Asia-Pacific Seaweed: farming and its sustainability by AQ Hurtado1,2 and AT Critchley3 Presented during the Regional Workshop on Underutilized Fish and Marine Genetic Resources and their Amelioration, 10-12 July 2019, Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

1. Asia-Pacific Seaweed: farming and its
sustainability
AQ Hurtado1,2 and AT Critchley3
1Integrated Services for the Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries,
MacArthur Highway Tabuc Suba, Jaro Iloilo City 5000 Philippines
2University of the Philippines Visayas, Miag-ao Iloilo, Philippines
3Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment, Cape
Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 6L2, Canada
anicia.hurtado@gmail.com

2. (Unit: M/T, FW, FAO 2018)
World Seaweed Production (FAO 2016)
China 48%
14,475,940 MT
Indonesia 38%
11,631,000 MT
Philippines 4.7%
1,404,519 MT
Republic of Korea
4.5% 1,351,258 MT
North Korea 1.6%
489,000 MT
Japan 1.3% 391,208 MT
Malaysia 0.7% 205,989
MT Zanzibar 0.4%
1, 111,142MT

3. brown
green
red
Commercial seaweed (sea-land based) farming
US$ 11.7 B
(FAO 2018)

4. World major seaweed producing countries
Monostroma
Saccharina latissima
Undaria pinnatifida
Pyropia spp.
Eucheuma denticulatum
Garcilaria spp.
Kappaphycus alvarezii
Kappaphycus malesianus
Kappaphycus striatus
brown
green
red

5. Production of seaweeds in China MT, dwt)
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
Saccharina Gracilaria Undaria Pyropia Hizikia Kappaphycus
1,461,508
292,179
152,572
135,252
18,991 5,114
ProductioninMT,dwt
Pang 2019 ISS
Farmed seaweed

6. -
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Pyropia spp Undaria sp.p. Saccharina spp. Cldosiphon &
Nemacystus spp.
Volume (t fwt, thousands) Value (B, JPY)
Volume(tfwt,thousand)/value(B,JPY)
Farmed seaweed
Production of seaweeds in Japan MT, fwt)

7. 0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Volume (MT, fwt, thousands)
Value (1,000 USD)
Farmed seaweed
Volume(tfwt,thousand)/value
(1,000US$)
Production of seaweeds in Korea MT, fwt)

8. China Japan Korea
dwt fwt fwt
Brown
Hizikia 18,991 - 54,624
Saccharina 1,461,508 32,463 542,285
Sargassum - - 301
Undaria 152,572 51,114 622,613
Green
Capsosiphon - - 6,280
Codium - - 3,980
Ulva - - 6,358
Red
Gracilaria 292,179 - 1,634
Kappaphycus 5,114 -
Pyropia 135,252 304,308 517,546

9. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Indonesia Philippines Malaysia
Volumeofproduction
(t,fwt,thousands)
Major producing countries of Kappaphycus/Eucheuma
Sources: ARLI Indonesia, PSA Phil., Ministry of Fisheries Malaysia

10. Common farming techniques in Southeast Asia
Rice-planting
PVC raft long line
Bamboo-raft line
G
R
A
C
I
L
A
R
I
A
K
A
P
P
A
P
H
Y
C
U
S
E
U
C
H
E
U
M
A
Fixed-off-bottom
Multiple Raft long-line
Shemberg Marketing Co.
Hanging long line

11. NetsLong ling lines
Seaweeds commercially cultivated using
different techniques in China, Japan &
Korea

12. Drivers for the sustainability of
seaweed
1) Direct source of human food
(green, red)
Kebab & Pasta
Sea vegetable salad
Snacks

13. 2) Direct & Indirect source of human
food (brown)
Broiled fish with
Sargassum sp. (main dish)
Pasta and snacks
Sea salt & sauce
Sea vegetable salad

14. 3) source of hydrocolloids
(agar, alginate, carrageenan)
Food and beverages
(carrageenan)
Bacteriological assays
(agar)

15. Multiple-
seaweed blends
(brown from
temperate and green
from the tropics)
4) Feed component to animals
Ulva in Salmon aquaculture

16. 5) Source of bio-stimulant for agricultural
crops & horticulture, and red seaweed
cultivation & micropropagation

17. 6) Personal cares

18. “Sustainable
development is the
pathway to
sustainability”
Social
Economic Environmental
Social + Economic Sustainability = EQUITABLE
Sustainable
http://www.circularecology.com
Economic + Environmental Sustainability = VIABLE
Social + Environmental Sustainability = BEARABLE

19. Sound ecosystem–based management
• Adoption of Best Aquaculture Practices
• Proper coastal zoning of aquaculture activities
• Adoption of policies for ‘exclusive zones’
• Prevention of marine pollution – runoffs from
domestic, agricultural and industrial effluents
Capacity enhancement of human
resources:
• Regular trainings/workshops/seminars
• Cross-country/area visits
• National & international collaborations & net-
workings
• Improved scientific knowledge & strong cooperation
with societies & stakeholders
Diversified livelihood
• Sea-ranching, IMTA
• Cultivation of other economically important
seaweeds with high market value
Resilience to climate change
• Shift of farming practices
shallow to deep sea
monocrop to IMTA
vegetative to sporelings/TC plants
• Optimization of farming activities during favorable
months of growth
• Reduction of environmental stress
Secured sustainability
• Cultivation of other macroalgae with multiple
potential for pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, food,
feeds and fuels
• Introduction of IMTA in tropical waters
• Introduction of mechanization from seeding of ropes
to harvesting
• Documentation of effects among off-shore large
scale seaweed cultivations and CO2 sink
Conservation, sustainability strategies & action plans

20. •Health
•Bioactivity/
biofunctionality
•Bioprospecting
• Geographical mapping
• Cultivation technique
engineering: adhesion on
artificial substrates
• Biorefineries
• Genetic dispersion
• IMTA: Seaweed
(Shell)Fish Co-culture
• Impact of animal wildlife
• How to control the
genetics of seaweeds
• Physiology of seaweeds:
impact of environmental
factors on phenotypic
traits
Biological &
Ecological
Challenges
Environmental
Impact of
Seaweed
Aquaculture
Food Security
& Medical
Concern
Technical
Sciences &
Biotech
Seaweed Programmes to Support Sustainable Development
of Seaweed Aquaculture (Barbier et al. 2019)

21. Thank you