Ireland launches seaweed industry group
Ireland has launched a new seaweed industry working group to help develop what is becoming a growing sector.
Opened by Richard Donnelly, interim CEO of BIM, the country’s seafood support organisation, the inaugural meeting brought together 11 seaweed producers.
Ireland’s seaweed sector is currently valued at almost half a million euros.
With a focus on farmed seaweed operators, BIM said the group’s aim is to support their development and growth. The meeting was held in response to industry requests for a BIM-facilitated forum to better coordinate across the seaweed sector.
Its main purpose was to establish a community platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration on sector development. It will also work towards establishing a brand identity for cultivated Irish seaweed.
Ireland’s seaweed sector is valued at almost half a million euros, and produced around 500 tons of biomass, according to 2024 information from BIM’s Annual Aquaculture Report.
Its establishment fulfils Pillar 1 of the Macro-Algal Strategy to “establish a community.” The working group model is based on BIM’s successful experience with similar initiatives in other aquaculture segments, such as the Irish Oyster Collective.
BIM is supporting the group by facilitating quarterly workshops to bring the sector together, identify opportunities, and coordinate progress.
BIMs 2026 Seaweed Development Programme will support the sector through technology transfer, facilitating innovation, supporting site activation, and providing support on food safety standards and regulation.
Priority areas include programmes for direct seeding technology, exploration of research and development opportunities, and ongoing quarterly workshops to guide sector development.
BIM said the working group was strategically important for developing the Irish seaweed sector, and ensuring coordinated and sustainable growth across the industry.
A similar UK seaweed body was launched late last year.
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