A 100-acre Alaskan operation owned by Premium Aquatics, which sells its bounty under the brand Seagrove Kelp Co, has become the largest kelp farm in the U.S in the four years since its founding.
One question looming over the North American seaweed market is how big is too big.
Alaska leads the way here, with state laws that require farmers to collect their kelp seeds from within 50 kilometers of their grow site each year to ensure their crops share their genetic makeup with local wild stocks.
“The people who I think should be in kelp farming are fishermen who already know how to work on the water, already have a boat, and already have another generation coming up underneath them to raise on the water,” said Patryn.
If passed, the federal Coastal Seaweed Farm Act of 2023 would help further this mission by establishing an Indigenous seaweed farming fund and publishing a report outlining how to responsibly scale seaweed in the U.S. with the help of Indigenous knowledge.
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Interesting article though they kind of gloss over the possible environmental benefits to focus on the risks. If managed correctly, this can relieve pressure on scarce farmlands, absorb excess carbon and nutrients, and even expand habitat for fish and other marine life. But of course being aware of the possible risks is also wise.
