Ocean farmed seaweed harvests underway

By Catherine Norwood @ frdc.com.au

Acknowledgement of Country

Research trials are being undertaken on land and sea country of the Neunonne and Paredarerme people in southern and south-eastern Tasmania.

This year marks Australia’s first harvests of commercial-grade, farmed ocean seaweeds – the first in September, the second in November. Both harvests, in Tasmania, have occurred under the auspices of the Seaweed Solutions Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P), funded through the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.

The Seaweed Solutions CRC-P officially kicked off in June 2019 and began work in earnest at the start of this year. Partners in the CRC-P include Tassal Group Ltd, the University of Tasmania’s (UTAS) Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), Deakin University and Spring Bay Seafoods.

Developing commercial production practices for native seaweeds is part of research that has been underway in Tasmania for four years, with the aim to develop an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system. Aquaculture company Tassal Group has been the leading force behind this work, conducted in conjunction with its Atlantic Salmon farm operations in the state.

Tassal seaweed biologist Craig Sanderson says the trials now underway build on previous research the FRDC funded to develop culture methods for Tasmanian native seaweeds.

During that project, IMAS researchers led by Catriona Hurd have helped to establish gametophyte-seeding technology for Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), a species listed as threatened under the national Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

This technology is now also being applied to a locally endemic species of Southern Kombu (Lessonia corrugata) and the more widely found Golden Kelp (Ecklonia radiata). Giant Kelp, Southern Kombu and Golden Kelp are all brown seaweeds with existing markets.

The success of this work means a ready supply of seed gametophyte stock can be made available for commercial trials. The new propagation techniques may also allow producers to skip the hatchery phase and seed seaweeds directly onto lines to be deployed to sea.

Craig Sanderson says this offers a significant cost saving on the more labour-intensive practices used in many Asian countries where seaweed industries are well established. It will help to make Australian production more economically competitive.

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