by
Tim Adams
Principal Fisheries Officer,
Fiji Fisheries Division,
Suva, Fiji
and
Roberto Foscarini
APO/Aquaculturist,
FAO/South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project
Suva, Fiji
The last half-day of the workshop was taken up by a discussion where the resource personnel responded to questions from the floor. This question and answer session covered points that had not been raised in the previous presentations and amplified certain issues of immediate concern to the participants. The following is a summary of the more relevant discussion.
In response to a question about which seaweed culture methods were appropriate to which site, the panel drew up a table as follows (Table 1).
The panel was of the opinion that the off-bottom method currently used in the Fiji seaweed growing industry were appropriate, but that there were enormous areas suitable for floating culture methods as well, and the use of such methods should be explored.
Several short questions were answered as follows:
Q: | Can rafts be simply anchored like floating longlines? |
A: | Theoretically, yes. But rafts tend to pull apart if they are not securely staked out. |
Q: | Can floating longlines be positioned outside the barrier reef? |
A: | Yes, if there is not too much wave-chop. In Saba, in fact, owing to the relatively calm condition of the sea, seaweed farmers use to set longlines outside the barrier reef. The longline method is used, for example, in Cebu which is an area relatively exposed to cyclones. However, even if some lines in case of bad weather are lost, most of them remain in place limiting the damage and enabling the farmers to get into farming quickly. |
Q: | Will floating longlines act as fish aggregating devices (FAD's)? |
A: | Probably yes and this will be of obvious benefit. |
Table 1. Seaweed culture methods and relative prerequisites and/or relevant factors.
Culture Method | Prerequisites and/or Relevant Factors |
Off-bottom: (ie. fixed lines between posts driven into substrate) | -Solid substrate (marl/coral). |
-Shallow water. | |
-Unobstructed bottom. | |
-Protected with good water movement. | |
-Lack of grazers. | |
-Clean water with little silt. | |
-Low competition for sites with other seaweed farmers and fishermen. | |
Raft, floating: | -Protected from heavy waves. |
-Good anchorage available. | |
-Most bottom types suitable. | |
-Most depths suitable. | |
-Rafts should be able to hold plants off bottom at low tide. | |
-Suitable for sites with poor water movement. | |
-Avoids space usage conflicts with tourism and reef-flat users or fishermen. | |
Longline, floating: | -Can be used in exposed areas. |
-Can be used over depths up to 30 meters. | |
-Avoids space usage conflicts with tourism and reef-flat or lagoon users. | |
-There may be problems with stinging hydroids wrapping around lines in some seasons. |
Q: | The rafts described for floating culture seem flimsy. Will they stand up to being taken out of the water for harvesting and drying? |
A: | The rafts are normally towed to shore for harvesting into floating baskets since weed dries faster on purpose-built platforms, but rafts can be used as drying racks when the drying facilities are limited. Once the planting material has been removed, about 150 kg of weed would be left on each raft, and it obviously cannot be taken far. Sand contamination is also a problem when weed is dried directly on the raft. |
Q: | What is the best way of keeping drying weed out of the rain? |
A: | In Bali, and also in Kiribati, weed is dried on mats which can be rolled up and taken under cover if necessary. In the Philippines, nets are often used for the same purpose, but sometimes the racks are covered with rubberized sheets or tarpaulins. The suggestion of using coconut fronds to shed the majority of the water is a good one, as long as the fronds are removed as soon as the rain stops. The overriding factors in the drying process are to dry the weed as quickly as possible, with as little contamination as possible. |
Q: | What are the relative advantages of growing Eucheuma spinosum as opposed to the present concentration of E. cottonii cultivation in the island Pacific? |
