Seagriculture 2024: Key Insights and a Travel Anecdote

Jul 10

Seagriculture 2024, the premier international seaweed conference, brought together industry experts, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the globe to the picturesque Faroe Islands. This year's conference, themed 'Bridging Continents,' featured engaging presentations, insightful discussions, and invaluable networking opportunities. Participants delved into the latest advancements in seaweed farming, explored its potential applications, and shared best practices from diverse regions.

Key Takeaways from Seagriculture ‘24

1.Preserving Coastal Traditions and Community Involvement

At the 14th International Seaweed Conference in the Faroe Islands, C-FAARER team members, Nessa O’Connor, Ann Ruddy, and Marit Gjerstad, emphasized the significance of preserving coastal skills and traditions. Norwegian seaweed farmers identified these as crucial for the development of regenerative ocean farming. The importance of community acceptance and shared business risks was also highlighted, reflecting similar concerns within the burgeoning Irish seaweed cultivation community.

2.Global Collaboration and Networking

The conference, themed 'Bridging Continents,' brought together 225 participants from 123 companies across 25 countries. It underscored the global interest in seaweed farming, fostering discussions on collaboration and knowledge sharing. The potential to connect with other community-led seaweed initiatives, such as those in Scotland and New Zealand, and expand networks through the Global Seaweed Coalition was a key takeaway.

3.Visit to Ocean Rainforest

A highlight of the conference was the visit to Ocean Rainforest, potentially Europe's largest seaweed cultivation site. Attendees explored the hatchery, processing facility, and seaweed lines, and sampled products, showcasing the advancements and commercial potential of large-scale seaweed farming.

Seagriculture Journey: From Chaos to Discovery

Read Ann Ruddy's (Redrose Developments) account of her journey to the Seagriculture Conference in the Faroe Islands, where she navigated travel mishaps and discovered the beauty of the region:

My recent attendance at the Seagriculture Conference in the Faroe Islands began with a tumultuous journey that mirrored the rugged beauty of my home county, Mayo. Despite landing in Vagar Airport a day late, the landscape felt like a warm welcome home.

The adventure started with a last-minute decision to attend, guided by my seasoned business consultant. Booking flights and accommodation on a tight budget led me to a less-than-ideal BnB, far from the conference hotels. I would warn readers not to believe all reviews, as the BnB I booked based on a review was cold, damp, and noisy.

As I mentioned the landscape could have been Mayo, it is truly beautiful. But, apart from parallels in weather, this is where the similarities stopped. The roads were excellently well maintained to motorway standard, as were the quality of the cars and the houses that we passed across the Islands that drove through. We passed a building that we were told was the prison for the Island’s population of 50,000 people. The taxi driver informed us that it housed a total of 18 prisoners and that it was not full. Being a criminologist, I was fascinated by this and after speaking with many of the locals it was clear that crime would not pay in such an environment where everybody knows everybody, and that natural surveillance was just that – natural. There is a fierce sense of pride and nationality and although most Islanders that we encountered spoke some English there was such pride in the National Language of the Faroe Islanders.

Obvious prosperity was in all aspects of Island life and the welcome that was extended was warm and genuine, when asked about the source of prosperity the answer was that of the Blue Economy. Seaweed is just one aspect of the wealth generated from the ocean in this beautiful collection of Islands and it is one that will need time to mature and develop as a commercial economy. However, there is strong belief and support for the sector and despite my challenging journey, the event was good and one that enabled me to network with many interesting and well-connected and influential people in the seaweed sector and to continue on my macroalgae journey.