Regional Workshop on the Culture
and Utilization of Seaweeds
Cebu City, Philippines
27–31 August 1990
The Regional Seafarming Development Project of UNDP/FAO (RAS/90/002) in cooperation with the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (SIAP), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture (BFAR-DA), and the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines (UP-MSI) conducted the Regional Workshop on the Culture and Utilization Seaweeds in Cebu City, Philippines on 27–31 August 1990.
The Workshop was recommended by the Third National Coordinators Meeting (NCM) and the Second Tripartite Review Meeting of the UNDP/FAO Regional Seafarming Development held in Qingdao, China on 24–27 August 1989. The background and objectives of the seaweed programme are attached as Annex I.
To develop the workshop plans, a planning meeting was convened by the Seafarming Development Project at its office in Bangkok on 10–11 April 1990. The planning group was composed of experts from the Philippines, China, Thailand and France and the Seafarming Project staff.
The Workshop was aimed to develop a regional plan, based on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, for the development of the seaweed industries of the Asia-Pacific Region. The specific objectives of the Workshop are listed in Annex II.
The Workshop was sponsored by the Seafarming Development Project and hosted by the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (SIAP), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture (DA-BFAR), and Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines (UP-MSI). IFREMER (Institut Francais de Reserche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer), France sponsored the participation of 2 resource persons and FAO Rome of 1 resource person.
The Workshop was attended by government representatives from 10 countries in the region; 14 resource persons from various organizations and agencies in several countries including those from outside the region; along with 99 others that included representatives of national and local government offices of the Philippines, private industry sector composed of processors, traders and farmers in the Philippines and other countries, and regional and national research and academic institutions.
The names and addresses of all the participants appear in Annex III.
The Opening Programme was held in the ballroom of the Montebello Villa Hotel in Cebu City at 0900–1000 hrs on 27 August.
The Programme was opened by the President of the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines, Mr. Benson U. Dakay, who welcomed the delegates on behalf of the hosts.
He thanked the sponsors, the UNDP/FAO Regional Seafarming Development Project, for choosing Cebu as the site of the workshop and affording SIAP the opportunity to host the activity.
He said the organization of the workshop was made possible through the cooperation and collaborative efforts of the government sector represented by the DA-BFAR, the private industry sector represented by SIAP, and the academe through the UP-MSI. These cooperative efforts are not only true to organizing workshops like this but more so to the development of the Philippines' seaweed industry. He said the development of the culture and processing of seaweed in the country can be attributed to the unwavering tripartite support of these three sectors.
Mr. Dakay, thanked the various private industry organizations for their support to the industry in general and to the Workshop in particular.
The Welcome Remarks of the SIAP President appears as Annex IV.
The representative of the Governor of Cebu Province, Provincial Board Member Mr. Roberto Ybanez, welcomed the participants to the province. He said the province has been a major beneficiary of the development of seaweed culture and processing industry for the following reasons: it has created more employment and improved the livelihood of people engaged in its various activities; seaweed farming has helped to rehabilitate the nearshore areas; and the industry has contributed to the provincial as well as the national economy. The provincial government has provided support to the industry by improving the infrastructure and promoting a favorable investment climate. He said the industries based in the province have shared their seaweed technology with neighboring provinces and that they would be willing to share it also with neighboring countries.
Welcoming the participants to Cebu City, the Honorable Mayor Mr. Tomas Osmena said he hoped the favorable weather -- in the aftermath of strong rains in Manila where most of the overseas delegates had to transit -- would lift the participants' spirits. Cebu, he said is the oldest city in the Philippines. The resurgence recently of economic activities in the City has been due to trading, development of export-oriented industries and diversification into non-traditional products. One of these non-traditional products is seaweed. He said the local government has provided strong support and assistance to the industry, and assured the delegates of the city government's assistance to make the Workshop successful and their stay in Cebu City pleasant.
Mr. Chen Foo Yan, Coordinator of the Seafarming Development Project, also welcomed the participants on behalf of the Project and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA). He extended a special welcome to the experts and delegates who came all the way from Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America to assist in the deliberations.
The hosting of the Workshop is another concrete example of the leadership of the Philippine Government in its support for the practical expression of technical cooperation among developing countries or TCDC, he said. Through the efficient coordination of the tripartite partnership of the public sector, the private sector and the academic sector, the best of the Philippines was made available in the organization of the Workshop. This was further enhanced with the assistance of the network of government agencies which have assisted, including the Municipal and Provincial Governments of Cebu. He deeply appreciated the Seafarming Project and the NACA Organization to all these sectors in the Philippines for their assistance in organizing the Workshop.
He gave a brief background of the seaweed component of the Seafarming Project and stated the primary objective of the Workshop, which is to formulate and subsequently implement a regional action programme covering priority activities aimed at expanding the development of economically viable seaweed industries in the Asia-Pacific region. He also outlined the rationale for and expected results of the workshop.
The other activities on seaweeds that the Seafarming Project has organized included the training courses on the culture of Eucheuma hosted by the Philippines in May 1988, technology of Laminaria culture and its polyculture with other species which was implemented by China in July to August 1989, and the Culture of Gracilaria and Processing of Phycocolloids, then currently going on in China (Aug. 1990). The Republic of Korea will host a 10-day seminar-workshop on the culture and utilization of Undaria next April, he announced.
