Project to harness the power of Welsh seaweed gets £1m boost

WWF-UK has received £1m in funding for a three-year project to harness the power of seaweed off the Welsh coast - which could help in the fight against climate change.

- IAN LEWIS Reporter [e-mail]

The funding, from the National Lottery Community Fund, will allow the environemtal charity and partners to work with coastal communities in Pembrokeshire to develop a model of community-led regenerative seaweed farming that benefits local communities, nature and climate.

In Wales, and across the UK, there is a long tradition of harvesting wild seaweed, which has gone into foods such as laverbread. Unlike other cultivated crops, seaweed doesn't require fertiliser, pesticides, freshwater or land, and it grows rapidly.

Regenerative seaweed farms can provide a sustainable and healthy food source, and a range of seaweed-derived products (including food, animal feed, pharmaceuticals and fertilisers); as well as ecosystem services such as mitigating climate change, improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity and facilitating economic growth for coastal communities.

WWF-UK will work with three partners, including one of the pioneers of seaweed farming in the UK, Câr-y-Môr in St David's, to raise awareness of the benefits of seaweed and its rich heritage in the region.