A: | Indonesia has traditionally supplied E. spinosum because this species occurs naturally in large quantities. But the Indonesian strain does not appear to grow so well in the Philippines, possibly because water movement is generally poorer. All of the Philippines production of E. spinosum comes from one site. E. spinosum requires a more active water movement of at least 20 m/min and is generally more suited to floating culture. Active water movement gives the weed access to more nutrients. E. spinosum has a quicker cropping cycle in favorable sites (around 2 weeks faster than E. cottonii) and gives slightly more dried product from the same weight of fresh weed. At the moment, E. spinosum fetches a higher price than E. cottonii in the Philippines, but the situation is reversed in Indonesia. In general, the world demand for E. cottonii is expected to be five times higher than that for E. spinosum, and this is probably the overriding factor in determining which species to concentrate on. But species diversification should be part of any long-term national strategy. The workshop field study site at Kiuva certainly looks suitable for growing E. spinosum and is very similar to the Philippines spinosum-growing area. |
Q: | Is any work on seaweed strain selection being carried out? |
A: | There are a number of strains which have been developed. All E. cottonii varieties appear to be vegetatively recombinant varieties of a naturally occurring deep water red species. The green strain appears to grow well in shallow water, but red strains would be better for deeper water. There is also a brown strain, which may be better for warm seasons. Eucheuma will form reproductive thalli and holdfasts if left alone long enough, so there is the possibility of sexual strain selection given a large enough research budget. The Pacific Islands certainly ought to do trials on different strains in different sites. |
Q: | Does environmental pollution affect the growth of seaweed? |
A: | Yes. Avoid pollution and agrochemical runoff by siting farms as close to barrier reefs as possible. Although benefits may be obtained from the nutrients and fertilizers contained in runoff, the benefit is more than outweighed by the pesticide content and the salinity drop caused by freshwater dilution. Both Eucheuma cottonii and E. spinosum are stenohaline and require salinities in excess of 30 parts per thousand. |
Q: | Are there any preferred ways of handling cuttings for seedstock? Would a knife cut be preferable to breaking off by hand? |
A: | Knives are used in the Philippines, but nobody has really studied the “traumatology” of seaweed. Eucheuma is naturally propagated by pieces broken off by wave action or currents and the weed has a natural mechanism for wound healing, so it probably does not make much difference which method is used. |
Q: | Is diving equipment needed for harvesting deep water longlines? |
A: | No, because the lines are on the surface and only the anchor is in deep water. The lines can be pulled out of the water standing on a small boat. |
by
Tim Adams
Principal Fisheries Officer,
Fiji Fisheries Division,
Suva, Fiji
and
Roberto Foscarini
APO/Aquaculturist,
FAO/South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project
Suva, Fiji
A large part of this discussion was spent in clarifying certain aspects of previous presentations, and only the more interesting parts are summarized here. Dr. McHugh led the working-out of an example of determining the financial feasibility of Eucheuma farming in a Pacific Island country, based on his presentation.
Following the suggested formula, using Fiji labour costs and export freight rates etc., a realistic break-even estimate for the export price for E. cottonii might be US$ 590 c.f.(1) (US$ 440/mt f.o.b.(2) plus US$ 150 freight cost to Europe) and with the actual price around $US 700 per tonne c.f., seaweed farming looks like a very good prospect for Fiji at present. This margin means that Fiji is likely to be still competitively exporting dried weed when prices “settle down” following the recent rapid price increases. Dr. Neish advised that Pacific nations ought to consider rapidly increasing the production of E. cottonii to take advantage of the current high price and to consolidate their position in the market.