The status of the region as the major producer of cultured seaweeds in the world, belies the fact that the culture and processing technology is not equally shared among the countries. This also holds true with other seafarming species. In view of this, the aim of the Seafarming Project, as with NACA and any UNDP/FAO-assisted regional project, is to promote (aquaculture) development through the sharing of resources and technologies at the regional level on the basis of TCDC.
Besides narrowing the gap between aquaculturally more advanced developing countries and aquaculturally less advanced countries, the sharing of responsibilities and the pooling of resources and technical expertise will also foster closer ties and cooperation among participating governments in other spheres of endeavour, a benefit by no means insignificant in the light of recent and current geo-political events in other parts of the globe,
Mr. Chen Foo Yan informed the participants that the Seafarming Development Project is one of the priority activities under the umbrella of the newly established Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific region. He explained the strategy of NACA and cited the benefits from the implementation of its activities.
As NACA has been born out of an UNDP/FAO regional project, the UNDP through the Seafarming Project continues to provide assistance to supplement NACA's efforts to become an independent, self-reliant organization with member governments contributing to its core activities. He said that nine governments have, to date, acceded to the NACA Agreement and several more expected to follow suit.
With the governments taking full responsibility of making policy decision and bearing the cost of core activities, some donor agencies have been attracted to support the intergovernmental NACA. Besides FAO and UNDP, are IFREMER of France, the Overseas Development Administration of the United Kingdom, the Asian Development Bank and other agencies that have expressed interest in collaborating with NACA in implementing its field programmes. With more governments participating in the management of NACA, he expects more collaborative assistance to be forthcoming.
Addressing the Guest Speaker, Member of the Philippine Senate and chairman of its committee on agriculture, Mr Agapito Aquino, he hoped that through the good office of the Senator, the Philippine Government would consider joining the intergovernmental NACA organization, as the Philippines has been one of the original participants in the NACA Project, as well as host to one of the four regional lead centres and one national nodal centre. The Philippines has a high level of technical capability. This and the strong intersectoral collaboration within the country could make the Philippines assume the leading role in the collective effort at regional aquaculture development.
Mr Chen's speech appears as Annex V.
The FAO Representative in the Philippines, Tengku Ubaidillah, said he was pleased to participate in a regional activity that has been the offshoot of a recommendation from a seaweed workshop organized in 1987 in China with a Technical Cooperation Programme assistance from FAO. The proposal of the workshop for a regional seaweed project under FAO and UNDP auspices was subsequently realized by incorporating the proposed seaweed project into the UNDP/FAO Regional Seafarming Development Project. This has effectively expanded the seaweed component of the Seafarming Project, a clear indication of the importance placed by countries in the region and by UNDP and FAO on the development of the seaweed industry.
The FAO Representative also mentioned other involvements of the FAO in seaweed development activities in the region. He said that it is under the Seafarming Project where the seaweed activities are wide-ranging and integrated in terms of species covered and scope of concern.
He cited recent FAO records on the region's seaweed production and traced briefly the development of scientific farming of seaweeds in some countries in the region.
He described certain problems and issues related with the industry and offered suggestions for the Workshop to consider, that could lead to their resolution. The suggestions include studies in marketing and trade, research on the use of seaweeds for animal feed and fertilizer, genetic improvement of locally available seaweeds to get better quality products, development of seed production technology that could give farmers a better control of farming, and studies of potential markets for seaweed products
He appreciated the cooperation of the private sector in FAO's effort to exchange information and experiences in seaweed farming and processing and said this is a welcome sign to foster closer rapport between scientists, farmers and processors.
As the representative of FAO in the Philippines, he said he was
especially gratified to note the strong tripartite support and
involvement of the government, the private sector and the academe in
the Workshop. It is this powerful impetus from the three sectors of
the economy that has propelled the seaweed industry of the country to
its present status, and FAO considered it a great privilege to
participate in an activity that enjoys this kind of strong and full
national support.
He said this will surely encourage the collaborative participation of
other international assistance organizations and governments.
He congratulated the organizers and hosts of the Workshop and assured the participating governments of the continuing interest of FAO in seaweed development in particular and of seafarming and other aquaculture development programmes in general. He hoped the Workshop will contribute to a better understanding of the status, potentials and problems of the seaweed industries in the various countries and to further collaboration within the country and among countries on the basis of TCDC.
The FAO Representative's speech appears as Annex VI.
The head of the French delegation and IFREMER's Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, Mr. Yves Henocque, thanked the Workshop coordination and organizing committee for inviting them as resource speakers.
He informed the delegates that IFREMER has already been involved in several UNDP/FAO regional projects which NACA coordinated, one of which is the Regional Seafarming Development Project.
After a strong interest in seaweeds was reported at the Third National Coordinators' Meeting of the Project, a group of French specialists decided to offer their contribution, as some of them have had exchanges with some of the participating countries.
He said that France, besides being one of the largest producer of carrageenan and alginate, is now pioneering the diversification of the seaweed market in Europe; a lot of research is now devoted to seaweeds to improve their culture and diversify their applications.
He urged the Workshop participants to pool experiences in order to successfully come up with a proposal to implement a collaborative research and development programme in the region.
Mr. Henocque's speech appears as Annex VII.
