q&a

	Questions Answered What is the difference between wild and farmed salmon? Visually, wild salmon is not as 'good looking'. They can vary in colour and often have blood marks on their skin when caught. This results from thrashing against the fibre of the fishing nets. Fins differ also. Wild salmon have long, unblemished ones from swimming in the open water. Farmed salmon are typically in close proximity to each other and so rub off each other. As a result their fins are not as intact. Texture, flavour and colour vary also. You are what you eat, we hear continuously, and the same applies to our fishy friends. Salmon's pink flesh is due to what they eat. Their diet consists mainly of prawns, shellfish, krill and smaller crustaceans. The rich flavour is affected also, causing a mouth watering 'seafood' aftertaste. (The same logic applies to white fish. They eat food that lends itself to them having white flesh.) Farming techniques have improved dramatically over recent years but the natural diet is not quite there yet. So while the taste is excellent and it's a healthy food, the wild salmon has that little bit extra to excite the taste buds. Why bother with farmed salmon? If there were no farms, there would most likely be no salmon. 20 years ago, salmon cost about IR£8 lb. With inflation can you imagine the price today? Every wild fish would be poached and as their scarcity increased so would the price, until eventually the salmon would most likely become extinct. Stricter controls were implemented in an attempt to restore dwindling populations. Catches of wild salmon are now on the increase, which is good news for anglers and smokers. Through the controls and re-stocking programmes, we believe that there will be a sustainable catch of around 1000 tonnes per year in Ireland over the next decade. Why is salmon good for you? Rarely do you get a food that gives such nutritional value. It's a rich source of protein, the building blocks of the human body. A provider of omega 3 oils, essential for a healthy heart. It's easily cooked and convenient. Can be used in a variety of dishes, snacks or main courses. And to top it all. It tastes great. Check out our 'Recipes' section for some tasty treats. How does Irish salmon rate versus others? Ireland is recognised as having some of the cleanest waters in the world. Particularly the west coast where our salmon is caught or farmed. This alone speaks volumes about the quality of the fish. The purity of the water and the environment creates a salmon that is healthy, full of goodness and nutrition. Even the farms are of top quality. Located in remote areas, closer to a wilder environment, the fish are held in cages underwater in very exposed sites. They stay throughout in water, which is usually tidal. As the currents bring fresh water through the cages, the fish must swim against the flow, meaning that they move as they would in the wild. The harvested fish as a result has firm flesh and a lower than average fat content. Do you only sell smoked salmon? No. Smoked salmon accounts for about 40% of our business. We also provide a range of fresh and frozen seafood products such as prawn cocktail, lobster cocktail, salmon and pasta, seafood salads etc. See our products section for a full listing. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the range of choice. How fresh is the salmon when it's smoked? All of our salmon is collected the day it is caught by the fishermen. It's immediately weighed, graded and boxed in ice. On arriving at Dublin, it's frozen until it is required for processing. Our traditional methods combined with state of the art equipment ensure that the fish is at it's best on reaching you. Where can I buy your products? You can order ONLINE at this site for starters although we can't supply all of our products yet. Alternatively you can order via our MAIL ORDER SYSTEM which has been in operation since 1955. Delivery is worldwide with a GUARANTEED 24 HOUR SERVICE to the US, UK and Europe. 48 Hrs service for anywhere else in the world. Our telephone to order is on the 'contact us' page. If you want to exercise your legs, you can pop down to your local supermarket and pick up a range of our products. We supply Tesco in the UK and Ireland. Dunnes Stores, Roches Stores, Super Valu and Aer Rianta are some of our other customers in the Irish market.

Questions Answered

What is the difference between wild and farmed salmon?
Visually, wild salmon is not as 'good looking'. They can vary in colour and often have blood marks on their skin when caught. This results from thrashing against the fibre of the fishing nets.

Fins differ also. Wild salmon have long, unblemished ones from swimming in the open water. Farmed salmon are typically in close proximity to each other and so rub off each other. As a result their fins are not as intact.

Texture, flavour and colour vary also. You are what you eat, we hear continuously, and the same applies to our fishy friends. Salmon's pink flesh is due to what they eat. Their diet consists mainly of prawns, shellfish, krill and smaller crustaceans. The rich flavour is affected also, causing a mouth watering 'seafood' aftertaste. (The same logic applies to white fish. They eat food that lends itself to them having white flesh.)

Farming techniques have improved dramatically over recent years but the natural diet is not quite there yet. So while the taste is excellent and it's a healthy food, the wild salmon has that little bit extra to excite the taste buds.

Why bother with farmed salmon?
If there were no farms, there would most likely be no salmon. 20 years ago, salmon cost about IR£8 lb. With inflation can you imagine the price today? Every wild fish would be poached and as their scarcity increased so would the price, until eventually the salmon would most likely become extinct.

Stricter controls were implemented in an attempt to restore dwindling populations. Catches of wild salmon are now on the increase, which is good news for anglers and smokers. Through the controls and re-stocking programmes, we believe that there will be a sustainable catch of around 1000 tonnes per year in Ireland over the next decade.

Why is salmon good for you?
Rarely do you get a food that gives such nutritional value. It's a rich source of protein, the building blocks of the human body. A provider of omega 3 oils, essential for a healthy heart. It's easily cooked and convenient. Can be used in a variety of dishes, snacks or main courses. And to top it all. It tastes great. Check out our 'Recipes' section for some tasty treats.

How does Irish salmon rate versus others?
Ireland is recognised as having some of the cleanest waters in the world. Particularly the west coast where our salmon is caught or farmed. This alone speaks volumes about the quality of the fish. The purity of the water and the environment creates a salmon that is healthy, full of goodness and nutrition.

Even the farms are of top quality. Located in remote areas, closer to a wilder environment, the fish are held in cages underwater in very exposed sites. They stay throughout in water, which is usually tidal. As the currents bring fresh water through the cages, the fish must swim against the flow, meaning that they move as they would in the wild. The harvested fish as a result has firm flesh and a lower than average fat content.

Do you only sell smoked salmon?
No. Smoked salmon accounts for about 40% of our business. We also provide a range of fresh and frozen seafood products such as prawn cocktail, lobster cocktail, salmon and pasta, seafood salads etc. See our products section for a full listing. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the range of choice.

How fresh is the salmon when it's smoked?
All of our salmon is collected the day it is caught by the fishermen. It's immediately weighed, graded and boxed in ice. On arriving at Dublin, it's frozen until it is required for processing. Our traditional methods combined with state of the art equipment ensure that the fish is at it's best on reaching you.

Where can I buy your products?
You can order ONLINE at this site for starters although we can't supply all of our products yet. Alternatively you can order via our MAIL ORDER SYSTEM which has been in operation since 1955. Delivery is worldwide with a GUARANTEED 24 HOUR SERVICE to the US, UK and Europe. 48 Hrs service for anywhere else in the world. Our telephone to order is on the 'contact us' page.

If you want to exercise your legs, you can pop down to your local supermarket and pick up a range of our products. We supply Tesco in the UK and Ireland. Dunnes Stores, Roches Stores, Super Valu and Aer Rianta are some of our other customers in the Irish market.