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 Authority (MARA) by 2028.
Arramara, now owned by Canadian multinational Acadian, has sought to plan ahead by applying to MARA for licenses in five Connemara bays.
“Coastal communities can’t be sidelined as interest grows from private companies to secure seaweed harvesting rights,” Kyne, leader of the Seanad, has said.
“In many parts of the country, seaweed harvesting rights are long-established and well understood within local coastal communities,” he said in a statement.
“In some cases, these rights are formally recorded on property folios, while in others they exist as traditional rights which are passed down generations of families who have been responsibly harvesting shorelines for decades,”he said.
Senator Kyne said previous legal advice to the Government recognised that existing seaweed harvesting rights must be respected and protected, and such rights can’t be displaced by licensing agreements.
“Where legally recognised harvesting rights exist, those rights must be fully respected. The State can’t give permissions that undermine or override long-standing rights that families and communities have relied on for generations,” he said.
He said MARA, which is the State agency which determines licensing of seaweed harvesting, must respect the opinions of the previous government's legal advice.
Senator Kyne confirmed he is looking to organise a debate with ministers responsible for maritime and heritage to ensure the protection of traditional rights remains central to policy as a new licensing system is developed.
“There’s growing concern among coastal communities about private operators and companies looking for licences to harvest seaweed in areas where local families have traditionally had these rights for generations.
“It’s essential that regulations recognise these rights and safeguards the communities which rely on them,” he said.
MARA has confirmed that folio holders must obtain a licence, but has said that the system is designed to respect formal and informal rights.
Arramara said it applied to secure supply of Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus to ensure continued operation of its processing plant at Cuan Chill Chiaráin.
