Seaweed harvesting in Ireland

Seaweed harvesting in Ireland currently employs about 400 people in a mostly part-time capacity. "Blackweed" (cast seaweeds, mainly wracks and kelps) collection has ceased since the 1990s, as the market for the produced more or less ceased. There has been a precipitous decline in pickers willing to gather Carrageen moss, and, despite considerable demand, dulse. It is likely that the mainstay of the collection in Ireland, Ascophyllum nodosum harvesting, may see a similar decline in harvesters in the future. There are now strict requirements for licensing of all seaweed collection in Ireland. For details click here. 

Mechanisation of harvesting

Mechanisation has been successfully applied in similar situations in a number of other countries, notably Norway and France. In Norway, both Ascophyllum and Laminaria hyperborea are harvested mechanically using a range of custom-built devices and boats. These can, with experimentation, be adapted to Irish environmental conditions, which are no more severe than they are in Norway. There are several Norwegian solutions for Ascophyllum harvesting and these need to be tested in Ireland. In France, the "scoubidou" is used extensively for the harvesting of Laminaria digitata there is no reason again why it cannot be used in Ireland. Less manpower will be needed in seaweed harvesting, but the remaining jobs would be more worthwhile in terms of skill and rewards.

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