News

The winners of the first ever Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) National Seafood Awards 2016 were named at a Gala Awards event in the Clayton Hotel, Ballsbridge on the 17th of November.

The awards celebrate and highlight the excellence in Ireland’s seafood industry. BIM put out the call to the public to nominate the finest finest fishermen, fish farmers, processors and retailers in Ireland’s renowned seafood sector.

The panel of judges then chose the best from the 38 finalists and last night they were honoured at the glamorous awards event. The ceremony officially opened by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Michael Creed, T.D. and hosted by renowned sports journalist and broadcaster, Des Cahill.

The award were broken down into four categories: Skills, Sustainability, Innovation and Competitiveness.

Kush Seafarms ltd won the Aquaculture Enterprise of the year award in the Competitiveness category.

We are delighted to have been honoured with such an award and the team in the company are delighted that the vision and service that they cherished has been recognized.

Environmental Policy Statement

Rope mussel production using natural collection methods has been prevalent since 1980. The natural hatchery and oceanographic conditions have led the industry in this direction. A very suitable mussel for fresh market in France is produced annually and resembles the Bouchot in France. The mussels are grown on reusable materials.

The collection materials are hung vertically from longlines of 30 barrels attached to a double headrope of 100meters.. The density of collectors can be much higher at settlement stage and reduced as the mussels mature.

All our operations depend on a clean environment. Thus we respect the environment we work in, support sustainable development and are committed to environmentally sound business practices. To fulfill this commitment, we:

  • Ensure compliance with the law and those higher or voluntary standards to which we subscribe;
  • Continue to improve our environmental performance;
  • Reduce waste, conserve energy and explore opportunities for re-use and recycling;
  • Ensure that employees are aware of the companies’ environmental policy and of their own responsibilities and given the support and training necessary;
  • Promote a culture in which all employees contribute to the implementation of this policy;
  • Actively promote and improve the amenity of the area by working together with all relevant governmental and non-governmental bodies;
  • Engage and listen to the concerns of our customers, employees, neighbors and the wider community;
  • Remain alert and responsive to developing issues.
  • Continue to work as an active member of the local CLAMS group
  • Create awareness within the company of protected areas in and around the areas that we work.
  • Change over from Blue to Grey Barrels to reduce the visual impact. The blue barrels will be replaced by grey barrels whenever they need to be replaced for maintenance purposes to reduce waste.
  • Purchase only biodegradable hydraulic oil from June 2008

Send us your tasty recipes for Kush Organic Mussels to be in with a chance of winning a fantastic break in Beara!

At Kush, we just love eating our own mussels and are always looking out for new delicious ways of preparing them. That is why we are organizing the Great Kush Organic Mussel Cook-Off where we will invite two of our Facebook Fans or Twitter Followers with the best recipes to be our guest in Kenmare on Sunday 24th of November and prepare a tasty dish of mussels for us and our panel of chefs and foodies at the second annual Great Kush Cook-Off!

The overall winner of the Great Kush Cook-Off will receive a weekend hotel accomodation in the heritage Town of Kenmare with a host of activities and foodie goodies including an exciting boat trip on the clear crystal waters of Kenmare Bay with us to see where their nutritious organic mussels come from! We will also feature your winning recipe on our packs and promotional material!

So, e-mail us your recipe to sales@kush.ie or enter your details and your tasty recipe on our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/KushOrganicShellfish and be in with a chance of joining us in beautiful Kenmare and winning a break in one of the most beautiful corners of Ireland!

The Examiner, By Joe Dermody, Thursday, June 9th 2011

KENMARE-BASED Kush Shellfish is the first seafood business in Ireland or Britain to win the carbon trust standard, an award which recognises a company’s efforts to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Kush Shellfish has recorded a 22.8% reduction in its overall carbon footprint, independently assessed by Carbon Tracking in Co Clare. The new certification covers three key areas: carbon footprint measurement, carbon management and carbon reduction performance.

Kush holds EU-approved organic status and Naturland and Bio Suisse certs, among other credits. It recently launched its new Organic Rope Mussels brand in shops across Ireland. Kush managing director John Harrington said: "Environmental assessors measured our performance in terms of everything from office administration and communication practices, to how we package our mussels. We already have a strong environmental policy in place so we were confident we’d reach the carbon trust’s tough standards.

"Kush’s position as an organic producer that operates in an EU-designated Special Area of Conservation means staff are acutely aware of the importance of environ-mental systems and procedures. Since our launch in the late 1980s, being environmentally-aware has become a core part of our culture." He said products that hold official certification and standards are being more widely sought.

Kush’s mussels are caught with organic rope from clear waters off the Beara Peninsula. The firm participates in a strict biotoxin monitoring initiative overseen by the Marine Institute of Ireland.

Inshore

Kush Shellfish with production facilities in West Cork and Co. Kerry has secured a lucrative sales agreement that will see the company supply selected Tesco outlets across the country.

Fourteen stores are now stocking Kush Shellfish 500g premium organic Irish rope mussels; the brand is also available in Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Superquinn. Company managing director, John Harrington, says the new sales agreement with Tesco is a direct result of the growing consumer demand for premium quality Irish shellfish.

“Within the domestic market, we’re seeing a phenomenal increase in demand for excellent quality Irish shellfish. In fact, over the past three years, there’s been a huge revival of interest. Previously, we had been mainly dealing with the continental European market, but now more and more of our business is in the home market”, he explains.

He puts down this reawakening on the home market to a more adventurous approach to food choices coupled with better communications throughout shellfish sector:

“In the past, many Irish consumers [were] a bit wary of preparing shellfish in their own homes. There was a sense of apprehension about the prospect of cooking and serving shellfish, as well as anxiety with over the best way of assessing the food safety aspect.”

He added that the shellfish sector should also be credited for the increase in popularity as it responded to consumer needs. Here at Kush Shellfish we’ve been very proactive in developing convenient packaging and easy-to-follow instructions that make homepreparation perfectly simple,” he said.

Kush Shellfish was awarded GT Certification for its organic rope mussels and for overall high standards of shellfish production. The company also operates strict biotoxin standards overseen by the Marine Institute of Ireland. Based on the Beara Peninsula where West Cork meets County Kerry,

Kush Shellfish is now undergoing expansion. “As a result of the new sales agreements with Tesco and other Irish supermarket multiples, we’re now working with other approved shellfish farms on the peninsula. “Growth of the domestic shellfish business is not just great for Kush it’s also excellent news for our employees and our quality approved partner shellfish producers.