The Licensing and Harvesting of Seaweed in Ireland
Damian Melvin
Carraig Fhada Seaweed
A submission to the
Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht.
8th July 2014
This statement represents the views of Damian Melvin and Carraig Fhada Seaweed. It is based on local knowledge, local seaweed harvesting practices and our experiences within the industry.
Introduction
Seaweed is a natural renewable resource which is abundantly available from ourthousands of kilometres of coastline. If managed correctly, this natural resource has the potential to develop an industry which can provide much needed employment in economically deprived regions of this country.
Lack of regulation and licensing is threatening existing seaweed processors already involved in the industry. Successive Governments have failed to regulate the industry and as a result unlicensed commercial harvesting is carried out on a daily basis to ensure the existence of these businesses and to guarantee the jobs currently in the industry. This lack of action coupled with the rumoured threat of the sale of foreshore rights to a Canadian company leaves us in a situation where our livelihoods are at stake.
Tradition of Seaweed Harvesting
Seaweed harvesting has always been a traditional part of life for communities living along the coast. Scores of men, women and children have lined the shores at low water to harvest a natural resource that had nourished generations before them and provided an income when there was no other. Each family had their traditional harvesting patch which was passed on from generation to generation. This patch, together with local knowledge, ensured the sea always bore fruits for its harvesters.
Farmers collected seaweed washed up on the beaches and used it to fertilise their crops. This was the greatest single use of seaweed. Other seaweeds were identified and harvested for their culinary or commercial potential. Irish Moss, Dillisk and Kelp were all harvested for their unique individual properties. Kelp was harvested and exported, where it was processed to yield sodium carbonate. The Kelp harvest provided a modest income for a rural community which had little else but farming to rely on.
The turn of the 20th century saw the development of Seaweed Bath Houses. The Edwardian upper classes discovered the therapeutic properties of the seaweed would help alleviate the arthritic and rheumatic disorders common to so many. This created aninterest in seaweed such as Fucus serratus which was harvested to supply the many Bath Houses which opened in the main seaside resorts around Ireland.
Carraig Fhada Seaweed
Carraig Fhada Seaweed was established in the late 1980’s by Frank Melvin at a time when there was little economic prosperity in the country. Carraig Fhada Seaweed began at the kitchen table, packaging and selling seaweed to local retailers, to make it freely available to a wider market. A rural based way of life was transformed into a commercial success, but it was not without hard work and perseverance.
During the early years of trading,identifying markets proved Carraig Fhada Seaweeds biggest challenge as retailers were unfamiliar with the benefits of seaweed. We began byeducating ourselves aboutSeaweed, its uses and benefits. In the 1980’s there was very little written about seaweed in Ireland. Our knowledge was gained from the limited resources available in print at the time, which was mainly sourced from Japan and Canada. We modelled our business on the industry in Canada, where there was a thriving seaweed industry which was rapidlydeveloping. The success of the industry in Canada allowed us to realise that there was potential to develop a similar model in Ireland.
Gradually, people’s perception of seaweed changed. The whole world wanted to cook with it, they wanted to bathe in it and they wanted to get as much of it as possible. As the popularity of seaweed grew it was apparent that regulation within in the industry was required to ensure the sustainability of this natural resource. In the early 1990’s Carraig Fhada Seaweed applied to the Department of the Marine for a Seaweed Harvesting Licence. We were granted our first Seaweed Harvesting Licence in 1995. The licence gave us the authority to commercially hand-harvest seaweed for one calendar year. It was reviewed annually and we have maintained a harvesting licence up until 2013.
Presently we harvest nine different species of seaweed, all by hand. Our customers are varied and include Health Food shops, Supermarkets, Spas and Cosmetic Manufacturers. The turnover of our business has grown steadily over the last number of yearswhich gives a very positive outlook for the industry considering the current economic climate.
Seaweed Regulation and Licensing
As seaweed harvesting increased, it was unclear what, if any licensing restrictions were placed on the activity prior to the Foreshore Act 1933. Provision was made in the act to permit the Minister to licence the removal of material from the foreshore. It is also unclear what restrictions were employed by the State after the Act was instated. It appeared there was no enforcement of licensing or regulation whatsoever. As a result the foreshore became a ‘free for all’ and was policed locally based on tradition rather than on legislation. Businesses have been established on the strength of thistradition of harvesting seaweed from our coastline, but they are doing so without the authority of the State.
