The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs has called for a national policy on the sustainable harvesting of seaweed, along with appropriate structures to improve collaboration and consultation.
A report published on Thursday (22 October) also calls for a commercial licensing regime based on high standards of sustainability, with “robust enforcement of large-scale commercial harvesting that takes account of the strategic value of proposed harvesting activities to the wider coastal economy”.
Protection for Traditional Seaweed Harvesters
It also recommends the protection of traditional rights holders and a licensing regime that recognises the value of traditional methods and affords traditional harvesters the freedom to enjoy their traditional rights and appropriate support in navigating regulatory requirements.
Committee chair Conor McGuinness said: “The establishment of our committee has allowed an enhancement in the level of political scrutiny applied to policy issues impacting on Ireland’s fishing industry, marine environment and coastal communities.”
“Seaweed harvesting has a long history in these coastal communities and traditional harvesters possess a wealth of intergenerational knowledge,” he said.
“This report presents recommendations aimed at ensuring that the status of traditional harvesters is safeguarded, that our native seaweed plants are harvested in a sustainable manner that safeguards our ecosystems and that the economic potential offered by seaweed harvesting is realised.”
Twenty Recommendations on Licensing and Sustainability
The report’s 20 recommendations deal with national policy and coordination, seaweed aquaculture, licensing of harvesting at both large-scale commercial and traditional small-scale levels, social protection and foreshore mapping.
Earlier this year, the committee began a series of hearings following separate submissions highlighting legislative uncertainty affecting traditional harvesters and opposition to large-scale commercial harvesting on the west coast. Afloat reported on the committee's hearings in April and the report's scheduled publication earlier this week.
The Marine Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) is now the statutory body responsible for regulating development in Ireland’s maritime area, including the granting of licences for harvesting wild seaweed.
Seaweed Industry Worth €160 Million
The seaweed harvesting sector employs around 950 people and was worth €160 million in 2024. The industry is primarily focused on pharmaceuticals, food, health and agriculture and has grown by 71 per cent since 2019.
Related coverage is available in Afloat's Seaweed and Aquaculture sections.
