| 1999 |  |
YEAR BOOK |
| 1999 | |
YEAR BOOK |
Martin Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway
Stefan Kraan & Mike Guiry
Growing a new sustainable sea-vegetable in Ireland
Jim Morrissey of the Irish Seaweed Industry Organisation proudly shows the size of the field-grown Atlantic Wakame strain in comparison with the naturally occurring strain. Intensive seaweed cultivation in China began in 1951 with the farming of an introduced kelp from Japan, Laminaria japonica (ribbon weed). In 1952, some 62 tonnes of kelp were produced, whereas in 1998 the harvest reached an incredible three million tonnes dry weight. At present, large-scale seaweed mariculture is carried out only in Asia. Most cultivated seaweeds are grown as human food, although, notably in the Philippines, Taiwan and some African countries, seaweed is cultivated to be used for carrageenan and crude agar production. Cultivated species of global importance used in the food industry are Nori and different types of kelp (Laminaria japonica and Undaria pinnatifida). A very popular sea-vegetable used in Asian cooking is the kelp Undaria pinnatifida or Wakame, with a harvest of over 450,000 and 500,000 tonnes in Japan and Korea, respectively. In Ireland we have a native Irish equivalent of Wakame, Alaria esculenta (literally, "edible wings"). Atlantic Wakame, as it is becoming known, has considerable potential as a foodstuff for human con-sumption for the home and export market, or as a sustainable, cheap and alternative source for protein, vitamins/ minerals and biostimulants in animal feed for agriculture and aquaculture. The Irish Seaweed Industry Organisation, in collaboration with the Martin Ryan Institute, and funded by the Marine Institute in Dublin via the Marine Research Measure, Operational Fund for Fisheries (1994-1999), a European Union research and development Programme, has started a cultivation project to grow and select strains of Alaria esculenta. Strains are crossed and seeded on a rope system using Chinese cultivation tech-niques. The microscopic gametophytes, part of the life cycle of A. esculenta, are sprayed on nylon twine, which, after appearance of small plantlets, are wrapped around a long-line and out planted in the wild. Using hybridization techniques, we have selected and established a premier-quality fast-growing, large and broad strain (see photograph) to be used in Irish seaweed aquaculture. This is a further success story for the Irish Seaweed Industry Organisation in its quest for the enhancement of Irish seaweed aquaculture by the develop-ment of natural sustainable high-value-added sea vegetables. Contact: Stefan Kraan, MRI, NUI, Galway;
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