Seaweeds: an opportunity for wealth and sustainable livelihood for coastal communities

Abstract

The European, Canadian, and Latin American seaweed industries rely on the sustainable harvesting of natural resources. As several countries wish to increase their activity, the harvest should be managed according to integrated and participatory governance regimes to ensure production within a long-term perspective. Development of regulations and directives enabling the sustainable exploitation of natural resources must therefore be brought to the national and international political agenda in order to ensure environmental, social, and economic values in the coastal areas around the world. In Europe, Portugal requires an appraisal of seaweed management plans while Norway and Canada have developed and implemented coastal management plans including well-established and sustainable exploitation of their natural seaweed resources. Whereas, in Latin America, different scenarios of seaweed exploitation can be observed; each country is however in need of long-term and ecosystem-based management plans to ensure that exploitation is sustainable. These plans are required particularly in Peru and Brazil, while Chile has succeeded in establishing a sustainable seaweed-harvesting plan for most of the economically important seaweeds. Furthermore, in both Europe and Latin America, seaweed aquaculture is at its infancy and development will have to overcome numerous challenges at different levels (i.e., technology, biology, policy). Thus, there is a need for regulations and establishment of "best practices" for seaweed harvesting, management, and cultivation. Trained human resources will also be required to provide information and education to the communities involved, to enable seaweed utilization to become a profitable business and provide better income opportunities to coastal communities.

Keywords: Coastal management; Latin America; Marine resources; Seaweed industry.

Fig. 1

Argentina. Harvesting of seaweed in Patagonia. (a) Beach-casted seaweed is harvested. (b) Seabed of U. pinnatifida is harvested at low tide. (c) Transport in truck of the harvest biomass to the drying site. (d) Algae are harvested in nets. e Suspended net for drying the U. pinnatifida. (f) Selection of high-quality algae (processing of high-quality algae). (g) Preparation of high-quality U. pinnatifida for the Japanese market. (h) Storage of Lessonia sp. in bulk for the Chinese market. (i) Quality control on final product (photos: G Soriano)

Fig. 2

Mexico. (a–d) Harvesting of Chondracanthus canaliculatus in San Quintin, Baja California. C. canaliculatus is harvested by hand in low tide. In the harvest, men and women participate together. (Photos: J Zertuche). (e–g) Kappaphycus alvarezii aquaculture and harvesting in Dzilam de Bravo, Yucatan (photos: D Robledo)

Fig. 3

Brazil. Harvesting and aquaculture in the community of Rio do Fogo, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. (a–b) Women and their children harvesting the natural bed of seaweeds at low tide. (c–d) Gathering of the seaweed in bags. (d–e) Harvesting of the seaweed by boat. (f) Sun-drying of the seaweeds. (g) Preparation of the seaweed seedling net by the women of the community. (h) Culture line of Gracilaria birdie (photos: E Marinho-Soriano)