Sustainabilty and Innovation in Seafood Production is Driving Employment in a Rural Coastal Community
Swedish native Birgitta Curtin (pictured), who founded and runs the Burren Smokehouse in Co. Clare, has won the overall prize for Seafood at the recent Green Awards. Birgitta’s unending focus on sustainable sourcing and practices in her seafood business were given particular mention.
Birgitta set up the Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna in 1989 with a staff of two – she and her husband Peter. In 2017 the Burren Smokehouse had a turnover of €2.3 million and it currently employs 18 full-time staff. Birgitta’s business is largely export lead. Her main markets are France, the US and Canada. Her products include Burren oak smoked Irish organic salmon and Irish mackerel.
In May, Birgitta will open Ireland’s first ever Irish salmon visitor centre which will offer visitors an interactive experience of the story of Irish salmon from its mythology to production. Businesses, such as Birgitta’s, showcase the enduring importance and value of the seafood sector to rural coastal communities.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) has worked with Birgitta in helping her to develop her business.
