Bumper Christmas for fish retailers

Donal Hickey on the huge growth in fish consumption in Ireland.

SALES of smoked salmon in Ireland hit record levels at Christmas, all part of a continuing trend that sees more people turning to fish as a healthy food.

In the past half-century, fish consumption globally has doubled from an average of 8kg a person to 16kg. Seafood production is growing by 4% a year and though natural fish stocks are in decline and some are even threatened with extinction, the slack is taken up by farmed fish.

It may not be generally realised, but one fish dish in three is of a farmed variety. Many people, however, have serious concerns about farmed fish because of chemicals and feeds used in its production. As might be expected, the aquaculture industry has always been quick to dispute such claims.

A new €5 million research programme has been started by Teagasc with the aim of identifying healthy ingredients in food which can be incorporated into our diet.

Scientists from the Marine Institute have been engaged to extend the search under the sea, all about making better use of our marine resources. They are looking at possible uses of fish processing wastes, at species which have not been appearing that much on plates up to now, at seaweed and the development of fish farming.

Two professors and upwards of a dozen people at doctorate level will be involved in the research.

Fish is touted as a cure for the winter blues, of all things. Seafood is rich in vitamins, minerals and the all important omega 3 oils which are essential for a healthy body.

But, speaking at a World Seafood Congress in Dublin, Michael Crawford, director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at the University of North London, said a lack of omega 3 oil in a person’s diet can lead to mental health problems.

In some instances, it can bring about serious mental health issues such as depression, bipolar disorder and even behavioural problems in children such as ADHD.

Consultant dietician Sarah Keogh, of BIM, offered tips to people wishing to feel their best, mentally and physically, this winter. Seafood should be eaten at least twice a week with oil-rich fish making up one portion of this, she advised.

“Getting the recommended amount of Vitamin D during the absence of sunshine is all important. Vitamin D is produced by the body when it is exposed to sunlight and most Irish people run low in this vitamin over the winter. Low levels of vitamin D may be associated with depression and may explain some of the winter blues we can experience during the dark months,’ she said.

“You can find the vitamin naturally in oil-rich fish such as trout, salmon and mackerel which are naturally high in this vitamin. Including these types of fish in your weekly diet can have some very beneficial long-term effects.”

At one time smoked salmon was regarded as a quite expensive treat, but the market today is full of relatively cheap, farmed smoked salmon which has become popular with consumers.

Fish retailers had a bumper Christmas, according to Irish Retail TNS data, which maintained Christmas 2007 sales would surpass the €6.6m spent on smoked salmon in 2006 and firmly secure it as a favourite fixture of the festive table.

The total smoked salmon market in Ireland is valued at €18.4m, according to TNS data. This is an increase of 19% over 2006. With more smoked salmon on sale and in more stores than in 2006, sales last Christmas topped €7 million.

As well as increased demands for smoked salmon from both the home and European markets, there’s an overall hike in the demand for fresh fish on the home market. For example, this year, Dunns, of Dublin, Ireland’s oldest fish company, imported 1,000kg of fresh carp from France for Christmas week, which is part of a traditional Christmas Eve feast enjoyed by the Polish community here.

“Sales this year are significantly higher than last year, with sales of smoked salmon to France, Germany and the rest of the EU, both in volume and value, set to be the highest on record. We are also seeing a massive increase in the demand for Irish organic salmon, particularly from Europe,” said Dunn’s director Ken Ecock.

Meanwhile, pollution and other hazards continue to threaten fisheries. Recently, shellfish producers at the world-famous Clarinbridge fishery, in Galway, staged a campaign to prevent the pearl of the European oyster industry from being destroyed by development.

They strongly opposed plans to build a housing estate close to the fishery, without a proper sewerage treatment system. The oyster industry is worth 60 jobs locally Separately last summer, shellfish farmers, fishermen and the general public using 14 bays around the coast secured protection from pollution by forcing the Government to enact a new law laid down by the EU.