UK coastal communities have a long tradition of wild harvesting of seaweed for food. But its potential reaches far further than this.
The World Wildlife Fund supports a project of regenerative ocean farming. Regenerative ocean farming is a climate-friendly model where seaweeds and shellfish grow in a way that doesn’t require fresh water, feed, or fertilizer.
This ocean farming involves the growing and harvesting of kelp, which requires none of the chemical inputs of farming on land. Seaweed farming has been done off the coast of the UK for hundreds of years. In Wales, it is made into laverbread and in Scotland, it is made into dulse.
But farming of kelp has way more potential than this. For example, it has been proved that if cattle are fed feed made from kelp, it reduces significantly their production of methane.
Instead of stripping habitats of nutrients and biodiversity, seaweed farms have the power to sequester carbon on land and sea and produce livestock feed and fertiliser that can enrich the soil. Seaweed farms also create water conditions that allow marine ecosystems to thrive.
WWF is working with ocean farms to explore the exciting role that seaweed can play in helping us to tackle the crises in climate and nature. To find out more about this project, click here.
There is a short YouTube video showing a regenerative ocean farm in action which you can watch if you click here.
With thanks to Martin Benning