February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The minister was joined by Hugh Byrne, chairman of the Bord Iascaigh Mhara (the Irish Sea Fisheries Board), on the trip to promote a new marketing theme: “Irish Seafood-Choice Catch from the Emerald Isle.”
“The mission has been very successful,” Browne said in an interview prior to meeting with Giant Food officials based in Landover, Md.
Giant Food is owned by Ahold Corporation, a Dutch multinational corporation that is one of the largest supermarket companies in the world.
He said this is the first Irish trade mission supported by the government to promote Irish seafood in the U.S.
“There is a big interest in organics in the U.S.,” said the minister. He noted that Irish Salmon Producers Group, based in Kilkieran, Connemara, Co. Galway, represented on the mission by its managing director, Richard McNamara, is hoping to generate $2 million in sales in the U.S. by next year.
According to officials, Irish organic salmon has proved a successful seller with the Wild Oats grocery chain in the U.S.
“Irish seafood is monitored very stringently and that is appreciated by U.S. companies,” Browne said.
Bantry Bay Seafoods was also represented on the mission by its director, Michael Keohane. It is the most successful Irish seafood company in the U.S. retail division with over