By Gery Flynn and Gillian Mills

The Irish Salmon Growers Association has lashed out at what it describes as the “dismissal on a technicality” of legal proceedings against a seafood processor charged with falsely declaring and selling Scottish farmed salmon as wild Irish salmon.

This charge refers to the second of two cases taken within a week by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) against well-known seafood processors and retailers, Wrights of Howth.

First case
A statement from the FSAI referring to the first case heard on March 18 and 19 expressed ‘satisfaction with the outcome of legal proceedings in relation to Wrights of Howth, Galway Ltd of Unit 2, Galway Harbour Enterprise Park.’

It notes that ‘after a partial hearing’ before Judge Aingeal Ní Chondúin in Dublin District Court ‘when authorised officers from the FSAI and the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority gave evidence, Wrights of Howth, Galway Ltd entered a plea of guilty to all seven summonses on which they were charged.’

According to the FSAI, these proceedings followed an investigation by its authorised officers into breaches of food legislation as part of routine FSAI labelling and traceability audits conducted between 7th December 2006 and 27th September 2007.

Quoting Judge Ní Chondúin at the hearing, the FSAI statement reads: ‘Whilst she was looking at this case in the light of a product area where there are loose practices, she hopes that this will change. Saying that whilst she understood how businesses work, the consumer was at the end of this. She said that she was sending out a message not to do this again. As a consequence of the plea entered by Wrights of Howth, Galway Ltd they are to make a contribution of €5,000 to the Children in Hospital Fund and to make a contribution of €10,000 to the costs and witness expenses of the FSAI. The matter stands adjourned for one week for payment.’