Shaping the Future of Ireland's Seaweed Farming Industry

Mar 16

A Recap of the C-FAARER x Go Nature Positive Event in Galway

Introduction:

Following consultations with stakeholders in Ireland’s seaweed farming value chain over the course of the last months, one key takeaway has emerged: the need for a united Ireland seaweed association, that encompasses all regions in the ROI and NI. During our C-FAARER x Go Nature Positive Event at the Marine Institute in Galway, we came one step closer to turning this idea into a reality.

A Unifying Force for Seaweed Farming in Ireland: First in-person board meeting

The event in Galway kicked-off the first in person meeting for the new Irish Seaweed Association. The board members, representing a diverse group of stakeholders from across the seaweed farming value chain, hit the ground running in a lively discussion to set the agenda for the association’s next steps. These topics included:

Challenges faced by the industry were touched upon including the topics of licensing, sustainability, and market access.
The idea of regenerative seaweed farming (highlighted as a central theme), underscored the importance of environmentally sustainable practices that contribute positively to marine ecosystems.
Funding opportunities and support mechanisms, identified the need for both individual and collective efforts to secure financial resources for research, innovation, and market expansion

Taking from these discussions, the association adopted a common goal: to establish a foundation that prioritises seaweed cultivation as a means of addressing challenges and opening pathways for growth. Secondary goals included integrating considerations for shellfish and other low trophic aquaculture in the broader scope of the association's interest, following an Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) or polyculture approach.

Interested in joining the Irish Seaweed Association? Click here.

Learnings from the Norwegian Seaweed Association - Europe’s leading seaweed producer:

Opening the floor to the Norwegian Seaweed Association, the following session welcomed potential cluster members to learn more about Norway’s journey to regenerative and community-driven approaches to seaweed farming. Annelise Chapman, from the Norwegian Seaweed Association (NSA), provided a comprehensive overview of the NSA's transformation, starting from experimental cultivation in 2005 to becoming Europe's leading seaweed producer.

Supported by Innovation Norway, local councils, and comprising around 80 members by January 2024, the Norwegian seaweed cluster shared the importance of cross-sector collaboration for advancing the seaweed industry; learnings which will be applied to the development of a blueprint to help Ireland attain their seaweed farming ambitions.

Continuing our vital discussions and how you can be a part of it:

Our two community platforms, “Regenerative Ocean Farming and Production” and “Irish Seaweed Association Community Hub”, both hosted on the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform, aim to apply these and other learnings from the C-FAARER x Go Nature Positive Event into opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange. Our first community platform caters to stakeholders engaged in Irish ocean farming, in the hopes of continuing discussions from the event around regenerative farming practices. The second platform is internationally-oriented, allowing for community members to participate in collaborative sessions, knowledge exchange and sharing their best practices from around the world.

These platforms are envisioned to represent a vibrant community of stakeholders from various sectors of seaweed farming who use the platform to come together to drive the industry forward for a sustainable future for seaweed farming in Ireland and beyond. Join one or both communities by signing up (for free) on the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform:

Advancing the Vision: The Path Forward for the Irish Seaweed Association

The creation of the Irish Seaweed Association marks an important moment for the seaweed farming community, and their aspirations to use their collective strength to generate domestic growth within the industry, whilst working within environmental and social constraints.

The C-FAARER project plays a pivotal role in this journey, acting as the foundational stepping stone for the collective to use for research, collaboration and knowledge sharing, challenging new insights from the project activities. For more information about the C-FAARER project and its vision for seaweed farming in Ireland, visit our website here.

The Go Nature Positive Project is another driving force behind the development of the Irish Seaweed Association. Sharing a coordinator from Trinity College Dublin, both C-FAARER and the Go Nature Positive Project, work closely together to deliver regenerative methodological approaches to meet parallel and complementary objectives. With a four-year tenure, the Go Nature Positive Project aims to use its longer timeframe to find synergies with the ISA and ensure project continuity beyond C-FAARER, through the Western Development Commission and its Blue Economy Pilot study.

Interested in joining, learning more, or getting involved with the development of the new Irish Seaweed Association? Contact us.