Sustainable
Seaweed Harvest Management
Erick Ask
FMC BioPolymer
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About FMC
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Diversified Chemical Company.
Traded on NYSE, ticker symbol FMC
Ag Chem, Industrial, Specialty Chemicals.
#1 in carrageenan and alginate.
Based in Philadelphia
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Red seaweed resource
Brown seaweed resource
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Commercial Algae and Uses
• Hydrocolloids
• Fertilizer/Plant
Food
• Human Food
• Nutraceuticals
• Spa/Beauty
• Medicinal uses
• BioFuel?
M. Indergaard (1983). The aquatic resource. I. The wild
marine plants: a global bioresource. In Cote, W. A.
Biomass utilization. Vol. Plenum Publishing Corporation,
137-168
From www.seaweed.ie
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Commercial Algae and Uses
Seaweed Industry in the
Caribbean
• CANARI
– Irish Moss drink
Seaweed Industry in the
Caribbean
• Potential markets?
– Spa/beauty product for
tourisms industry (cruise
ships).
– Seaweed (Gracilaria or
Eucheuma isiforme) for salad
in Asian fusion restaurants in
U.S.
– Live Rock
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Define Sustainable Harvest
• Reproduction and biomass – assure future
supply
• Ecosystem – Beds continue to fulfill their
role of habitat, food, competition… even
with harvest.
• Economic – cost and quality
• Employment – how many jobs? how much
income?
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Case Study –
Norwegian Laminaria hyperborea
• Started in 1960’s
• Company initiated plan.
• Based on understanding biology, ecology,
substrate and ecosystem…
• Pronova (now FMC BioPolymer) is the only
harvester.
• 5 year cycle so 5 zones.
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Vormedal
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
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Case Study –
Norwegian Laminaria hyperborea
• Government approved management plan
in 2002.
• Must stay engaged with politicians and
environment/fisheries agencies.
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Case Study –
Chilean Sarcothalia crispata
• When started, in 1970’s, based on
collecting beach material.
• Mature plants, completed life cycle,
harvested by wave action.
• Carrageenan yield and gel
strength/viscosity were very attractive.
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Case Study –
Chilean Sarcothalia crispata
• Increased demand led to diver harvesting
in 1990’s and more buyers.
• Removing younger plants and substrate.
• Lower carrageenan yield and extract
quality.
• Lower populations?
• Poor post harvest handling.
• Chile trying community based management 12
plan.
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Case Study
Australian Durvillaea potatorum
• Kelp Industries Ltd. is
only buyer.
• Harvested as storm toss
on beach.
• Sustainable since 1976.
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Summary of Case Studies
• One buyer/harvester with active harvesting
(Norway).
• Many buyers/harvesters with active
harvesting (Chile).
• One buyer/harvester with passive
harvesting (Australia).
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Lessons from Fisheries Management
• One buyer/harvester and passive
harvesting are easily sustainable.
• Numerous buyers/harvesters with active
harvesting needs good manageemnt and
enforcement. How?
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Lessons from Fisheries Management
• Concessions?
• Education?
• Buyer based
management (diver
protocol, fishing
season)?
• Co-Management?
• Hatchery seeded beds
and leasing
production areas.
• Quota?
• Community based
management?
• Permits?
• Shares?
• Purchase right to
harvest?
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Conclusion
• Ownership = responsibility
• No shortcuts
• Corruption attitude leads to shortcuts which ultimately
destroy populations and ecosystems.
• Approach can depend on level of quality governance,
cultural attitudes, financial resources…
• With limited Government resources, probably best to
be self policed within biological constraints.
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Conclusions
• Learn from other natural resource
management plans… not just seaweed.
• Each situation is unique due to biology,
culture of residents, government
resources…
• Need communication and “work in
progress” attitude. No one will get all they
want and not every initiative will work. But
“nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
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