Q: | How much should a seaweed farmer produce per day to make a living wage? |
A: | Considering the case of Fiji, where a daily wage of US$ 6.00 is considered by the seaweed farmers to be the minimum acceptable, at the current farmgate price of US$ 0.30, a farmer should produce 20 kg of raw dried seaweed per day. |
Q: | Should Pacific Island nations be considering installing their own seaweed processing plants? |
A: | At the moment it is more profitable to export raw dried weed, but if raw weed prices drop then a plant producing seaweed chips might pay. The weight of seaweed chips is nearly ¼ of that of raw dried seaweed. Therefore, transport costs would be reduced by approximately 65% (only 14 mt of seaweed chips can be put into a container, as opposed to 20 mt of dried weed), processing costs would increase, and buyers might find some difficulties since they have to replace the salt that is washed out before they can go through the alkali-precipitation process. A plant producing semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) flour would be the next level of complexity in processing. SRC flour is too expensive a raw material for refining into pure carrageenan for most companies, but some Japan refiners will consider it as it reduces their effluent problems. At the moment there is not a large market for SRC flour as a final product. The food laws of the developed countries which are the major market for carrageenan do not allow the use of SRC flour in products for human consumption, and nobody has the incentive to undertake the expensive and long research task of getting this product certified as safe for human consumption in each of these countries. |
Q: | What factors need to be taken into account to consider the feasibility for the establishment of an SRC plan in the Pacific Region? |
A: | First of all, the quantity of the seaweed available and its price c. & f. at port where the plan is located have to be considered. Other factors like the availability of water, the disposal of the plan effluents, the current and predicted price for SRC, and lastly the profitability of SRC manufacture. |
Q: | What should be the minimum volume of raw seaweed necessary to profitably run an SRC plan? |
A: | Minimum amount of raw dried seaweed for an SRC plan is about 2,000 to 2,500 mt a year with an output of 500 to 600 mt of SRC. |
Q: | Is it realistic to think of an SRC plan to serve the Pacific countries? |
A: | Not with the present supply of seaweed and the present cut-throat market situation for SRC. |
Q: | But would diversification into refining make Pacific Island countries less vulnerable to shifts in commodity costs? |
A: | It depends on the cost of the raw material. A processing plant which had guaranteed access to supplies of raw material without having to compete on the world market might stand a chance, but the general opinion of the panel is that it might be unwise to put money into SRC flour production at present. The present level of production is not sufficient to justify, from an economic point of view, the establishment of a semi-refining plant. Efforts should be, at the moment, directed towards a steady and reliable increase of raw material production. We also should keep in mind, that farming of seaweed is where the jobs are. Seaweed farming can employ several hundreds or even thousands of people, where an SRC plant can absorb 50 or 100 people only. Diversification efforts might be also better directed into growing other seaweeds and other types of aquaculture. If economic factors make refining a viable option in future, then the optimum strategy is likely to be a joint venture with an established company to overcome the initial problem of penetration into what is currently a fairly closed market. |
Q: | We have heard about a new variety of Gracilaria from the USA that is said to give a good yield from extensive culture methods. Bearing in mind the relatively high price of agar, is this likely to be a viable option? |
A: | This (patented) Gracilaria strain was developed under ideal conditions and has yet to be tested in a commercial environment. The Philippines is about to embark on trials, but the first lot of seedstock was wiped out by a hurricane. However, this strain seems to thrive at 20–30 parts per thousand salinity and may be suitable for mangrove and estuary areas. The farming system is different from Eucheuma but the strain can be cultured in the open ocean, unlike most other agarophytes. The outcome of actual commercial trials in the Philippines should be interesting. |
The final question was a general enquiry from the floor as to whether or not there would be any follow-up to this workshop. The major sponsors, FAO South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project, stated that there were no immediate plans for future meetings of this nature, but that each participating Pacific Island nation should develop their seaweed farming policies before going further, based on the experience of this workshop. The special interest groups currently being set up by the South Pacific Commission, one of which concerns seaweed, would be the most appropriate forum to keep people in touch. There is currently no regional body for coordinating the development of seaweed farming in the South Pacific, but the SPC Inshore Resources Programme, the Forum Fisheries Agency Trade Development Unit and the FAO South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project should all be in a position to assist.
by
Jayant Prakash
Fisheries Officer,
Fiji Fisheries Division,
Suva, Fiji
and
Roberto Foscarini
APO Aquaculturist,
FAO/South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project,
Suva, Fiji
On November 15th, 1989 a one day visit was made by the workshop participants to the seaweed farm site located at Kiuva village, East of Suva.
All participants and resource personnel departed from the University of the South Pacific (USP), Suva for Nakelo Landing at 0800hrs. From Nakelo Landing, 3 punts took about 50 participants to Kiuva Village, about 10 km down to the river. We arrived in Kiuva at 1000hrs and at 1030hrs the traditional ceremony Sevusevu and Qaloqalovi (whales tooth, sacred gift of Fijian people) was presented as a token of appreciation of the visit.
