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Sustainable Sustainable Seaweed Harvest ManagementSeaweed Harvest Management

Erick AskFMC BioPolymer

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About FMCAbout FMC

• Diversified Chemical Company.• Traded on NYSE, ticker symbol FMC• Ag Chem, Industrial, Specialty Chemicals.• #1 in carrageenan and alginate.• Based in Philadelphia

3Red seaweed resourceBrown seaweed resource

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Commercial Algae and UsesCommercial 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, 137-168From www.seaweed.ie

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Commercial Algae and UsesCommercial 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 HarvestDefine 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 – Case Study – Norwegian Norwegian Laminaria hyperboreaLaminaria 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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Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5

Vormedal

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Case Study – Case Study – Norwegian Norwegian Laminaria hyperboreaLaminaria hyperborea

• Government approved management plan in 2002.

• Must stay engaged with politicians and environment/fisheries agencies.

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Case Study – Case Study – Chilean Chilean Sarcothalia crispataSarcothalia 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 – Case Study – Chilean Chilean Sarcothalia crispataSarcothalia 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

plan.

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Case StudyCase StudyAustralian Australian Durvillaea potatorum Durvillaea potatorum

• Kelp Industries Ltd. is only buyer.

• Harvested as storm toss on beach.

• Sustainable since 1976.

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Summary of Case StudiesSummary 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 ManagementLessons 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 ManagementLessons 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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ConclusionConclusion

• 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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ConclusionsConclusions

• 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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