Seaweed farms - good or bad?

[AnnaKarpik]

I just found out that that there are two planning applications for seaweed farms in the bay I can see from the front garden. I foresee hours spent googling the ins and outs of it but I wonder if anyone here has any idea of the environmental impacts of such a venture?

 

[a_chap]

I guess seaweed farms are ok unless the seaweed escapes.

Hordes of seaweed terrorising local inhabitants would definitely push property prices down.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I would rather have seaweed than bloody seagulls!

 

[tim]

I would rather have seaweed than bloody seagulls!

I'd rather eat gulls eggs than seaweed.

 

[two sheds]

they're kept in disturbingly poor conditions I heard

 

[MickiQ]

Seaweed farming is apparently carbon negative and takes more CO2 out of the environment that it puts in. (I didn't know that till I just now googled it)

 

[Limejuice]

This is Large Bakery forcing their fake Laverbread on an unsuspecting population!

Rise up!

 

[farmerbarleymow]

they're kept in disturbingly poor conditions I heard

I refuse to buy it unless it's free range.

(((seaweed)))

 

[gentlegreen]

Seaweed farming is apparently carbon negative and takes more CO2 out of the environment that it puts in. (I didn't know that till I just now googled it)

And like oysters, may help mop up organic pollution.

 

[JimW]

Don't apply for a job hoeing and weeding unless you own good waders.

 

[AnnaKarpik]

Seaweed farming is apparently carbon negative and takes more CO2 out of the environment that it puts in. (I didn't know that till I just now googled it)

I'm not so sure about that; it's difficult, for one thing, to determine whether data is based on wild or cultivated seaweed or where in the world the data is collected. Species, light levels and temperature are one set of variables, farming method another and end use yet another. And when it comes to an actual farm on your doorstep, so to speak, there's a massive social impact - 110 hectares of sea surface dotted with 10,000 buoys isn't an attractive proposition for people who come here to sail, fish and so forth, or walkers on the coastal path. We're trying to get at least one of the applicants to come and talk to the villagers, most of whom will lose their livelihood if the tourists stay away.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I'd rather eat gulls eggs than seaweed.

Come to Worthing next spring, and do us a favour!

 

[andysays]

Is the seaweed used to make vegan cat food?

 

[AnnaKarpik]

Well, this didn't make much of stir here but good god, the village has been in uproar for weeks. Facebook, chats on the street, a sold out parish council meeting, another public meeting on Thursday, standing room only. The upshot is, both applications have been withdrawn! HURRAY! But I have a proper hangover today

 

[gentlegreen]

Seaweed farms the size of 176 football pitches planned for Cornwall

There is a public consultation open through the MMO

www.cornwalllive.com

Biome Algae - Award-winning Seaweed Farming and Processing

A marine company, farming and processing local seaweeds in Devon and Cornwall, UK. Operating since 2020, our expertise and successes have grown over multiple farming seasons as we actively scale production.

www.biomealgae.co.uk

 

[WouldBe]

Don't apply for a job hoeing and weeding unless you own good waders.

A tractor may need some waterproofing as well.

 

[StoneRoad]

A tractor may need some waterproofing as well.

the RNLI have a few waterproof tractors ...

 

[WouldBe]

the RNLI have a few waterproof tractors ...

Doubt they are submersible though.

 

[StoneRoad]

Doubt they are submersible though.

Fully enclosed and capable of having waves washing over the top - you do need to have the air supply / engine exhaust properly located !

 

[AnnaKarpik]

Seaweed farms the size of 176 football pitches planned for Cornwall

There is a public consultation open through the MMO

www.cornwalllive.com

Biome Algae - Award-winning Seaweed Farming and Processing

A marine company, farming and processing local seaweeds in Devon and Cornwall, UK. Operating since 2020, our expertise and successes have grown over multiple farming seasons as we actively scale production.

www.biomealgae.co.uk

Public consultation for MMO licenses appears to run for a month - one whole month. All stakeholders should have been aware of the plans before that point but apparently 'stakeholders' doesn't include anyone land-based. Port Quin is another beautiful place where there is a live application on a similar scale, public consultation is closed on that one so I hope the MMO can see the deficiencies in the application themselves.

 

[Artaxerxes]

I'd rather eat gulls eggs than seaweed.

You’d not fare well in Japan

 

[bluescreen]

An uncritical and upbeat account of seaweed farming in today's R4 Food Programme

A Seaweed Revolution in the UK?​

The Food Programme

Seaweed farming could be a huge boon for the UK, restoring biodiversity, cleaning the sea and could even be capturing carbon. Seaweed is healthy and delicious but UK grown seaweed has a very low profile with only a handful of farms across the country and few people eating it. In this programme Leyla Kazim finds out why this is and what a future focused on seaweed could look like.
She talks to Vincent Doumeizel author of The Seaweed Revolution who believes seaweed is an answer to many of the crises we face as a species. In St Austell bay, Cornwall she meets Tim van Berkel from the Cornish Seaweed Company and sees one of the few seaweed farms in the UK. What is the current state of Seaweed farming? We hear from Elisa Capuzzo CEFAS. Leyla meets Douglas McMaster at his restaurant Silo to talk about seaweed as an ingredient. She also talks to Olly Hicks, adventurer and seaweed farmer who has a licence for a huge seaweed in Devon but is currently selling the seaweed for use in agriculture.

BBC Radio 4 - The Food Programme, A Seaweed Revolution in the UK?

Could seaweed farming be the answer to some of our biggest issues? Leyla Kazim finds out.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[krtek a houby]

You’d not fare well in Japan

Seaweed here is such a thing. And so varied.

Back in Ireland, it's on a much smaller scale and more found on the west coast, or at least it used to be.