Sustainable harvesting of wild seaweed resources
View/ Open
Full Text
Date
2017-10-02Author
Mac Monagail, Michéal
Cornish, Lynn
Morrison, Liam
Araújo, Rita
Critchley, Alan T.
Metadata
Show full item recordUsage
This item's downloads: 0 (view details)
Cited 54 times in Scopus (view citations)
Recommended Citation
Mac Monagail, Michéal; Cornish, Lynn; Morrison, Liam; Araújo, Rita; Critchley, Alan T. (2017). Sustainable harvesting of wild seaweed resources. European Journal of Phycology 52 (4), 371-390
Abstract
Macroalgae have played an important role in coastal communities for centuries. In the past, they have been harvested and gathered from shorelines around the world for traditional uses such as food, animal feed and a crude fertilizer (marine manure). Today, seaweeds are used in a multitude of applications with expanding global industries based on hydrocolloids, cosmetics and food supplements, and also as a potential biofuel source. However, of the approximately 10 000 algal species reported to exist, only a small number are commercially utilized. While representing only a small fraction of total global seaweed production, harvesting and gathering 'wild' seaweeds has had, and continues to have, an integral role in many coastal societies, often being intrinsically linked to the cultural identity of those coastal communities. Today, 32 countries actively harvest seaweeds from wild stocks, with over 800 000 t harvested annually from natural beds. It is vitally important that seaweeds are utilized sustainably and that natural resources are effectively managed by coastal communities with vested interests around the world. As the popularity of seaweeds increases and the use of less traditional species with novel applications comes to the fore, it is critically important to make certain that the sustainability of the resource is ensured given the increased pressures of harvesting. Issues exist regarding ownership of the resource and its over-exploitation, and the implementation of environmentally damaging harvesting techniques must be avoided. Resource scientists, managers, conservationists, governments, and other stakeholders need to be proactive in the sustainable management of these vulnerable, yet valuable, resources.
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Chemical characterization of 21 species of marine macroalgae common in norwegian waters: benefits of and limitations to their potential use in food and feed
Irene, Biancarosa; Ikram, Belghit; Christian, Bruckner G.; Nina, Liland S.; Rune, Waagbø; Heidi, Amlund; Svenja, Heesch; Erik-Jan, Lock (Wiley-Blackwell, 2017-11-28) -
Developing an integrated approach to seaweed resource assessment
Rossiter, Thomas (NUI Galway, 2020-09-01)Increasing interest in the sustainable management of Irish macroalgal resources requires the development of a cost-effective and efficient methodology for quantifying the distribution of key species. Remote sensing provides ... -
Comparison of extraction methods for selected carotenoids from macroalgae and the assessment of their seasonal/spatial variation
Heffernan, N.; Smyth, T.J.; FitzGerald, Richard J.; Vila-Soler, Anna; Mendiola, J.; Ibáñez, E.; Brunton, N.P. (Elsevier BV, 2016-10-01)