The sustainable practices of the Irish aquaculture industry will form the focus of a Euronews documentary being broadcast later this month. Richard Donnelly, Salmon and Shellfish Manager, BIM and John Harrington, Kush Shellfish were interviewed as part of the documentary to tell the story of Irish organic mussels.
Kush Shellfish were among the first rope grown mussel farm in Ireland to produce organic mussels. The family run farm is based in Kenmare Bay in a special area of conservation designated under the European Union Habitats Directive. The business is largely export led weighted toward the continental European markets.
Richard Donnelly, BIM said:
“When people think of organic, they link it to the feed being organic but don’t factor in other aspects. However, organic speaks to a much broader ecological and ethical mindset. If you take the example of organic mussels being produced in Kenmare, Co Kerry, it’s about working in harmony with nature. The EU organic regulations also take account of wider environmental management practices focusing on aspects such as waste management and energy use to improve overall environmental performance of member businesses.”
Aquaculture production was valued at €172million to the Irish economy last year according to the 2019 BIM Business of Seafood report. Irish organic salmon remained the top value export at €110million while farmed shellfish accounted for €60million of the total value.
The documentary will air on Euronews on Tuesday the 22nd of December at 20:52 CET and is being translated into nine languages to air across Europe this month.
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