Nissui partners with Immersion Group on seaweed project; Nova Scotia found optimal for kelp farming

SeafoodSource is covering the seaweed innovation movement by compiling a regular round-up of sector updates on seaweed-related projects.

-Tokyo, Japan-based Nissui announced 18 May it signed a partnership with Victoria, Australia-based seaweed business start-up Seascape Restorations Australia, also known as the Immersion Group. The companies will work together on methane reduction through the use of asparagopsis seaweed. In a press release, Nissui said the collaboration will allow rapid scaling of onshore asparagopsis seaweed production and its application in animal feed. 

- A study published in Nature has estimated approximately 650 million hectares of the ocean are suitable for seaweed farms. The study, "Reducing global land-use pressures with seaweed farming," investigated commercial applications and found a much larger potential market for the product than currently exists. The study also estimated changes in environmental impacts on land from seaweed. But according to coverage of the study from ScienceLine, expansion of the industry faces numerous obstacles.

-On 17 May, Oban, Scotland-based seaweed firm Oceanium launched its first seaweed-based cosmetic and skincare product. The Ocean Actives Fucoidan is a seaweed bioactive is sourced from North Atlantic seaweed.

“We are thrilled to be launching our first seaweed-derived cosmetic and skincare ingredient," Oceanium Business Development Director Marissa Nicolais said in a release. "There is increasing consumer demand for sustainable ingredients with provenance that is backed by credible scientific evidence. This is a very exciting step for Oceanium, as it provides an excellent opportunity to partner with companies on a novel ingredient. We look forward to working closely with the seaweed farming community and mission-aligned end users to build a sustainable value chain, contributing to environmental, social, and economic change."

-In a new market assessment report released in May 2023, The Ecology Action Centre (EAC) suggested the value of kelp farming in Nova Scotia, Canada has the potential to increase significantly the next three to five years, according to the Global Seafood Alliance.

The report found Nova Scotia could generate CAD 38 million (USD 28 million, EUR 26 million) from farming and processing kelp, on top of CAD 20 million (USD 14 million, EUR 13 million) in supplementary income generated through affiliated services and up to CAD 149 million (USD 110 million, EUR 103 million) in sales of consumer and personal care products made with local seaweed.

“This report provides valuable insights and a strategic roadmap for building this sector in a way that is sustainable and benefits as many communities as possible,” EAC Marine Program Associate Director Shannon Arnold said. “At the moment, it can take several years for small-scale entrepreneurs to get permits, and so we’re urging the government to move quickly on its promise to ‘right-size’ the regulations for regenerative sea farming like seaweed and shellfish. Nova Scotia needs fit-for-purpose regulations that protect marine ecosystems and get folks on the water faster, or we risk being left behind by other jurisdictions that are keen on kelp.”

Photo courtesy of Nissui