Irish Organic Salmon
25/01/2021
Annette Kenny, Seafood, Bord Bia - The Irish Food Board
Introduction
Irish organic salmon (Salmo salar) thrive in the wild pristine waters along Ireland's westerly coastline producing organic salmon since 1995. This, combined with knowledge and expertise that has been built up over the last 3 decades, has given the Irish salmon industry a reputation for producing the finest quality organic salmon. All salmon farmed in Ireland is produced using organic husbandry practices, certified to European organic regulations and standards such as AB Bio, Naturland and Bio Suisse.
Given that the producers of organic salmon operate an integrated environmental management system with a commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability, this makes salmon a preferred reference for major international buyers. Irish producers are members of Origin Green, which is a sustainability programme that operates on a national scale. Independently verified, it enables Ireland's producers to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets-reducing environmental impact, serving local communities more effectively and protecting the extraordinarily rich natural resources that our country enjoys.
International Demand
Ireland produces approximately 11,000 -15,000 tonnes of salmon per year, with exports worth
€100m representing approximately 10,000 tonnes. Chief markets include France, Poland, Germany,
UK and Belgium. According to imarc, the global salmon market for 2019 reached 3.8 million tonnes, with moderate growth anticipated over the following 5 year period. Salmon is low in saturated fats and has a high nutritional value lending itself to a wide variety of dish formats e.g. grilled, poached, boiled etc.
References
- Bord Bia (Irish Organic Salmon leaflet)
- https://connect.ihsmarkit.com/gta (Global Trade Atlas)
- bim.ie (Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency)
- https://www.imarcgroup.com/salmon-market