From incredibly fresh and sustainable salmon to delicious premium oysters, Irish seafood has it all.
24 Irish suppliers will showcase their high quality seafood produce at stand 3D401 at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona this April 26-28 2022. Come visit the Bord Bia stand to sample the variety of seafood on offer and connect with Irish producers to bring the best of Irish seafood to your business.
Bord Bia, the state agency responsible for promoting Irish food abroad, is coordinating the presence of 24 seafood companies who will showcase their produce to over 28,000 influential buyers and sellers from over 89 countries around the world. The Irish exhibitors represent the full spectrum of species available from Ireland including shellfish, whitefish, pelagic and finfish in a range of formats including live, chilled, canned, frozen and smoked.
Ireland’s Natural Attributes
Ireland’s unique location, as an isolated island at the west of Europe, grants fisheries numerous advantages. Ireland’s pristine waters are home to rich and diverse aquatic life. There’s nothing to the west of Ireland but pure Atlantic Sea stretching for 5000km between Ireland and the next land mass, the US. Ireland’s territorial waters exceed 880,000 km2, so there’s huge potential for the country’s seafood industry to continue to scale and develop. Ireland’s temperate climate, high percentage of grassland areas and extremely favourable water stress index makes it an ideal location for top quality seafood production.
Sustainable seafood production
Ireland takes great pride in producing seafood both sustainably and responsibly. Ireland is the only country in the world with a national sustainability programme for the food industry, known as Origin Green. This program enables Ireland’s food industry to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets that respect the environment and serve local communities more effectively. Origin Green ensures that Irish producers are responsible, and protect it’s precious environment, so that they can continue producing in harmony with nature for generations to come. Origin Green is a big draw for international customers, who strongly value ethical production and sustainability.
Rich Variety of Premium Irish Seafood
Ireland produces an abundance of sustainable seafood. The waters around Ireland contain some of the most productive fishing grounds in the world with the Atlantic ocean being one of the naturally richest and purest fishing grounds in Europe. Irish fishermen take pride in producing a high diversity of species in the categories of Aquaculture, Pelagic, Shellfish and Whitefish to name a few. Ireland is the No.1 EU producer of Organic Salmon & Mussels, Pink Shrimp, Periwinkles, Velvet Crab, & Boarfish. Moreover, Ireland is the world leader in Organic aquaculture i.e salmon & mussels. Find out more about the variety of premium Irish seafood here.
International Markets
Irish seafood is regarded highly by buyers across the world. In 2021, Irish seafood exports were valued at €485 million, only down 1% from 2019’s value which is a testament to the commitment of Irish seafood producers given the challenges presented by Covid-19 in the last two years. Seafood exports to the EU were 2% higher than 2020 at €285 million, with strong recoveries evident in France, Italy and Spain, reflecting the re-opening of the foodservice sectors in these markets. Markets outside the EU have also become more important in recent years. Exports to Asia recovered strongly, and grew by almost 51% in 2021 to €45.6 million, in key growth markets such as China and Japan. Overall exports to Africa amounted to €97 million in 2021, with pelagic species performing particularly well. To expand the success of Irish seafood internationally in 2022 and beyond, Bord Bia plans to invest in key markets such as France to support French buyers in understanding the high quality attributes of Irish seafood and connecting them with Irish suppliers.
Seafood Expo Global
At the Bord Bia stand at Seafood Expo Global, buyers will have the opportunity to taste Irish seafood delights such as Irish seafood chowder and Irish spicy crab cakes prepared by our on-site chef. Videos on display will introduce Origin Green in detail and Bord Bia staff will be on hand for any queries. Most importantly, 24 expert Irish suppliers will be present showcasing the best of Irish seafood, ready to negotiate with and sell to buyers in international markets.
Speaking in advance of this year’s highly anticipated Seafood Expo Global, Tara McCarthy, Chief Executive, Bord Bia comments “It is encouraging to see such a strong Irish presence at the Seafood Expo Global, as international trade events remain a critical business development platform for Irish exporters, who are keen to reconnect in person with buyers after a challenging two years for the industry. The Expo provides an opportunity for buyers to meet Irish companies as well as to learn more about Ireland’s independently verified national sustainability programme Origin Green. Our 24 suppliers are all Origin Green verified meaning their sustainability credentials are accounted for. We welcome buyers to visit our stand and sample this sustainable quality produce for themselves”.
If you would like more information about our stand at Seafood Expo Global and a detailed list of suppliers, contact our team here.
