Seaweed has been harvested along the western seaboard since at least the 12th century. Our indented coastline with mild temperatures, varying wave exposures and rock types is conducive to the growth of rich deposits of seaweed. Most seaweed harvesting is carried out in remote areas and, together with salmon farming and shellfish mariculture, contributes to the economic sustainability in areas where few alternative sources of employment exist. I agree totally with Senator Chambers in that regard.
Worldwide, over six million tonnes of seaweed are processed commercially each year, generating more than US$4 billion. Ireland produced almost 40,000 tonnes during 1997. The seaweed industry currently comprises 17 processing companies with a combined sales value worth in the region of IR£5 million. This constitutes a major increase in sales value over the past number of years, with 80 per cent of current sales being won on export markets. In excess of 500 workers are currently involved in seaweed harvesting and processing on a seasonal basis along the western seaboard. With the general consumer preference towards products manufactured from natural resources, an increasing number of commodities such as healthcare products, horticultural products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics are made from seaweed. There is undoubted scope to increase the economic contribution of the sector through enhanced exploitation, product diversification and added value. I am again in agreement with the Senator here.
We have seen a positive increase in recent years in the realisation of the potential and opportunities of the seaweed resource. Arramara Teoranta, which is 51 percent owned by the State, is the major player in the sector and has been responsible for the large scale development of this resource to date. The company has an annual turnover of over £2 million, employing 30 people full time at its two production facilities in Connemara and Donegal. As part of its ongoing strategy Arramara Teoranta has increased its present seaweed drying capacity by 20 per cent through ongoing investment in infrastructure. The company is currently updating its corporate strategy plan and intends, as part this strategic review, to put greater emphasis on the development of its research and technology capabilities.
The success of a number of other seaweed processing companies on the western and south-western seaboard has also contributed to the unprecedented growth recorded for the industry in recent years. Compared with the extent of development in other seaweed producing countries, the overall potential of the seaweed resource in Ireland has been insufficiently acknowledged.
The welcome and growing increase in entrepreneurial activity in recent years has led to the establishment of the Irish Seaweed Industry Organisation — ISIO — which is pursuing further development opportunities for the industry. Investment in research and development in the industry has risen since 1994, with the ISIO participating and leading some of the projects. Future sustainable development of the resource will depend primarily on the extent and nature of that resource and to that end a comprehensive national scientific survey around the coast is under way.
A research and development strategy for the seaweed sector is essential to identify and realise the potential opportunities for growth. The key objective of seaweed R and D is to maximise the use of the national resource in a manner consistent with sustainable development and with appropriate husbandry. Quantification of the resource is the first priority and in that context I have approved funding totalling £427,400 in respect of seven seaweed related projects under the marine research measure of the operational programme for fisheries 1994-9. The investment in these surveys represents a clear vote of confidence in the ability of the various participants — the colleges, industries and individuals — to pursue research and development activities leading to future economic development in the seaweed sector.
The first project, the results of which will critically inform future sustainable development strategies for the sector throughout coastal regions, covers the mapping and assessment of exploitable algal biomass off the west coast of Ireland. This project was a joint initiative by Arramara Teoranta, the Irish Seaweed Industry Organisation, University College Galway and University College Cork. The results of this survey, which has already led to capital investment in the sector, will be published later this month. The remaining projects which are progressing satisfactorily include the investigation of the distribution of maërl beds around Ireland and their potential for sustainable extraction; processing systems for commercially utilised sea vegetables; strain selection of edible brown seaweed as a key dietary component of high value shellfish; development of new seaweed based hydroseeding process for soil stabilisation and vegetation; strain hybridisation field experiments and genetic fingerprinting of the edible brown seaweed and, finally, determining the impact of hand and mechanical harvesting of knotted wrack on regeneration and biodiversity.
To take matters forward I recently announced the establishment of a seaweed forum to examine and report on the potential for development of the market for seaweed and seaweed extracts. I expect the forum to evaluate the current state of knowledge of the seaweed resource and its economic contribution, to consult with the relevant participants and industry players; to investigate the potential uses of seaweed, taking into account future research needs and market opportunities, to examine any impediments to realising the sector's potential and to make recommendations to overcome these. The findings of the forum will inform future policy decisions required to foster enterprise and innovation in the seaweed sector. I expect the forum to convene early next month and to report their findings to me within nine months. I am convinced that there are several opportunities for new initiatives in the seaweed industry particularly along the west coast and I believe that circumstances favouring the development of seaweed enterprises in Ireland have never been better than they are at present.
The House adjourned at 8.45 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 11 June 1998.