In his keynote speech, Senator Agapito Aquino who is chairman of the senate's committee on agriculture, expressed his gratitude for the invitation to speak at the Workshop.
He made the commitment to give priority to the development of this emerging industry since it has an enormous impact on many a poor Filipino farmer. He belived this was true in other countries.
The Senator said the Philippine seaweed industry is relatively developed compared to other countries in the region, and recognized the significant role played by the Filipino private entrepreneurs in shaping the industry into what it is now.
He outlined his programme to provide the necessary incentives to the industry. He said the proposed incentives are necessary to accelerate the efforts of the researcher at developing new technologies, protect the farmer so that he may produce and earn more, make credit more accessible to the processor to enable him to expand his facility and acquire modern technology, and provide the trade tools to the exporter so that he could gain access to new markets.
He said that his staff in the Senate will closely work with the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines in fine-tuning the programme which he hoped could become the national code of the seaweed industry.
He revealed that the SIAP board has submitted to his office a draft agreement for the establishment of a purely seaweed research center in Cebu City. The government through the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Science and Technology shall implement the proposed seaweed research centre with the help of the SIAP and the members of academe. This center should strengthen and backstop the excellent work being done now by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in several parts of the country.
The Senator concluded by saying that the activities which the Workshop will initiate, such as the collaborative research projects, training and information exchange programs, shall help the Philippine government attain the many objectives it has set. A regional collaborative mechanism to implement these programmes is needed and through such cooperation, seaweed farming and utilization shall benefit us all, he said.
Senator Aquino's keynote speech appears as Annex VIII.
The workshop convened at 10:30 in the same venue.
Mr. Maximo Ricohermoso, Director of the SIAP was nominated as the overall chairman of the workshop. Appointed chairmen of the individual sessions were Dr. Gavino Trono, Jr. for the country report presentations, Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III for the session on culture and environmental aspects, Dr. Michael Borowitzka for utilization, Dr. David James for marketing and trade, and Mr. Yves Henocque for the discussions and recommendations.
The country representatives reported on the status of seaweed culture and utilization in their respective countries. The country reports appear in Part II of this Workshop Report.
BANGLADESH. There is no seaweed culture industry in Bangladesh as yet. All seaweeds currently derive from species harvested from the wild. Some of its islands, particularly St. Martin, a coral island, possess seaweed resources. A total of 15 tons were harvested in 1989. The Government of Bangladesh is emphasizing the need to develop the culture of seaweeds and some culture trials are being planned by the Marine Fisheries Survey, Management and Development Project under the Directorate of Fisheries. The main problem in introducing seaweed culture is that it has to compete with the expanding shrimp culture industry. Thus a seaweed-shrimp polyculture technology could be suitable along with open water culture.
CHINA. The seaweed production from China is mainly from artificial cultivation with an annual output of around 250,000 tons in dried form (1.25 million tons fresh) from a farmed area of 200,000 mu (1 mu = 1/15th of a ha). It was valued at 300 million Yuan. The main economic species cultured are Laminaria, Porphyra, Gracilaria, Undaria, Gelidium and Eucheuma. China has also introduced giant kelp from south America and Gracilaria from the Philippines. Laminaria comprised 88% by weight, Porphyra 6% and the rest 8%. About 70% of the production is directly used as food or vegetable, 25% as raw material for industry and 5% in food processing. The major products extracted from seaweeds are alginate, iodine, mannitol, carrageenan and agar. The paper describes the production methods as well as problems. The problems include the need to improve markets, improve technology for rearing of artificial sporeling, improve the quality and processing technology for phycocolloids, and a lack of research funds.
INDONESIA. Indonesia is a widespread archipelago composed of over 13,000 large and small islands with a large sea area, a very long coastline and extensive reef areas. The biological and physical nature of much of the coastline appears to be suitable for seaweed culture. There are several seaweed species in Indonesia which have good potential for farming. Eucheuma spinosum and Gracilaria are the most popular species among local farmers along with E. cottonii which has become popular in the last few years. Seaweed production increased from 4,098 tons in 1977 to 72,805 tons in 1986. At present, most of this production is harvest from the wild although seaweed cultivation is practiced in several areas, such as Bail, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara and Central Sulawesi. Since seaweed farming is still being developed in Indonesia, marketing of the product is a major problem to the farmers because there are no commercial or industrial scale carrageenan manufacturing facilities thus making the price unstable. The Government of Indonesia has placed a high priority on seaweed farming but more work need to be done to stimulate the growth of the industry. Training, introduction of new farming technologies, and better processing, quality control and marketing could accelerate the growth of the industry.
JAPAN. The total seaweed production in Japan from natural bed and from cultivation was recently estimated to be around 650,000 tons annually but most of this is now from culture. Cultivation of the edible seaweed Porphyra was established many years ago. The other edible seaweeds, Undaria and Laminaria have been grown for the past 20 years. The production of high value species for seaweed salad is increasing. The total income from seaweed production in Japan is estimated at 180,000 million Yen (US$ 1,200 million) per year. Seaweeds used in the manufacture of agar, carrageenan, etc. were imported from 23 countries with a total tonnage of 56,000 tons valued at 16,959 million Yen (US$113 million) in 1984. At present, there is an oversupply of cultivated seaweeds but strong demand for good quality product will continue in the future. The paper also reviewed the culture methods for various edible seaweeds in Japan. It described the forced culture method developed for Laminaria which has enabled farmers to reduce production period of one crop from 20 months to half the time, yet producing the same quality harvest.
