Consumers have urged to continue eating farmed Irish salmon despite a US report warning that consumption should be limited because of toxin levels in the fish.
The culprit is "salmon chow" - the feed given to the captive fish, the researchers report in this week's issue of the journal Science.
But the Irish Sea Fisheries Board, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), said the research findings did not include farmed Irish salmon and were based on fish samples taken from other EU countries and North America.
"I would urge Irish consumers to continue buying farmed Irish salmon over salmon farmed elsewhere," said Mr Donal Maguire of BIM.
"The quality of farmed Irish salmon was only recently underlined by Dr Wayne Anderson, chief food Science Specialist with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, when he congratulated Irish salmon farmers for their achievement in maintaining low dioxin levels in their fish and urged them to continue being vigilant in ensuing they continue to use uncontaminated fish feed", Mr Maguire added.
The Labour Party's marine spokesman, Mr Tommy Broughan TD, called on the Government to clarify the situation regarding existing guidelines on the safety of farmed salmon.
"It is now necessary for the Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern, to report urgently on the guidelines on feeding practices in Irish aquaculture to ensure that the world-famous reputation of Irish farmed salmon is not damaged by the study's findings."
The US research found that farmed salmon from supermarkets in Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Vancouver, and Washington, DC, had toxins high enough to suggest that people eat no more than two salmon meals a month, based on US Environmental Protection Agency standards.
In contrast, it would be safe to eat up to eight meals a month of wild salmon, researchers said.