Aquaculture for all

Food Writer Sally McKenna to Speak at Farmed Seaweed Conference

Economics +1 more

IRELAND - Seaweed specialist and food writer Sally McKenna will be one of the key speakers at the Bord Iascaigh Mhara forthcoming conference 'Farmed Irish Seaweed: An Ocean Wonder Food?'.

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The conference takes place on 18 November with a post-conference interactive forum on 19 November at The Radisson Blu Hotel, Limerick, Ireland.

Sally McKenna will feature in the conference's line-up of national and international speakers and commentators from the science and food conference circuit that will explore Ireland's potential to farm seaweed for the Irish and global seafood market.

Commenting on farmed seaweed, Sally McKenna said: “Ireland is perfectly placed to help satisfy the huge demand for seaweed. Its clean waters, latitude and position make it hospitable to marine plants that love both warm and cold water, both sheltered bays or exposed surf. Our coastline is perfect for growing seaweed.

“Seaweed farming works in harmony with nature and the demand for seaweed from our clean Atlantic waters is a global one. Seaweed farming is good for rural coastal communities and actually benefits the environment.”

Commenting for BIM, Donal Maguire, Director of Aquaculture Development Services, said: “BIM is delighted to welcome Sally McKenna to its speaker line-up for its forthcoming farmed seaweed conference. As one of Ireland's leading authorities on seaweed, Sally's specialist knowledge and expertise should appeal to a wide range of delegates. Her active commitment to sustainability- in this instance in relation to both wild and farmed seaweed- ties in well with BIM's approach to the responsible farming of any seafood.”

Sally McKenna is a cookery editor, photographer and film-maker and the publisher of the award-winning McKennas’ Guides, working from her office in West Cork. She began her food writing career with a column in the Irish Independent and made the RTÉ television series McKennas’ Ireland with her husband John. Since then, she has published a number of food titles alongside the guide book series, including Pizza Defined by Bernadette O’Shea, and Martin’s Fishy Fishy Cookbook, with Martin Shanahan.

In 2013 Sally wrote and published Extreme Greens: Understanding Seaweed. The book has been described as a “wonderful book”, Domini Kemp in The Irish Times, a book that will “open doors to a wondrous world” by Food & Wine magazine, and “a book that needed to be written” by Darina Allen.

BIM's conference should be of interest to people employed in Ireland's seafood sector interested in starting or continuing to farm and produce seaweed for national and global food markets, farmers interested in receiving the latest cutting edge market intelligence on seaweed consumed in the EU, national and international academics and researchers working in the seaweed or related area of maritime farming, food companies seeking new product development opportunities for farmed seaweed-based food products and investors looking for the ”newest thing” in Ireland's seafood sector.

Early booking for the conference is advised.

For more information and to book please click here.

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