Growing market for affordable, high-quality organic salmon
Ireland has a strong reputation for its organic farmed salmon, partly because of the rigorous standards imposed on Irish salmon farms. The demand for Irish salmon has grow by 11% since 2012 with the estimated value of the export market in 2015 at €64 million.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that, globally, an extra 42 million tonnes of farmed seafood will be required annually by the year 2030. Sustainable fish farming is one way to meet this global food need.
We want to ensure that Ireland’s role in the expansion of commercial aquaculture is done responsibly, and that the companies who hold the contracts to operate our fish farms are held accountable to the Irish public.
How are the Deep Sea Projects different?
Instead of a fish farming licence being given directly to a private company, we are applying for the salmon farm licences which, if issued, we will franchise to a commercial operator. The company will then be required to adhere to the already rigorous EU and Irish conditions, as well as additional layers of strict requirements that we’ve set.
This will ensure that the fish farms meet organic standards and demonstrate a real commitment to sustainable production. Read more about the proposed organic salmon farm off Inishturk
Fish farming and sustainability
We also understand that there is a range of conflicting information available about fish farms, and that some of the issues it raises require clarification and dialogue. Not all fish farming is the same, and we invite open communication about the future of sustainable organic fish farming in Irish waters.
BIM is committed to meeting the highest environmental standards, using the most advanced technology to protect our environment and improve efficiency, and we will impose exacting regulations that will protect our waters as well as support our coastal and island communities.
If you have questions that are not answered by the information or links to resources we’ve supplied here, please contact us at mallon@bim.ie