Bórd Bia in stormy seas after using Spanish boats to promote Irish fish

Bórd Bia has found itself in the eye of a storm after using a photograph of Spanish trawlers in a recipe booklet promoting Irish fish.

However, a spokeswoman for the Irish food board said she was confident the controversy would not affect the agency’s campaign to encourage consumers to buy more fish.

Bórd Bia unveiled the Fish for Family and Friends recipe booklet — the second issue of its successful fish recipe series — earlier this month.

It emerged yesterday that the photograph on page two of the 16-page booklet features three Spanish tuna boats. They fish using poles and hooks and do not catch any of the fish featured in the recipe booklet.

West Cork-based marine photo journalist Niall Duffy said the use of the image in a publication designed to promote Irish fish, and hopefully boost the domestic fishing industry, had annoyed the Irish fishing community.

He raised the issue with the food board yesterday.

“This is a bit like using a photograph of a Brazilian farmer to promote the sale of Irish beef, or using a snap of a New Zealand sheep farmer to promote Irish lamb,” he said.

Mr Duffy, who has been taking photographs of Irish fishing vessels for years, said it would not have taken much for Bórd Bia to conduct proper research and source a decent photograph of Irish fishing vessels. He said they could have used a photo of an Irish vessel involved in the responsible Irish fishing programme which promotes traceability of fish from boat to fork.

The Bórd Bia spokes-woman said an investigation was conducted yesterday.

She said they were able to confirm that the one vessel whose registration is clearly visible in the photograph is a Spanish-registered boat fishing legally in Irish waters.

However, she said Bórd Bia could not confirm if the other two vessels were Spanish registered or not.

Bórd Bia has assumed responsibility for the marketing of seafood from Bórd Iascaigh Mhara and the image is one which was previously owned by BIM.

“This is one of 16 images in the booklet,” said the spokeswoman. “It is a stock shot captured by Bórd Iascaigh Mhara in 2008.

“But we don’t believe it will impact on the campaign to encourage consumers to buy more fish.”