Irish seafood pavilion opens at world’s largest seafood show

Marine Minister, Pat the Cope Gallagher, today opened the Irish pavilion at the annual European Seafood Exposition (ESE) in Brussels.

The pavilion will house a 26-strong delegation of Irish seafood companies and it is expected that up to one hundred other Irish seafood processing and marketing personnel will visit the Expo.

ESE is the largest seafood marketing and processing event in the world.

It runs until Thursday 28 April and is held simultaneously with Seafood Processing Europe (SPE), which is a showcase for up-to-date seafood processing and packaging technology.

Total Irish seafood exports amounted to €377m in 2004, with the EU market now accounting for 84% of total Irish seafood exports, valued at €316m.

France remains Ireland’s premier export market, valued at €85m and accounting for 22.5% of total exports.

Other main European markets for Irish seafood in 2004 were UK (€68m), Spain (€58m) and Germany (€30m).

This year’s main exhibitors on the BIM stand include: Atlanfish Ltd., Atlantic Dawn Ltd., and Errigal Fish Ltd., all from Donegal; Irish Seafood Producers Group (Atlantic Fare) and Galway Bay Seafoods from Co. Galway; Clanawley Kilmore International Ltd. (CKI) from Co. Wexford; Connemara Seafoods Ltd. (Co. Mayo); Fastnet Mussels Ltd., Shellfish De La Mer Ltd. and William Carr Group (Co. Cork); along with H.J. Nolan Ltd. and Wrights of Howth from Dublin.