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 manager at the Simply Blue Group, said that “with over 7,500km of coastline, Ireland is uniquely positioned to become a leader in regenerative ocean farming”.
This will help to “restore marine ecosystems”, and “support coastal livelihoods”, he said.
However, he said that the Government needs to implement the 2017 Aquaculture Licensing Review recommendations.
“Without action, we risk losing jobs in coastal communities and seeing innovation move elsewhere,” Murphy said.
Inspired by the highly successful Norwegian Seaweed Association model, the ISA aims to unite industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers to unlock the potential of seaweed farming as a nature-positive, economically viable, and community-driven sector.
The ISA is hosted by the Centre for Social Innovation at Trinity Business School and Trinity’s School of Natural Sciences, and is a spin out from the EU Horizon-funded research project C-FAARER.
It is supported by a strong network of partners including Trinity College Dublin, the Norwegian Seaweed Association, Nofima, Sea Going Green, Redrose Developments, and Horizon Nua.
Nessa O’Connor, TCD Professor in Zoology, said the ISA is “a milestone in Ireland’s commitment to regenerative ocean farming and the development of a sustainable blue economy”.
“Seaweed farming requires no freshwater or additional fertilisers and has far less environmental impact than land-based agriculture or other forms of aquaculture. When practised sustainably, seaweed farming could even help improve local habitats, biodiversity and water quality,” she said.
The ISA aims to support startups, SMEs, and industry players and “help secure funding, expand market access, and drive automation, processing advancements, and new product development”.
It says it is “committed to education and community engagement” and “aims to ensure coastal regions benefit directly from a thriving, sustainable development of the seaweed industry”.
