Seaweed
Harvesting of wild seaweed is to be discussed by the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs on Tuesday. The meeting at 11am in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House will run two sessions and will hear from: 11am –…
Irish Company Secures Funding As Part of EU Project to Develop Seaweed Farming
17th April 2026 Seaweed
A newly established Irish seaweed company has secured funding for an EU project to expand the growth of the “superfood” in Ireland’s waters. Galway-based company Óir na Farraige is collaborating with the EU’s Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to…
A West Cork marine biotechnology company has launched Ireland’s first health supplement range made from native red seaweed. Pure Ocean Algae, based on the Beara Peninsula, has brought its new nutraceutical products to market in Ireland and the UK, with…
Fine Gael senator Seán Kyne has called for protection of traditional rights to seaweed harvesting. As Afloat has reported, there is controversy over a stipulation under the Marine Planning Act that all harvesters must register with the Maritime Area Regulatory…
Seaweed Rights Activist Calls on MARA To Review Its Approach To Registration
26th February 2026 Seaweed
A leading Connemara seaweed rights activist has called on the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) to reconsider its plan to ensure all seaweed harvesters register for such activity by 2028. John Bhaba Jeaic O Conghaíle of Choiste Cearta Feamainne agus…
Communities along Ireland’s west coast say they will resist moves they believe threaten generations-old seaweed harvesting rights. According to RTE News, Canadian-owned Arramara Teoranta has renewed applications to harvest seaweed across multiple bays in Conamara. Arramara Teoranta was acquired in…
Ireland is leading a new EU-backed initiative to scale sustainable seaweed farming while restoring marine ecosystems across Europe. The SEAGROW project is funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and is coordinated from Ireland by Óir Na Farraige.…
When Michael O’Neill began fishing in Castletownbere, Co Cork, in 1992, he never envisaged that he and his wife Aileen would become players in a 167 billion US dollar industry for nutritional supplements. Aileen runs Irish Atlantic Sea Salt from…
Applications Open for Aquatech Innovation Studio Run by BIM and Hatch Blue
25th April 2025 Marine Tech
Companies working in areas contributing to sustainable seafood production and ocean health have been urged to apply to participate in this year’s Aquatech Innovation Studio. BIM has teamed up with aquaculture accelerator Hatch Blue to run the free, intensive six-day…
New Irish Seaweed Association Chair Calls for Government Action on Aquaculture Licensing Review Recommendations
3rd March 2025 Seaweed
The global seaweed industry is projected to reach €22 billion by 2028, participants at the new Irish Seaweed Association’s (ISA) launch at Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) heard late last week. Gareth Murphy, chair of the new association and seaweed project…
Irish Seaweed Association to Be Launched At Trinity College, Dublin Event
22nd February 2025 Seaweed
A new Irish Seaweed Association is to be launched at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) this coming week. Inspired by the highly successful Norwegian Seaweed Association model, the Irish Seaweed Association (ISA) aims to “unite industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers to…
A European research-led consortium has been established to pioneer technologies based on marine and terrestrial resources to improve crop resilience to drought stress caused by climate change. EpiSeedLink is a €2.69 million project funded under the European Commission's Horizon Europe…
Artists, Archaeologists, Ecologists and Authors at Conamara Sea Week 2024
10th October 2024 Connemara
Terns and wind turbines, a seaweed walk and talk and seabird identification are among themes of this year’s Conamara Sea Week which takes place later this month. The festival, founded by Leo and Clare Hallissey, will mark its 40th anniversary…
The Tiny Plankton and Its Big Potential to Address the Triple Planetary Crisis - Vincent Doumeizel
15th August 2024 Wavelength Podcast
What do the Cliffs of Dover, the pyramids of Giza and oil have in common? The answer is plankton, which is the “basis of life on the planet – it all started there”, in the words of Vincent Doumeizel, senior…
Coastwatch has published an awareness pamphlet (downloadable below as a pdf) about the alien invasive species Sargassum muticum or Japanese seaweed. The pamphlet, which was distributed at Sandycove on Dublin Bay on Monday (July 22), appeals to citizen scientists and…
Failure To Disclose Details of Sale of State Seaweed Company Criticised by Former Gaeltacht Minister
14th July 2024 Seaweed
The failure by State agency Údaras na Gaeltachta to disclose the price and terms of the sale of seaweed company Arramara Teo to Canadians has been criticised by former Gaeltacht minister Éamon Ó Cuív. As The Sunday Independent reports, Údaras…