At 1200hrs, the raft method to culture Eucheuma seaweed was demonstrated to the participants by the Marine Agronomist, Ruben Barraca and other FMC Corporation, Marine Colloids Division resource personnel.
At 1400hrs, participants were taken to observe the off-bottom culture method practiced in Kiuva. After lunch at 1500hrs, all the participants departed for Nakelo Landing and were back at the USP at 1800hrs.
Comments as indicated by the participants
Kiuva has a vast seaweed growing area existing for off-bottom culture. Seaweed also grows very well at this site for the following reasons:
Drying of seaweed is a problem on the eastern side of Viti Levu where Kiuva Village is located, since it frequently rains. To maintain good quality seaweed, it was suggested that seaweed farmers cover their seaweed on such occasions.
Well dried seaweed can be recognized by the presence of crystallized salt on the seaweed surface. Apart from the weather, drying area and size of harvesting equipment (punts) to carry wet seaweed to drying racks, is an additional problem.
On the whole, the objective of the field day was achieved. It was suggested that the combination of the two culture systems, off-bottom and floating rafts, will give a potential to achieve a remarkable volume of dried seaweed production in Fiji and the Pacific region.
Raft Method
Figure 1. Floating raft for Eucheuma culture. Size: 2.5 by 2.5 m; No. of lines: 15; No. of plants per line: 15 propagules of 150 g; Construction Materials: mangrove wood 7 cm in diameter, bush timber that sinks (posts), 45 m of 3 mm rope, 1 m braces, and floats (foams, coconut, plastic bags, etc.).
Ways of Employing the Raft Method
Fixed on the sea bottom.
In shallow waters the rafts can be set just 0.5 to 1 m under the sea level at low tide by placing wooden posts securely inserted in the sea bottom (Fig. 2).
Floating.
In shallow waters one or more rafts tied together, can be tied to a wooden post. In deeper waters an anchor can be used to secure the rafts (Fig. 3). Additional floaters assure that the floating frame will not sink under the weight of the growing seaweed.
Figure 2. Raft fixed on the sea bottom.
Figure 3. Floating frames secured to a wooden post in shallow water or anchored in deeper water.
Material Costs and Return (single raft)
1. Materials for construction: | |
Bush timber | No cost |
3 mm rope (40 m) | F$ 1.00 to 20.00 |
Floats: | |
foams or plastic bags | up to F$ 50.00 |
coconuts | No cost |
Raffia (polypropylene tape) | 1.00 to 20.00/coil |
2. Seaweed: | |
15 lines by 15 propagules (150 g) | 33.75 kg/raft |
(wet seed) | |
After 6 weeks of culture | 33.75kg × 10 = 337.5 (wet weight) |
Less seed material for re-planting (33.75 new propagules) | 303.75 kg (wet weight) |
Harvest after 6 weeks less seed material | 30.37 kg dry weight 10 : 1 ratio (wet to dry) |
3. Costs and return: | |
At F$ 0.45/kg dry for 30.37 kg/raft | F$ 13.66/raft/week |
Managing 5 rafts | F$ 68.30/week |
AGENDA
REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON SEAWEED CULTURE AND MARKETING
Conference Room, Institute of Marine Resources of University
of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
Tuesday 14th November | |
09:00 | Traditional ceremony Sevu-Sevu presentation |
09:30 | Opening of workshop by Mr. Vijay Nath, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary of Primary Industries, Fiji |
09:45 | Introduction of the invited experts |
Session I: Country statements, Chairman Dr. Tim Adams | |
10:00 | Federated States of Micronesia country statement by Mr. Pedro Harris, F.S.M. Fisheries Division, Ponape |
10:20 | Fiji country statement by Mr. Jayant Prakash, Fiji Fisheries Division |
10:50 | Kiribati country statement by Mr. James Uan, Kiribati Fisheries Division |
11:20 | New Caledonia country statement by Ms. Claire Garrigue, OSTROM, Noumea |