KOREA (Rep.). In the Republic of Korea, the total production of seaweeds in 1988 was 463,033 mt (wet weight) and the total consumption was 205,820 mt. The common methods of seaweed cultivation are stick or floating net methods for Porphyra and long-line and hanging methods in Undaria, Laminaria and Hizikia culture. The main economic species are Porphyra, Undaria, Laminaria, Hizikia, Monostroma, Gelidium, Sargassum, Gracilaria, Pachymeniopsis and Codium. The main commercially cultured species are Porphyra, Undaria and Laminaria. Most of the culture areas for seaweed are less than 20 ha producing 360 kg/ha of Porphyra and 2000 kg/ha of Undaria and Laminaria. The agar-agar industry dates back to 1926 and has been a leading export item since then. Ninety per cent of production is in the form of agar strip, the rest in powdered form. Carrageenan production was based on Chondrus and Gigantina as raw material and some of the product was exported. At present, export has decreased because of the impact of Eucheuma farming in the Philippines. Alginate of 100 tons per year were exported to Japan in 1971–1973 but since 1974 the import has increased. The marketing of seaweeds is channelled through the local cooperatives who decide on grades and process after consultation with the National Federation of Cooperatives in Seoul. Exports are mainly to Japan and the USA, and imports are from Japan, the Philippines, France and Indonesia in the form of dried, salted, agar, seasoned or fresh seaweeds. Processed products are utilized as food, industrial, and pharmacological/medical products.
MALAYSIA. In Malaysia the production of seaweeds gathered from the wild is almost negligible. Studies carried out indicated great potential for the culture of seaweed in Malaysia. Experimental culture of Gracilaria is carried out in Peninsular Malaysia while in Sabah there is a commercial production of Eucheuma. Between January to July 1990, 80 tons of dried Eucheuma were exported to Denmark. Under the sixth Malaysia Plan (1991–1995), more emphasis will be placed on the research and development of seaweed culture, and to promote commercial farming. However, the expertise of the Malaysian scientists and extension workers must first be upgraded through training and technical support from international agencies such as FAO, UNDP, BOBP or NACA before these plans could be realized.
MYANMAR. Myanmar has a large continental shelf extending to 228,000 square km and resources of seaweed are abundant. There are ten genera of red, four of brown and eight of green seaweeds. Two types of culture systems are employed in Myanmar, open sea and pond culture but culture practices are still in the experimental stage. Processing method and product quality are in a low grade. Production of seaweeds is around 1,500 tons dry weight, mainly harvested from the wild. There is no export of seaweeds or seaweed products. Training and information on culture methodologies and processing techniques is required.
PHILIPPINES. Official data show that the Philippines produced over 268,000 mt of fresh seaweed from aquaculture in 1989, valued at US$25 million. It is estimated that 99% of the total national production was utili by local seaweed processors and export traders and only 1% was consumed locally as food. Exports are generally on the uptrend, with a peak in 1989 at about 31,000 mt, valued at around US$37 million. Imports are generally minimal, but appear to be increasing because of the demand for other species for refined carrageenan processing. There are at least 150 species of economically important seaweeds in the Philippines out of a total species list of 350. Only a few species are farmed, namely: Eucheuma denticulatum, E. alvarezii (now Kappaphycus alvarezii), Caulerpa lentillifera, Enteromorpha clathrata, E. compressa and E. intestinalis. Production of other economic species depends on natural stocks: those identified to be extensively utilized are Codium edule, Sargassum spp., Gracilaria spp. and Gelidiella acerosa. The Philippines ranks fourth among the world producers of red algae, and seaweeds and seaweed products comprise the third biggest export in the fisheries sector behind shrimps and tuna. However, the industry faces significant problems including low production resulting from “ice-ice” and “siren-siren” problems, poor quality product, the 2% acid insoluble ash limit placed on semi-refined carrageenan, a weak and inefficient marketing/pricing system and the need to diversify the utilization of seaweed products. The Department of Agriculture has prepared an action plan on seaweed research and development which includes specific activities aimed at increasing production, improving the quality of raw material and post-harvesting facilities, and financial support to small farmers.
THAILAND. Thailand has several seaweeds which are utilized, but the seaweed culture industry is still fairly underdeveloped. The country exported about 115.4 tons of seaweed or seaweed products in 1989. The main species is Gracilaria which is grown in ponds, cages or by hanging method. There are at least 23 species reported as edible and the coastline of Thailand appears to have many suitable areas for seaweed culture. The government is now placing greater emphasis on seaweed culture and processing not only for human food and industrial uses but also for animal feeds. There are 8 species of Gracilaria found in Thai waters and it would be necessary to study the biology of these species for their development. Culture of Gracilaria is limited to small-scale family cultivation using family labor. Several culture methods have been studied by scientists based in universities and of the Department of Fisheries. There is need to introduce suitable culture technology and improve post harvest and processing procedures as well as to manage and conserve natural Gracilaria stocks. Gracilaria could be grown in shrimp culture areas or in abandoned shrimp ponds. As to processing and extraction, the Biopolymer Research Unit of the Srinakarinwirot University has succeeded in producing food grade and bacteriological agar. Carrageenan and alginate are also the subject of research and development.
