26_Sustainable_Seaweed_Harvest_Management_ErickAsk

							        Sustainable
Seaweed Harvest Management
          Erick Ask
       FMC BioPolymer

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



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Red seaweed resource
Brown seaweed resource
                         3
    Commercial Algae and Uses

• Hydrocolloids
• Fertilizer/Plant
  Food
• Human Food
• Nutraceuticals
• Spa/Beauty         M. Indergaard (1983). The aquatic resource. I. The wild
                     marine plants: a global bioresource. In Cote, W. A.

• Medicinal uses     Biomass utilization. Vol. Plenum Publishing Corporation,
                     137-168
                     From www.seaweed.ie
                                                                                4
• BioFuel?
      Commercial Algae and Uses
Seaweed Industry in the   Seaweed Industry in the
Caribbean                 Caribbean
• CANARI                  • Potential markets?
   – Irish Moss drink        – 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 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 –
   Norwegian Laminaria 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.
                                             7
8
Vormedal

   Year 1
   Year 2
   Year 3
   Year 4   9
   Year 5
             Case Study –
   Norwegian Laminaria hyperborea
• Government approved management plan
  in 2002.
• Must stay engaged with politicians and
  environment/fisheries agencies.




                                           10
              Case Study –
       Chilean Sarcothalia 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.


                                             11
            Case Study –
      Chilean Sarcothalia 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 12
  plan.
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                  Case Study
      Australian Durvillaea potatorum


• Kelp Industries Ltd. is
  only buyer.
• Harvested as storm toss
  on beach.
• Sustainable since 1976.

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     Summary 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 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 Management
 • Concessions?           • Quota?
 • Education?             • Community based
 • Buyer based              management?
   management (diver      • Permits?
   protocol, fishing      • Shares?
   season)?               • Purchase right to
 • Co-Management?           harvest?
 • Hatchery seeded beds
   and leasing
   production areas.                            22
                    Conclusion

• 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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              Conclusions
• 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.”            24
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