Posted on Dec 19, 2022
Swelling school of seaweed farmers looking to anchor in somewhat choppy Northwest waters
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Prospective kelp growers who want to join the handful of existing commercial seaweed farms in the Pacific Northwest are having to contend with a lengthy permitting process. It’s gotten contentious in a few cases, but even so, at least a couple of new seaweed farms stand on the cusp of approval. Their harvests could be sold for human food, animal feed or fertilizer.
Two permit applications for floating kelp farms near Vashon Island, Washington, generated a flood of public comments to King County regulators. Some islanders strongly objected to what they said would be a risky "eyesore" offshore of their waterfront homes, while supportive commenters touted sustainable food and water quality benefits.
Two permit applications for floating kelp farms near Vashon Island, Washington, generated a flood of public comments to King County regulators. Some islanders strongly objected to what they said would be a risky "eyesore" offshore of their waterfront homes, while supportive commenters touted sustainable food and water quality benefits.
Swelling school of seaweed farmers looking to anchor in somewhat choppy Northwest waters
Posted from opb.orgPosted in these groups: 
Farming
State of Washington
Farming State of Washington
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Squaxin Island Tribe biologist Jeff Dickison said his tribe has been involved in other types of aquaculture for a long time and is considering expanding to seaweed.
"It's a natural step to proceed into the seaweed environment," Dickison said during a panel discussion.
Jamestown S’Klallam tribal vice-chair Loni Grinnell-Greninger said her tribe wants to try seaweed aquaculture as well.
"There will be conflict, plan on it," warned University of Washington Professor Clare Ryan during a subsequent presentation. Ryan was invited to speak because she studied controversies spawned by geoduck aquaculture over the past decade around Puget Sound. One of the Washington Sea Grant conference organizers cautioned though that geoduck farming might provide an imperfect analogy because it involves cultivating giant clams on leased tidelands closer to waterfront homes.
One seaweed company in Oregon and another in Washington avoided a lot of permitting hurdles by setting up tanks on land instead of seeking aquatic leases. Oregon Seaweed pumps saltwater from the nearby ocean to circulate through its large tanks at the ports of Bandon and Garibaldi. This company grows a reddish-brown seaweed called dulse as a food ingredient.
On Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula, SolSea Ltd. started as a hybrid research-commercial seaweed culture operation on the grounds of NOAA’s Manchester Research Station. SolSea’s tanks there now grow dulse and Chondracanthus, a red algae commonly known as Turkish towel. Company owner Diane Boratyn said she harvests ten months out of the year and most recently achieved 28 tons of annual production. SolSea supplies seaweed extracts for use in cosmetics."
..."Squaxin Island Tribe biologist Jeff Dickison said his tribe has been involved in other types of aquaculture for a long time and is considering expanding to seaweed.
"It's a natural step to proceed into the seaweed environment," Dickison said during a panel discussion.
Jamestown S’Klallam tribal vice-chair Loni Grinnell-Greninger said her tribe wants to try seaweed aquaculture as well.
"There will be conflict, plan on it," warned University of Washington Professor Clare Ryan during a subsequent presentation. Ryan was invited to speak because she studied controversies spawned by geoduck aquaculture over the past decade around Puget Sound. One of the Washington Sea Grant conference organizers cautioned though that geoduck farming might provide an imperfect analogy because it involves cultivating giant clams on leased tidelands closer to waterfront homes.
One seaweed company in Oregon and another in Washington avoided a lot of permitting hurdles by setting up tanks on land instead of seeking aquatic leases. Oregon Seaweed pumps saltwater from the nearby ocean to circulate through its large tanks at the ports of Bandon and Garibaldi. This company grows a reddish-brown seaweed called dulse as a food ingredient.
On Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula, SolSea Ltd. started as a hybrid research-commercial seaweed culture operation on the grounds of NOAA’s Manchester Research Station. SolSea’s tanks there now grow dulse and Chondracanthus, a red algae commonly known as Turkish towel. Company owner Diane Boratyn said she harvests ten months out of the year and most recently achieved 28 tons of annual production. SolSea supplies seaweed extracts for use in cosmetics."
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Crispy, sea salt & peper, shredded, deep fried seaweed is delicious. It looks like Easter basket grass and tastes great.
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SGT Mary G.
1LT Vance Titus Thanks for that comment.
I haven't been interested in trying it. Now, perhaps I will.
I haven't been interested in trying it. Now, perhaps I will.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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