Food from the sea on the platter of a major maritime festival

Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board and BIM, Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, will be showcasing the best of Irish seafood at SeaFest 2015 Maritime Festival in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork on July 11.

The best of Irish seafood to showcase at Seafest 2015, Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, July 11

The family fun event follows the maritime conference Our Ocean Wealth the previous day, which is set to attract upwards of 500 delegates to explore the potential of Ireland’s marine sector.

Total Irish seafood sales exceed €850m annually and demand is on the increase worldwide, underpinning an industry with significant potential, according to the agencies.

But with Irish consumption per person/per annum of just 21kg compared to 34kg in France and 70kg in Japan, the agencies are collaborating on an initiative to improve buying frequency and variety of fish species consumed in Ireland.

The Food from the Sea showcase will demonstrate the species available in Irish waters along with easy ways to prepare and cook seafood at home. TV chefs Martin Shanahan and Rory O’Connell will demonstrate simple recipes, filleting techniques and offer tastings of locally-sourced seafood throughout the day.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to sample and purchase seafood products from eleven Irish seafood companies, and go on a visual and sensory journey that explains how seafood is caught or farmed.

Custom-built cinemas will show interactive educational tours, Tales from the Deep, with personal stories from fishermen, and Professor O’Mara’s Undersea Farm – a specially designed animated character will explain how Ireland’s world famous oysters, mussels and salmon are farmed.

The Seafood Experience will also explain the importance of sustainability, essential to protecting wild and farmed stocks, and how innovative seafood ends up on supermarket shelves.

Safety at sea is a key element of the whole seafood experience and will be demonstrated by BIM’s training team on board their mobile Coastal Training Unit.

SeaFest 2015 July 11 10.00am – 5.00pm