11:40 | Palau country statement by Mr. Toshiro Paulis, Palau Fisheries Division |
12:00 | Tonga country statement by Mr. Ulungamanu Fa'anunu, Tonga Fisheries Division |
12:20 | Tuvalu country statement by Mr. Timothy Gentle, Tuvalu Fisheries Division |
12:40 | Lunch Break |
Session II: Seaweed culture techniques, Chairman Dr. Tim Adams | |
13:30 | Lecture on “Seaweed culture methods in the Philippines and Indonesia” given by Mr. Ruben Barraca, Marine Agronomist, FMC Marine Colloids Division, Philippines |
14:20 | Open discussion with the workshop participants |
14:30 | Video presentation on seaweed culture and post-harvest technology |
15:15 | Open discussion with the workshop participants and tea break |
15:45 | Lecture on “Seaweed cultivation methods in Fiji” given by Mr. Mahuri Robertson, Seaweed South Pacific Ltd., Fiji |
16:30 | Open discussion with the workshop participants |
Wednesday 15th November | |
One-day visit to the seaweed farm located at Kiuva Point. | |
08:00 | Leave USP Upper Campus for the Nakelo landing by bus |
08:30 | Move to Kiuva village by boat |
10:00 | Traditional Sevu-Sevu presentation |
10:30 | Demonstration of seaweed culturing techniques by Mr. Ruben Barraca, FMC Marine Colloids Division |
14:00 | Lunch break. Traditional Lovo prepared in earth pit by the Kiuva villagers |
15:30 | Return to Suva |
Thursday 16th November | |
Session II: Seaweed post-harvest, marketing, and industry Chairman Dr. Tim Adams | |
09:00 | Lecture on “Lesson from the history of seaweed farming in the Philippines and the trend of seaweed farming in Southeast Asia” given by Dr. Gavino C. Trono Jr., Seaweed Farming Expert, University of the Philippines |
09:50 | Open discussion with the workshop participants |
10:00 | Lecture on “Post-harvest treatment and quality control” given by Mr. William R. Blakemore, Research Director, FMC Marine Colloids Division, Singapore |
10:50 | Open discussion with the workshop participants and morning tea break |
11:30 | Lecture on “Marketing of raw and semi-refined products” given by Dr. Iain Neish, Far East Operations Manager, FMC Marine Colloids Division, Philippines |
12:20 | Open discussion with the workshop participants |
12:30 | Lunch break |
14:00 | Lecture on “Overview of the world carrageenan industry” given by Dr. Dennis J. McHugh, Marketing Development Expert, University of New South Wales, Australia |
14:50 | Open discussion with the workshop participants and afternoon tea break |
15:30 | Demonstration of baling machine use by FMC experts |
16:30 | Open space for discussion and questions on the use of the baling machine |
Friday 17th November | |
Session III: Panel discussion, Chairman Dr. Tim Adams | |
09:00 | Panel discussion on seaweed farming development, prospective, and constraints with the invited experts and the workshop participants |
10:00 | Morning tea |
10:15 | Special discussion on shipping and marketing strategies with the invited experts and the workshop participants |
11:15 | Traditional ceremony Sevu-Sevu presentation and closing of workshop by Mr. Sewak Surendra, Director of the Fiji Fisheries Division |
FIJI | Ministry of Primary Industries | |
Mr Vijay Nath Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary | ||
Fisheries Division Ministry of Primary Industries | ||
Mr. Surendra Sewak Acting Director of Fisheries | ||
Dr. Tim Adams Principal Fisheries Officer (RA & D) | ||
Mr. Jayant Prakash Fisheries Officer (Seaweed Project) | ||
Mr. Samuel Mario Seaweed Extension Officer | ||
Forum Fisheries Agency | ||
Mr. Peniasi Kunatuba Acting Director, Ocean Resources Management Programme, University of the South Pacific | ||
Seaweed (South Pacific) Ltd. | ||
Mr. Simon Henderson SSP Director | ||
Mr. Robbie Robertson Farm Manager | ||
FAO/South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project | ||