As previously mentioned, Carraig Fhada Seaweed attained our first Seaweed Harvesting Licence in 1995 and up to 2013 we have always harvested under licence. Our most recent application to renew this licence has been with the Foreshore Unit of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) since June 2013. It took seven months and several telephone calls to determine that there was not sufficient information with the application. Further information was furnished to the Foreshore Unit but it is still impossible to determine whether any progress has been made. Several enquiring emails have been sent, only to have our enquiries fobbed off, the most recent of which didn’t even deem worthy of a reply. From our perspective it appears the unit is not interested in dealing with our application and this was emphasised in a Parliamentary Question to theMinister of the Environment, where we were informed our application was the ‘lowest priority level’.
Current Seaweed Harvesting
As a result of the lack of action by successive Governments, four types of harvesters have emerged and are currently utilizing our foreshore. It is impossible to determine the exact number ofpeople involved in eachmethod.
Traditional Harvester
This harvester has always harvested on the foreshore. They harvest for their own use and also sell to seaweed processors around the country. Their income from seaweed harvesting wouldn’t be huge but is usually used to supplement a farming income.
Foraging Harvester
This harvester has only appeared in the last decade or so. They harvest purely for their own use and use the seaweed in food dishes. The promotion of seaweed as a super food has lead to the emergence of this type of harvester.
Commercial Harvester
This is a ‘purely for economic benefit’ harvester. These harvesters supply the food (edible seaweed) and the beauty (seaweed baths etc.) sector. There are a small number of these harvesters licensed but the vast majority are unlicensed. Carraig Fhada Seaweed would fit into this category and at this moment we are unlicensed.
Opportunist Harvester
Also known as the good weather harvester, they hit the foreshore in large numbers when the sun shines and only harvest the high value Dillisk and Irish Moss. They only deal in cash and only operate during the traditionally busy summer periods. These harvesters sell their seaweed at Fairs, Street Festivals and Markets. They do not have to register with Revenue, HSE or any other governing body.
What Needs To Happen
The Seaweed Harvesting Industry needs to be regulated with immediate effect. The Foreshore Unit needs to operate with more transparency and more efficiency. The current system is outdated and unsuitable. Applicants should be included in the process from the initial application to the final decision. Ideally the process of licensing should be carried out at a provincial or a county level. It is impossible for an individual in Wexford to have knowledge of an area in Sligo which is the subject to an application. Local Authorities operate the planning system throughout the country under the umbrella of the DECLG and using a similar model would aid the licensing process. Through this model each application is addressed immediately. Each application is validated, and once validated it is put up on-line. Every correspondence between the Foreshore Unit, the applicant and third partiesis then made available for all to see on the online system and the progress can be tracked by all parties concerned. If the Foreshore Section was to use this model it would allow the transparency and efficiency needed. All applications should have an expected decision within a two month timeframe provided there are no objections or complications.
All harvesters should have to register to harvest seaweed regardless whether it is for personal or commercial uses. This will regulate the industry and ensure there is no over harvesting in any one area.
All commercial applicants should have to declare their tax compliance prior to any licence being granted. Similarly all commercial harvesters of edible seaweed should demonstrate their compliance with all HSE guidelines which cover their particular aspect of food production. The subsequent licence which will be granted should be on display at any shop, stall or market where seaweed is available for sale unless the product for sale is pre-packed from a registered harvester. These precautions will eliminate the opportunist harvester and ensure that the industry complies with thiscountry’s tax and food regulations.
No mechanical harvesting of seaweed should be allowed under any circumstances. When seaweed is hand harvested it is easy to control the volumes and species harvested. Mechanical harvesting is not selective in what seaweed species it cuts and therefore may result in the decimation of fragile plants or aquatic life. If there is a case for harvesting large volumes of a particular type of seaweed, then an aquaculture licence should be issued. The seaweed can be farmed and harvested in a safe ecological manner.