VIETNAM. There are more than 639 species of seaweed in Vietnam including many of commercial interest. Harvesting and culture is at present limited although the Government has begun to intensify the promotion of seaweed culture. The total production from wild harvest and culture was around 900 tons of Gracilaria, 100 tons of Sargassum and a small amount of Ulva conglobata. The culture of Gracilaria is mainly in ponds where extensive, semi-intensive and intensive culture methods are practiced. There is a need for conservation and management of native wild stocks of Gracilaria, selection of new and improved culture species and upgrading of processing capabilities.
Resource papers on culture of tropical and temperate species, culture and utilization of microalgae, environmental aspects of seaweed culture and utilization, processing and utilization, and marketing and trade, and on the private seaweed industry of the Philippines were presented. The papers appear in Volume II of the Workshop Report.
A Review of the production Technologies of Tropical Species of Seaweeds by Dr. Gavino Trono, Jr. The current production technologies of four tropical and economically important seaweed species, namely, Eucheuma denticulatum, Kappaphycus alvarezii, Gracilaria and Caulerpa, and the related problems and needs were reviewed. The topics included the selection of culture sites, selection of planting materials, methods of farming, maintenance of the farms/crops and the related problems and needs of each species. The fixed bottom monoline and the raft methods of farming Eucheuma and Kappaphycus as well as the production problems such as “ageing”, “ice-ice”, grazing, seasonality in growth and effects of ecological factors on production were discussed in some detail.
The various aspects of Gracilaria culture described were site selection seed production, culture methods such as pond and open field culture using line and rafts. The successful management of natural Gracilaria stocks was described.
The pond and open lagoon methods of farming Caulerpa were discussed.
Culture of Temperate Species of Seaweeds by Dr. Wu Chaoyuan. Farming of temperate seaweeds, mainly Laminaria, Porphyra, and Undaria has a short history, perhaps only 300 years. Actually, farming of these seaweeds on a truly scientific basis started around 30 years ago. Laminaria japonica is one of three species cultivated in commercial scale. Since the mid-fifties, the crucial problems in floating raft culture method, summer sporeling culture, fertilizer application techniques, southward transplantation, breeding of new strains, pathogenic diseases and frond tip-cutting method to enhance the production and improve the quality of Laminaria, have been successfully devised. Laminaria production in China once reached 275,000 tons dry weight a year.
Commercial cultivation of Porphyra in Japan and China was initiated more than 300 and 200 years ago, respectively, but it was not until the 60s that it became truly modernized with the introduction of the artificial collection of conchospores, In Japan, with the innovation of the cold-storage net and the use of floating nets, Porphyra production increased steadily. The other temperate seaweed now under commercial cultivation and qualified to be called a marine crop is Undaria. Undaria pinnatifida is the main species under cultivation in South Korea, Japan and China. Since Undaria has an early short-growing season, maturing much earlier than Laminaria, it is often mix-planted with Laminaria in China.
Culture of Gracilaria in China by Chen Jiaxin. This paper reviewed the biology and culture of Gracilaria with particular emphasis on the culture of Gracilaria in China. The paper described the basic biology of Gracilaria and the influence of environmental factors on spore release, germination and growth of spores and on the growth of Gracilaria thallus. The paper then reviewed culture techniques, including the outdoor and indoor collection of spores and methods for mud-flat and intertidal culture, floating culture and pond culture. The review considered that there is good potential for future development of Gracilaria culture in Asia-Pacific region but constraints exist. The priorities for future development of Gracilaria culture would be the selection of suitable species and strains with respect to faster growth rate and agar yield and quality, improved management of natural stocks of Gracilaria and polyculture of Gracilaria with finfish, crustaceans or shellfish.
Undaria Culture Development in France by Yves Henocque. In 1971 the brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida appeared in the Thav Lagoon on the French Mediterranean coast. It has been assumed that it was introduced accidentally with oyster spat imported from Japan and spread slowly from the lagoon to the open sea. Because of potential market in Europe and in North America and constant demand from Asia, it was decided to carry out cultivation trials of this edible algae in France. Because of lower temperatures a site on the Atlantic coast west of France was chosen with the goal of harvesting two crops a year.
The method applied by IFREMER to produce seed is called the “free-living technique” first developed in the Republic of Korea by the Fisheries Research and Development Agency. This method allows the provision of large amounts of male and female gametophytes issued from only several selected spores.
The paper describes the results of experiments to produce the seed, seeding method and culture methods in the open sea. Following these experiments carried out in 1988–89 small Undaria farms have been established and now in production. With the developing market in Europe, a reasonable volume of production could be attained in the next few years.
Environmental Aspects of Seaweed Culture by Michael J. Phillips. The expansion of seaweed culture in the Asia-Pacific region has also been beneficial in terms of income, employment and foreign exchange but has also been accompanied by some conflicts with the other users of the coastal zone and concern over potential environmental impacts. Some of the environmental implications associated with seaweed culture and ways in which issues may be resolved were reviewed.
