The plans for giant seaweed farms in European waters:
[...] The kelp had been grown on netting hanging below a 50m (164ft) long plastic tube that was floating on the water, held in place by buoys and two anchors on the seafloor.
The boat was positioned alongside, and an 8m tall, electric-powered cutting arm was moved into the water. It pulled up the tubing and sliced the long strands of seaweed from the 2m wide net. The seaweed was then automatically bagged-up, and dropped onto the deck.
[...] North Sea Farmers has almost 100 members including food and consumer goods giant, Unilever, and energy firm Shell. They hope to dramatically increase Europe's production of farmed seaweed over the next decade.
Currently global seaweed production is dominated by Asia, and particularly China. The total worldwide harvest in 2019 was 35.8 million tonnes, and of that amount 97% came from Asia, with more than half from Chinese waters.
By contrast, Europe produced just 287,033 tonnes that year, or 0.8% of the global total, with almost all of this being the harvesting of wild stocks.
While most of us don't give seaweed much thought, it is an increasingly sought after crop. Its uses ranging from a human food and additive, to animal feed, land fertilizer, an ingredient in cosmetics, as a form of bio-packaging in place of plastic, as a biofuel, and to absorb carbon dioxide.
There are thousands of different types of seaweed around the world, but seven are harvested more than most. These include kelp and pyropia. The latter is used to make nori, the dried Japanese seaweed sheets that wrap rolled sushi.
[...] Meanwhile, the Dutch government is proposing setting aside 400 sq km (154 sq miles) of its territorial waters in the North Sea for large-scale seaweed cultivation. Germany and the Republic of Ireland are also at the forefront of developments. In the UK, which of course is no longer in the European Union, Scotland is leading the way.
Dutch firm The Seaweed Company is now farming kelp off the west coast of Ireland, plus in Moroccan and Indian waters, and in its home country.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by janrinok on Tuesday August 09 2022, @02:27PM (2 children)
Living on the coast in NW France, harvesting seaweed has been going on for years. It is common to have oyster beds, mussel beds and seaweed ropes along the coastline. Most of the seaweed is used for cosmetics but some of it does become local foodstuff. I actually collect my own from time to time to add to a salad.
I am pleased to see that more interest is now being shown but I just hope that it doesn't end up with various conglomerates fighting for the best areas and taking them from local seafood farmers who have been doing it for centuries.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by quietus on Tuesday August 09 2022, @06:37PM
NW France? There’s a marine biology research station at Wimereux. Descend Cap Gris Nez or Blanc Nez at low tide — the flora and fauna is amazing, with Chaetopoda nearly as long and thick as your arm, polyps of a Great Barrier Reef beauty.
Keep a close look on the time and the sea though: the tide can come up quickly while you’re working amongst huge boulders. Also be sure to dress warmly — it can be very cold at the bottom of the cliffs towering above you, even in summer.
(Score: 2) by quietus on Tuesday August 09 2022, @06:56PM
As to industrial applications: there’s a company which produces paint, based on kelp. It is located in Vern-sur-Seiche in Brittany (Bretagne). I can recommend their product.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 09 2022, @03:18PM (4 children)
One thing not mentioned is how much human-generated water contamination exists in what is harvested.
Even from the same vendor, roasted seaweed sheets can taste very different between batches.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Tuesday August 09 2022, @05:21PM (2 children)
It's the same water for the seaweed that we catch our fish from. If it was going to lead to medical issues we would have seen it over the last few centuries I guess.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by gnuman on Tuesday August 09 2022, @08:05PM (1 child)
There, I fixed it for you. Past pollution was minuscule and generally simple or biodegradable in comparison to the scale we are doing it today.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pfas-in-rainwater-what-it-means-for-health [medicalnewstoday.com]
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday August 11 2022, @01:59AM
In Europe and the US, there's been a substantial drop in that pollution since 1950, particularly heavy metals - the sort of forever chemicals that cause real world problems.
(Score: 2) by quietus on Tuesday August 09 2022, @06:45PM
So does cow’s milk, depending on which field they were herded, time of the day, and period after having given birth.