Knowledge base for management of harvesting of wild seaweed (VildTang) (39693)

The project will provide a knowledge base for the management of harvesting of wild seaweed (macroalgae) in selected shallow coastal areas in Denmark, where commercial exploitation of various seaweed species already exists today. There is a growing interest in seaweed as a food and feed, so knowledge-based management of its harvesting practice is needed. The focus of the project will be to assess the environmental impact through the use of commonly used harvesting methods of the seaweed species Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus serratus, which are the species currently harvested most for commercial purposes in Denmark. A smaller study will also be conducted on the invasive seaweed species Sargassum muticum, with the aim of investigating harvest effects of the species and developing and testing a gentle harvesting tool that can be used for harvesting and control of this species. The aim of the project is to prepare a description of management measures needed to promote a gentle harvesting practice of seaweed in Danish waters.

Partners
DTU Aqua (coordinator)

Funding
The project is funded by European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and Danish Fisheries Agency. 

Research area: Coastal Ecology