Mr. Hideyuki Tanaka Project Manager | ||
Mr. Roberto Foscarini Associate Professional Officer | ||
Seaweed Farmers | Village | |
Mr. Dilo Bunoa | Kaba | |
Mr. Nemani Turagaiviu | Kaba | |
Seaweed Farmers | ||
Ms. Losalini Werevakalawa | Kaba | |
Mr. Tevita Beka | Kaba | |
Mr. Bale | Kaba | |
Ms. Ana R. | Kaba | |
Mr. Mesulame Qiokata | Kiuva | |
Mr. Navitalai Naivalu | Kiuva | |
Mr. Viliame Gasau | Kiuva | |
Mr. Ratu Seru N. | Kiuva | |
Mr. Latia Koroi | Kiuva | |
Mr. Lemeki T. | Kiuva | |
Mr. Niumaia L. | Kiuva | |
Mr. Eliya N. | Kiuva | |
Ms. Taiana Belewai | Kiuva | |
Ms. Taravini L. | Kiuva | |
Ms. Ranadi M. | Kiuva | |
Mr. Jone Mario | Moturiki | |
Mr. Jone Salele | Moturiki | |
Mr. Uluiyasa C. | Moturiki | |
Mr. Josese Badui | Moturiki | |
Mr. Apisai Cagiratu | Moturiki | |
Mr. Meniusi Varoi | Rakiraki | |
Mr. Jiope Masala | Rakiraki | |
Mr. Tui I. Naceba | Tavua | |
Mr. Ratu Etuwate | Tavua | |
Mr. Waisale Vuniwaqa | Tavua | |
TONGA | Fisheries Division Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests | |
Mr. Ulungamanu Fa'anunu Fisheries Officer | ||
KIRIBATI | Fisheries Division Ministry of Natural Resource Development | |
Mr. James Uan Fisheries Officer | ||
PALAU | Marine Resources Division Ministry of Natural Resources | |
Mr. Toshiro Paulis Chief of Marine Resources Division | ||
NEW CALEDONIA | ORSTOM | |
Claire Garrigue Seaweed Expert | ||
TUVALU | Fisheries Division Min. of Commerce and Natural Resources | |
Timothy Gentle Principal Fisheries Officer | ||
PHILIPPINES | FMC Corporation, Marine Colloids Division: | |
Mr. Ruben Barraca Marine Agronomist | ||
Mr. William R. Blakemore Research Director, Singapore Regional Office | ||
Dr. Iain Neish Far East Operations Manager | ||
University of the Philippines | ||
Dr. Gavino C. Trono Jr., College of Science, Quezon City | ||
AUSTRALIA | University of New South Wales | |
Dr. Dennis J. McHugh, Department of Chemistry Campbell |
by
Vijay Nath
Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Primary Industries, Fiji
Mr. Chairman;
The workshop organizers;
The representatives of regional agencies;
The resource Personnel;
The participants;
Ladies and gentlemen.
I am very pleased to be here this morning to open this meeting which I believe is the first workshop on Eucheuma cultivation to be held in the South Pacific region. Before I proceed further, I, on behalf of my Ministry and the Government, would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you, particularly to our neighbors from the region, and hope that you will enjoy your short stay in Fiji.
Seaweed farming in Fiji has a short but chequered history. We first looked at commercial seaweed farming methods in 1984 and the initial trials were very successful. The New Zealand seaweed processing company, Coast Biologicals, was encouraged to set up a subsidiary company in Fiji and from 1985 to 1988 the seaweed growing industry was almost entirely developed by Coast Biologicals. Growth was rapid and by 1987, there were 230 small rural farms working under contract with the company. Unfortunately, a combination of factors caused the industry to decline again almost as rapidly. Amongst the important factors were the economic crisis of 1987 in Fiji, the opening up of a large scale export market for sea-cucumber or beche-de-mer which diverted the attention of many seaweed farmers back into fishing, decline in the world market price of Eucheuma caused by large expansion of these ventures in Indonesia, and the trade bans that New Zealand dockworkers union put on imports from Fiji in 1987 which caused several financial problems for the Coast Biologicals Ltd. (Fiji), who were exporting all of their production to New Zealand. These various factors attributed to Coast Biological's decision to withdraw its Fiji operation in August 1988, after a year of trying to make ends meet.