Seaweed culture is practiced using a very diverse range of culture methods and each of these methods will interact with the environment in different ways. The nature of this interaction and environmental impact depends on the method of culture, the surface area (and three-dimensional volume) of the farm, and the site where the farm is located. Several physical impacts can be recognized including habitat changes during site preparation and routine management, physical shading and smothering of bottom communities and changes in the pattern of coastal water movement. The ecological changes include removal of coastal nutrients, changes in water quality caused by fertilization and chemicals, alteration of benthic communities and attraction of invertebrates and finfish to culture sites. The introduction of “exotic” species of seaweeds also carries the risk of damage to local culture and native seaweed stocks through competition, genetic changes or introduction of disease. The potential risks are such that careful assessment of potential impacts should precede the introduction of new species.
These problems and conflicts could be avoided by strategic planning in the use of the coastal zone for aquaculture which considers the positive and negative aspects of aquaculture and alternative uses in a balanced manner.
Culture and Utilization of Dunaliella by Michael A. Borowitzka. Dunaliella salina is a unicellular green alga growing in salinas and salt lakes. It is the highest natural source of beta-carotene. Beta carotene is used as a food coloring, source of Vitamin A and a cancer preventive.
Culture is by growing in large (5 ha), shallow (15–20 cm) ponds, or in smaller paddle wheel-driven raceway ponds or in tubular photo-bioreactors.
Reliable, high-productivity culture requires control of biomass formation, carotenogenesis and predator control through the use of salinity and nutrient (NO3, PO4) concentration.
Harvesting by flocculation or a similar process is a critical step in production as in extraction and formulation of the beta-carotene.
The present market size is continuing to grow and the price is also increasing.
Other high value micro-algae products are other carotenoid, phycobilin pigments, fatty acids, sterol and possibly polysaccharide. All these have great commercial potential.
Various Aspects of Fundamental Research, Biotechnology and Industrial Transfer Using Microalgae by John Paul Dubacq. The production of algae in the world is becoming more important for food and other industry. The main products from algae are phycocolloids. However, many by-products such as lipids, proteins and pigments can be extracted from algae. In order to improve either the productivity of the main products or the utilization of the by-products, more fundamental research is needed. This research is at present being done with microalgae. The results of such research can be important since very specific products are synthesized by some algae.
Examples were given of the analytical and physiological studies that show new products or conditions to obtain various products from the same type of algae. Genetic engineering being done with red microalgae in laboratories was outlined. For microalgae the technology of controlled culture was described.
The short review suggests that much more efforts at fundamental research on microalgae as well as on seaweeds are necessary. They will improve the biochemical knowledge in this field and subsequently open the possibility of a powerful biotechnological manipulation through genetic engineering.
Processing and Extraction of Phycocolloids by Ji Minghou. The present status of processing and extraction of agar, carrageenan and alginate from seaweeds, as practiced in China, was reviewed. Flow charts and schematic diagrams show the various steps in the processing of the products. The steps that strongly affect the quality of the product were emphasized.
Industrial Products from Seaweeds by O. Barbaroux. A review of the French techniques to produce alginate, carrageenan and agar as practiced in laboratories and industries in France was made. Also presented were the properties and uses of alginate, carrageenan and agar.
Marine Algae Utilization in Food and Pharmacology by A. Alfsen. As a first proposal and to compensate for the shortage of animal proteins in Asia, algae should be utilized as a large source of vegetal proteins. There are three ways to achieve this: (a) increase and control the total production of the algae commonly used as food, (b) genetically improve the quality of the proteins present in these species, and (c) process the harvest in the country of harvesting in order to obtain a product that is easy to keep, export and use in everyday cooking.
A second proposal, following biological and biochemical studies on seaweeds, is to prepare on a large scale specific organelles from seaweed cells and coated vesicles, purify these organelles in pharmacology after a study of their content, and eventually perform chemical modifications.
These proposals need more basic research which are required for a better, more scientific and economically more valuable utilization of algae.
International Production and Demand for Seaweed Colloids by David James. The review was based on information obtained from various sources. The tables give the sources of raw materials as well as supplementary information and growth projections.
Estimates of the 1989 production of phycocolloids are given as follows:
| Phycocolloid ('000 tons) | Raw material ('000 tons dry material) | |
| Alginate | 29.0 | 170 |
| Carrageenan | 11.5 | 85 |
| Seaweed flour | 9.0 | 56 |
| Agar | 6.7 | 51 |
The demand for phycocolloids is strong and overall demand is expected to increase by up to 10% for the next few years.
Demand for alginate is strong and 1989 production is estimated at 29,000 tons, allowing 8,000 for China which may be an underestimate (of up to 2,000 tons).
Production of carrageenan in 1989 was probably about 11,500 tons refined but, as it is not traded in this form, the total, including the blending materials, was about 17,000 tons. Philippine estimates of seaweed production are 9,000 tons for the period. Future production of seaweed flour will be influenced by the US Food and Drug Administration ruling to classify it as a permitted food additive. Following a period of declining demand for carrageenan there is now strong growth, anticipated at over 10% a year. Although production can be increased by 10–15% in the short-term, present manufacturing capacity will be fully utilized. Therefore, after about 1992 production will not be able to meet demand. This is reflected in increased raw material prices Cif Europe from US$ 350/ton in 1987 to more than US$ 700/ton in 1990.
Over the last few years agar production has remained unchanged at between 6,600–7,000 tons/year. However, due to the strong yen, Japanese production and exports have declined while Chile and China have increased production to fill the gap. Raw material production was probably about 51,000 tons in 1989. Species and harvesting areas are shown in the tables.
