Our appetite for fish keeps growing

IRISH people still clinging the old faith probably ate fish on Good Friday, even if some of the traditionalists might have been reluctant enough about it.

And, while the number of practicing Catholics is diminishing, our consumption of fish is going up.

We’re eating more fish and the Irish Sea Fisheries Board has just reported that sales of seafood, in 2006, increased by nine percent to €724.6 million.

Any half-decent pub doing food has fish on its menu these days, which is a reminder of how our attitude to fruits de mer has changed over a fairly short period. Any restaurant worthy of the name has at least as many fish as meat menus and the fancier ones have a lot more fish.

There’s an irony in the fact that as fish becomes scarce and more expensive, we look for more it. Quotas mean that less fish is being caught, to the great frustration of our fishermen.

Lent has just gone and even in an age of rampant consumerism, some people still associate it with fasting and penance. Fasting meant fish in times not that long past. To those living well away from the sea, fish during Lent invariably meant salted ling — always a staple on Fridays but much more often during the Lent.

Occasionally, a man came around selling mackerel out of a van and this certainly brought a welcome change to a rather monotonous fish diet.

Captain Bird’s Eye and fish fingers also worked wonders in getting us to like (or at least tolerate) fish and the industry also owes a lot to Donegal Catch and other products that made fish more consumer-friendly.

However, the real aficionados religiously go to places like the inimitable English Market, in Cork, to buy their fish in its unprocessed state, take it home and cook it the way they want it.

More than 100 restaurants, pubs, hotels and seafood retailers from all over Ireland are in the BIM Seafood Circle, having met the criteria necessary for becoming a member.

The market for seafood has never been as buoyant and it’s not surprising that interest among caterers is growing, according to BIM chief executive Pat Keogh.

“Demand is significant and it’s increasing. Latest figures for the Irish retail market for seafood in 2006 show it valued at €183m. There was overall retail growth of 15% on the previous year, with fresh sales increasing by 13% and frozen by a significant 18%. This average increase equates to an extra 500g (4%) of seafood purchased by each buyer last year or the equivalent of about four servings of salmon,’ he said.

Mr Keogh believes the increase in sales was mainly driven by the growing consumer awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of seafood.

“Approximately half of the increase in domestic seafood sales was of Irish origin with the other half being met through increased imports,’ he said.

There were increases in exports of many species, with the most notable being a hike of 16% in shellfish exports to €147 million. Four fifths of exports were sold on European Union markets, with France accounting for 25% of total export sales, while Britain and Spain jointly accounted for 37%.

High production of farmed salmon, now at 14,500 tonnes, and better prices for farmed mussels, helped boost the aquaculture industry, which now accounts for almost 40% of all fish supplies, with a much bigger shore forecast for the future.

Unlike, the situation concerning wild fish, fish farming is not hindered by quotas and is clearly benefiting from increased demand.

Irish sales of seafood are projected to increase by 22% from €311m to €379m over the period to 2015, with initiatives such the Seafood Circle being major drivers towards that target.

An extensive marketing campaign will be launched later this year to increase awareness of the seafood circle, communicating to consumers and tourists the best places to buy and enjoy delicious seafood.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s seafood industry being offered a unique opportunity to showcase its products and services to a global audience through the World Seafood Congress 2007.

The congress will be held on September 25-28 at Croke Park, and is set to attract hundreds of representatives from the global catching, processing, aquaculture and marketing industries.

“This is a great platform,” said congress moderator, Donal Maguire of BIM.

“The Congress will bring together all the people involved in getting seafood to the consumer, the entire supply chain will be represented — this is the first time such a global meeting has been held in this country.”