ABPmer: Steve Hull ‘The wild seaweed harvesting sector has indicated its aspiration to develop industrial-scale harvesting around Scotland. In response, Marine Scotland contracted ABPmer to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the potential environmental effects of wild harvesting of seaweeds and seagrasses to inform future regulation. As part of the policy making process, this work has now been published for consultation and is available here.
This SEA shows how the nature and extent of any potential impacts, depends on the method and scale of harvesting, and the composition and sensitivity of the corresponding marine ecosystems. It also reveals the interdependence of licensing, the seaweed industry and its stakeholders, the processes currently in place, and the combined role that they will need to play to ensure the sustainable growth of wild harvesting industries into the future. Significant adverse effects could occur as a result of large scale (i.e. industrial) mechanised harvesting of seaweeds (namely kelps and wracks).
Although there is no evidence that small scale artisanal hand cutting or gathering of living and beach-cast seaweeds at discrete locations has significant environmental effects, there is the potential for significant cumulative effects as a result of multiple harvesting activities.’