Production, Marketing and Trade of Seaweeds by Nirmala Richards-Rajadurai. World production of seaweed was approximately 4 million tons in 1989. Annual production levels have been uniform for the last five years. The Asia-Pacific produced 80% of this total and exported an estimated $ 250 million in seaweeds and seaweed products.
The seaweed industry is worth $ 1 billion. While agarophytes are in good demand with values increasing, carrageenophytes and alginate-bearing seaweeds have a tendency towards oversupply. World seaweed demand has been growing at about 10% annually.
Contrary to seaweed production, 90% of the seaweed colloid industry is concentrated in the developed West followed by Japan and the Republic of Korea. Demand for phycocolloids has grown between 10–30% per year.
Some 400,000 tons (product weight) of edible seaweeds including Porphyra, Laminaria, Hizikia and Undaria are mainly produced, consumed and traded among Japan, Korea and China. An emerging market is the USA.
The Philippine Seaweed Industry by J.S. Yu. The presentation dwelled on the initiatives of the government and the private industry sector to protect the local seaweed industry, particularly in convincing the USFDA to lift the ban on the import of Philippine Natural Grade carrageenan. The resource person, who is a senior official of the Department of Trade and Industry, recounted the various legal moves made by the Philippines to obtain the favorable decision from the US government. The close collaboration between government and industry in this particular endeavour reflects the same strong cooperation in all other areas of concern that relate to the development of the seaweed culture and processing industry.
The Secretary of Agriculture of the Philippines, Mr. Senen C. Bacani, was the guest speaker of the luncheon programme on 28 August.
He said that because the Asia-Pacific region produces over half of the world's supply of seaweeds, there is a strong need for venues like this Workshop where regional seaweed issues can be discussed, common problems dissected and given possible solutions. More importantly, these workshops lay down the basis for future cooperation and agreement among the region's seaweed producers and may lead to regional collaborations that could develop larger markets for the industry and enhance the productivity of farmers.
He congratulated the UNDP and FAO for sponsoring the workshop and the various local agencies for hosting it. The Workshop came at an auspicious time for the Philippine seaweed industry as only recently the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines announced the lifting of the US Food and Drugs Administration (USFDA) ban on Philippine natural grade (PNG) carrageenan as a table food additive. This will substantially increase Philippine exports of seaweed products, he said.
Policy support is the principal thrust of the government in the development of the industry, he stated, citing the lifting of the USFDA ban on PNG as a concrete example of government's support of private enterprise.
He outlined the features of a long term development plan for seaweeds. It will focus on research, extension and post-harvest. He described the implementation mechanism as well as the specific areas of concentration in these three areas.
As seaweed is a major export and a predominant source of agricultural livelihood in several areas of the country, it is an important subsector of the economy. The Department recognizes this and is committed to the industry. He wished the workshop a happy and productive discussion.
Secretary Bacani's speech appears as Annex IX.
The workshop recognized that there is a good potential for the continued development of seaweed and micro-algal culture in the Asia-Pacific region, but the strengthening of research, manpower and facilities, and improved information flow are required to support the development of a successful and sustainable industry.
The workshop also recognized that a networking approach involving inter- and intra-regional collaboration would be the most effective strategy for assisting Governments of the region in the development of their seaweed and micro-algal industries.
The networking approach would involve identification of centres to act as focal points for information exchange, training and research. The network of country centres already established by NACA and the UNDP/FAO Regional Seafarming Development and Demonstration Project, as well as the national coordinators for seaweed programme, could act as an initial focus for information exchange, research and training in a seaweed network, as a means of avoiding unnecessary duplication and making effective use of resources.
The workshop also recognized the need for additional centres to be identified and incorporated into the network. These would include two centres which would maintain reference collections of seaweeds and micro-algal species and collate and disseminate information on resources, culture practices and product characteristics. Two such centres would be required, one for tropical and one for temperate species. There may also be a need for an additional centre in the network to collate and disseminate seaweed trade and marketing data. Collaboration with agencies outside of the region, such as FAO, in a coordinated manner, was also felt to be important.
The workshop identified the following areas where research would be needed to assist countries in the development of seaweed and micro-algal culture and processing industries. The need for both applied and basic research was emphasized, as was the need for collaboration between researchers and private sector in identification of research topics and effective application of research results to the farmers and processors. The country representatives and other workshop participants identified the needs detailed below:
There is a need to survey and prepare inventories of seaweed resources in most countries in the region, as the basis for development and sustainable utilization of seaweed resources. The need is particularly acute in countries with least developed seaweed industries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.
The need for site selection and planning with due consideration to the environment was recognized as a key regional issue which would have to be addressed for the development of a sustainable seaweed industry and to avoid adverse environmental impacts and multi-user conflicts.
There is a need for ecological, biological and taxonomic studies of seaweeds, particularly Gracilaria and Sargassum, to characterize the morphological and biochemical characteristics, product yield and quality and ecological requirements. A specific study on the different commercial agar quality from Gracilaria would be needed.
Genetic studies of seaweed stocks which are required as the basis for selection of strains with improved productivity (growth and product yield) and disease resistance were identified as necessary by countries with and without developed seaweed culture industries.
