According to the Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) Sustainability Report, the Irish aquaculture shows that its production is a low carbon sector that produces a large amount of food per unit of area used. More than 154 million meals are produced each year by Irish aquaculture. The report of the Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency provides a baseline on the sustainability credentials of the salmon, rope mussel and oyster segments across four pillars: environmental, economic, social and innovation.
Ronan Cooney, the author of the document, said the sustainability report will help build an important dataset for industry and policymakers, while also providing accessible information which stakeholders can use in their own sustainability plans. “With the global population expected to increase to nine billion by 2050, demand for seafood is expected to increase by 50% in 2050. Much of this demand is expected to be met by aquaculture with a drive to promote greater efficiencies in food production processes and food security,” he said.
“This inaugural sustainability report provides valuable insights into how the Irish aquaculture sector is performing from a sustainability perspective. BIM has developed this report as tool that industry can use to assess and communicate their sustainability performance and look at ways to improve and progress, ensuring it is well placed to meet future production demands,” he added.
An Efficient Resource
Data from the report, which uses 2017 to 2019 as baseline years, shows that aquaculture products are resource efficient with low inputs required to produce good quality products.
“The report shows that the salmon, rope mussel and oyster segments have good environmental performance with some variance within years,” said Cooney. “Economic results were mixed with Gross Value Added (GVA) decreasing for some sectors while the sales value per unit area increased. Social indicators performed well in terms of multiplier effects for GVA, employment and wages”.
According to Cooney, challenges identified include an ageing worker population with low levels of recruitment and gender diversity. “However, the sector has embraced innovation to a high level and has adopted new forms of organization and process controls. From an environmental perspective, each of the segments is performing well with some variance within years.”
The report and its results underpin the National Strategic Plan for the Sustainable Development of Aquaculture. To read the full report, visit here.
Remarkable Resilience and Innovation
Some months before, Ireland’s aquaculture sector demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation last year despite facing challenges, according to the Annual Aquaculture Report from Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). Based on the findings of the National Seafood Survey, the report examined the economic performance and social demographics of people employed in the sector in 2023. Several positive trends and developments in aquaculture highlighted the sector’s potential and capacity for recovery and growth.
In 2023, the sector contributed USD 190 million to the economy, supporting 1,961 jobs with 1,149 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) employed across all production units. The average individual salary for the year was USD 38,119.
A total of 35,737 tons of aquaculture products were sold directly at the farmgate, generating sales of USD 175.45 million. Producers of premium-grade oysters achieved high unit prices, particularly in The Netherlands, reflecting the sector’s ability to compete in international markets with high-quality products. The demand for fresh rope-grown mussels recovered significantly in the second quarter, demonstrating the market’s resilience and the segment’s ability to recover from early setbacks.
Employment in the suspended mussel culture segment increased, indicating ongoing investment in human resources and confidence in the segment’s future. Additionally, the seaweed aquaculture segment showed an 8% increase in output and an impressive 64% increase in sales value compared to 2022, signaling its maturation and progression to commercial-level production. These positive developments highlight the sector’s diversification and potential for future growth.
While national aquaculture output fell by 20% in volume and 9% in sales value, the smaller decrease in sales value suggests that unit sales values held steady or improved for some products. This demonstrates the market’s strength for higher quality or premium products.
The sector also faced significant challenges. Salmon production at sea was affected by smolt supply shortages due to a lack of investment in hatchery capacity, rising sea temperatures, and biological challenges arising from these environmental challenges. The need to sell smaller fish to protect stock resulted in a shortage of larger fish later in the year.