However, the Fiji Government retained faith in the seaweed industry. Apart from the fact that seaweed farming is a good vehicle for rural development and thus a priority for Government support, we were encouraged by reports that the world market price was rising again and likely to remain high for the next couple of years. In addition, it was clear that the beche-de-mer boom would not last for ever, and the state of the Fiji economy was improving all the time.
With the financial assistance of the New Zealand Government, for which we are indeed very grateful, we were able to keep the seaweed industry afloat by providing a subsidized outlet through the National Marketing Authority and continuing to provide advice to rural seaweed farmers. I must also extend thanks at this point to the people of Kiuva, who have continued to farm seaweed throughout the difficult period, and to Dr. Iain Neish of the FMC Marine Colloids Division, who provided moral encouragement as well as an export outlet this year.
I believe we can say, at this stage, that the difficult period has been weathered. A new private company: Seaweed (South Pacific) Ltd., has started operations in Fiji, ably assisted by Mr. Mahuri Robertson who was the backbone of Coast Biological's Fiji operation, and the process of rebuilding the industry is well under way. We hope that more farmers will be encouraged to restart seaweed farming following the recent rise in the farmgate price from F$ 350 to F$ 450 per tonne, and the large farms that the new company is establishing will provide a buffer against possible future fluctuation in local supply.
This workshop will provide an opportunity for Fiji seaweed farmers to learn about more efficient methods of cultivating seaweed, as well as insights into the need to improve and maintain regularity of supply and quality; and also for the representatives from other countries in the region to assess the prospects of this industry for themselves. We had hoped that the practical aspects of the workshop, which will be demonstrated at Kiuva on Thursday, would be of longer duration but we understand that some of the overseas participants have very tight schedules.
However, the speakers you are about to hear are all aptly qualified and highly experienced people and the knowledge that they will be imparting will be on the latest “state of the art” in seaweed culture. I understand that the talks you are about to hear will provide the basis for an FAO publication which will have, potentially, a worldwide distribution.
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I now declare this Regional Workshop on Seaweed Culture and Marketing officially open and wish the organizers, resource personnel and the participants very fruitful deliberations and a rewarding experience.
By
Surendra Sewak
Acting Director, Fiji Fisheries Division,
Suva, Fiji
Mr. Tanaka, resource personnel fellow participants from the regional countries, seaweed workshop participants, ladies and gentleman.
I am very pleased to be invited today to close this Regional Workshop on Seaweed Culture and Marketing with special thanks to the seaweed experts from Indonesia, Philippines, Australia and Singapore. I cordially extend particular thanks to the FMC Marine Colloids Division personnel Dr. Iain Neish, William Blakemore and Ruben Barraca for the support given by their industry to the development of the Pacific seaweed farming. This is usually left to Governments and Aid Agencies but this form of assistance is much more effective and aimed.
Over the past four days you have learnt a lot about practical seaweed farming, with particular benefit to rural farmers and also about prospects of industry and marketing, of use to administrators and the industry. The workshop has tried to cover a lot of ground and a lot of different aspects of the industry but I think that everyone has come away with some knowledge or insight of the seaweed industry. Many thanks to the FAO/South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project for sponsoring and organizing the successful meeting. I, as the Director of Fiji Fisheries Division, have much confidence in the seaweed industry and I am hopeful that this workshop will provide the stimulus for us Pacific Island countries to develop successful seaweed farming on a commercial basis. Fiji, at least has received a great boost and we now have a much clearer idea of where to go from here.
It is not outside the bounds of the possibility that the South Pacific will be exporting several thousand tonnes of seaweed in a couple of years time. If we can keep our reputation for good quality, we will become a force to be reckoned with in the world market.
The Fiji Fisheries Division is considering increasing research effort in seaweed culture and development, particularly trial planting, site selection and trials of new culture methods. Unfortunately, we are relying on external support for this, but New Zealand aid funding has been allocated for 1990 and there is a possibility that Peace Corps will provide expert manpower support in the future.
And finally, I would like to thank the Institute of Marine Resources for the use of their facilities, the people of Kiuva for their great hospitality during the field day and everybody, resource personnel and participants, I wish you well.