There is a particular need to develop culture techniques for Gracilaria in tropical and sub-tropical areas of Asia.
Eucheuma culture is well developed in several countries but the problems of variable and declining yields and predation by fish need to be resolved.
Polyculture of seaweeds with invertebrates and/or finfish has potential to improve production and economic benefits from seaweed culture systems. The need for research on Gracilaria-shrimp polyculture merits particular attention.
There is a need to identify and develop alternative products from seaweeds and micro-algae, particularly pharmaceutical products.
The need for the development of micro-algal culture technologies and processing for Dunaliella and other species was emphasis.
There is a need for research on the correct diagnosis, prevention and control of seaweed diseases.
There is a need to improve methods for extraction and processing of agar from agarophytes, particularly for research on development of processing methods for use by small-scale farmers/processors.
The workshop indicated that in view of the diverse environments encountered in the region, that subregional groupings be established for joint research on common problems.
The workshop recognized that upgrading of manpower is essential for the development of seaweed and micro-algal culture and processing technologies in Asia-Pacific region. The need for a coordinated approach involving both short and long-term training programmes was emphasis with priority to the following.
Training on seaweed taxonomy and stock assessment and standardization of methodologies and nomenclature.
Training on culture technologies, particularly for countries just starting to initiate culture activities such as Bangladesh, Malaysia and Myanmar, as well as Vietnam.
Training in the culture and processing of Gracilaria and other agarophytes.
Long-term training on ecological and biochemical aspects of seaweeds and micro-algal utili.
Training on small-scale processing techniques.
These training needs could be met by development of regional centres and exchange of technical experts within the region or, in the case of some advanced technologies, by appropriate training outside of the region. The need for establishment of a regional demonstration processing plant was also identified.
The workshop recognized the need to improve the quality and availability of information on seaweeds. This would involve the exchange of experts within and outside of the region, exchange of numerical data on production and processed products and bibliographic information. The following priorities were identified:
Extension of basic culture technologies to farmers.
Improvements in the collection of information on trade and marketing to and from the private sector.
Improvements in the statistical data relating to production and trade in seaweeds.
The need for a networking approach to support the collection and dissemination of information was emphasized. There is also a need for Governments in the region to review, standardize and upgrade methods for the collection of numerical data on seaweed production and processing. The workshop also recommended that one or more centres within the region should have the responsibility of collating and disseminating information on seaweed culture practices, seaweed resources and trade and marketing.
The workshop also identified the need for a seaweed association in Asia-Pacific region which would link producers, processors, researchers and other interested parties. This regional association would link into existing national associations and provide an important means of improving flow of information on seaweeds. This association could also be used as a means of improving collection of numerical statistics on seaweed production and processing.
The workshop also recognized the considerable potential for new and potentially valuable products to be derived from seaweeds and micro-algae. There was a specific need for training, information exchange and research to identify and develop these new products.
The workshop recommended that FAO initiate action to review the Codex Alimentarius JECFA standard for carrageenan to include ‘seaweed flour’ as a food ingredient.
The workshop endorsed the initiative of the Philippine National Government, academic and private industry sectors in establishing a seaweed research and development centre with the assistance of a donor government.
The potential for development of seaweed and micro-algal industries in the Asia-Pacific region is such that a large number of needs exist as detailed in the discussion section above. Realizing the likely limitations of funding for research and development programmes, the following recommendations were given priority by the participants:
The workshop strongly recommended a network approach based on expansion of the existing network of aquaculture centres of NACA and that established by the UNDP/FAO Regional Seafarming Development and Demonstration Project to implement the research, training and information exchange activities on seaweed and micro-algae in Asia-Pacific region to meet the needs as identified in the above discussion.
The workshop strongly recommended that priority be given to studies on the environment in relation to seaweed resources and stock assessment, site selection, planning and culture technology to assist Governments in the development of sustainable seaweed industries. This work should be coordinated and networked on a regional basis with due consideration given to existing information and the activities of other national, regional and international agencies and organizations to ensure effective collation and dissemination of data.
The workshop strongly recommended that a follow-up workshop be held on the taxonomy of seaweeds, with special reference to Gracilaria and Sargassum, and used as a basis for standardization of nomenclature, taxonomy and methods for characterization of phycocolloid properties. The workshop also recommended that NACA approach two institutions in the region, as identified, to serve as reference centres for tropical and temperate seaweeds and micro-algae.
The workshop strongly recommended that FAO initiate action to review the Codex Alimentarius JECFA standard for carrageenan to include ‘seaweed flour’ as a food ingredient.
The workshop recommended that FAO review and improve statistical data relating to production and trade in seaweeds and their products in collaboration with INFOFISH and NACA.
The workshop recommended that NACA with the assistance of the UNDP/FAO Seafarming Project coordinate the approaches to potential international organizations such as FAO, UNDP, UNEP and donor governments for generating collaborative assistance in support of the above recommendations. France and Japan have already indicated their interest in supporting the seaweed programme and NACA will make early contact with the donor organizations and governments to generate support for the programme.
The workshop recommended the endorsement of the initiative of the Philippine National Government, academe and private sector in establishing a seaweed research and development centre with the assistance of a donor government.
The representative of the Government of Malaysia proposed a vote of thanks, on behalf of the participants, to the hosts and to the sponsor for a very successful, useful and informative workshop.
