are regularly monitored in farmed finfish, and
environmental contaminants (trace metals and persistent organic
pollutants such as PCBs and OCPs are routinely monitored in
farmed and wild finfish, and shellfish. This is in accordance with the
requirements of national and EU legislation and shows that Irish
seafood consistently complies with EC and other relevant limits.
Furthermore, periodic, one-off surveys show levels of dioxins (PCDDs),
furans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like PCBs are also well within safe limits.
Irish seafood – a responsible choice
Find out more
Ireland’s commitment to sustainable aquaculture and responsible wild
fisheries delivers world-class seafood that’s better for the environment
and the first choice of consumers across Europe.
Find out more about:
The Irish Quality Oyster
www.iqo.ie
Irish mussels
www.irish-mussels.com
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland
www.fsai.ie
BIM, the Irish Sea Fisheries Board
www.bim.ie
Bord Bia, the Irish Food
www.bordbia.ie
Growing the success of Irish food & horticulture
For more information and recipes, contact: Bord Bia, Clanwilliam Court, Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2
Tel: + 353 1 668 5155 Fax: + 353 1 668 7521 Web: www.bordbia.ie