Irish diners urged not to judge a fish by its face

IRISH diners refuse to eat the bulk of fish caught in Irish waters because they look too ugly.

Consumers are shunning cheaper catches such as gurnard, pollock and sprats because they don’t look appetising — and in some cases because they don’t like their names.

A leading group representing the fishing industry said its members are losing out because most species of fish caught are being exported to the continent, where traders there sell them on at hugely marked-up prices.