Sir, – Karl McDonald asks why the Irish don’t eat more fish. (Why are the Irish not that into fish – and can we blame it on the English?, Weekend, September 5th).
Perhaps we should ask a different question: Why would we eat fish when it is ostensibly more expensive than meat?
Walk into an Irish supermarket and compare fresh fish with beef. Hake or cod can cost as much as, or considerably more, than steak.
Fish is more healthy, sustainable and a less fatty protein source but the price tag tells a different story. All other attributes are hidden, the price is not.
READ MORE
As pointed out in the article, this seems particularly absurd in an island nation surrounded by rich fishing waters. Our fishermen face tight quotas, much of our catch is exported, and then, we import fish to put on our own supermarket shelves!
We are regularly told that eating more fish would be good for our health and the environment. Fine. But perhaps then we should first make fish more affordable and available.
So the question isn’t “Why don’t the Irish eat more fish?”
It’s “Why is eating fish in Ireland so expensive?” – Yours, etc,
Mick Catala,
Clonalvy,
Co Meath
