About Us
In 1999, this group of second generation fishermen, decided to pool its talent and resources. The result is a 9-strong fleet of modern boats and an impressive collective of skilled manpower.
The Co-Op has a core offering of ‘frozen at sea’ prawns. All of the vessels boast newly installed ‘frozen at sea’ equipment and this opens up new possibilities not affected by the logistics of fresh produce. The prawns are frozen within 4 hours of being caught. This helps ensure they are preserved in their original state as quickly as possible and in turn the consumer has the pleasure of experiencing the prawns as if they had just been taken from the wild Irish sea waters.
This technology, coupled with Ireland’s close proximity to the main prawn fishing grounds, allows the prawns to be handpicked and quickly frozen, ensuring exemplary quality, freshness and traceability. The boats can also stay at sea for longer, substantially decreasing the Co-Op’s carbon footprint.
Location
The fishing village of Clogherhead, County Louth, is located on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin Bay. The village developed around the fishing industry with Port Oriel as its centre and is ideally located for ease of distribution. Clogherhead prawns (Nephrops norvegicus) are renowned for quality. It is prawns of this provenance that proudly bear the name of Dublin Bay Prawns.
Sustainability and Foresight for the Future
The fleet based at Clogherhead depends on the continued sustainability of nephrops fisheries around the Irish coast. Our vessels and crews employ various conservation measures that are recognized as contributing to sustainability. Examples are using fishing gear that goes above legal requirements which helps to retain larger whitefish while allowing undersized fish to escape from the net into the sea alive and taking a pro-active role working with the scientific community on stock assessment and sampling programs.
We are implementing the BIM Seafood Environmental Management System which was developed by close collaboration between BIM and the Irish catching sector. This system allows vessels demonstrate their commitment to responsible fishing practices.
We are also closely involved with Responsible Irish Fish, set up to assist vessel owners achieve certification for their fish, differentiate their products in the market place and promote Irish fish caught in a responsible manner.
Fishing Grounds
Departing Port Oriel, the fleet has access to Dublin Bay, the Irish Sea, the ‘Smalls’ (Celtic Sea), and the Porcupine Bank. With fleet capability, experienced owners and skippers, this coverage ensures year round supply.