Locals concerned at harvesting of seaweed in special conservation area

COMMERCIAL seaweed harvesting in a protected area in Eyeries has been reported by eco lobbyists Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) to the Department of Environment. 

Tony Lowes, an FIE director, told The Southern Star that the area concerned is part of the Kenmare Bay special area of conservation.

‘We received requests from residents who are concerned about the level of harvesting taking place,’ he said. ‘These residents have the exclusive rights to the seaweed connected with their property.’

According to public records, Mr Lowes said no licences have been issued since March 2014. And, in 2018, the attorney general’s office confirmed that the State could not issue licences because traditional rights exist for coastal residents.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Environment has recently confirmed that the rights of these residents are to be respected.

‘The coastal residents who approached us still collect seaweed themselves,’ said Mr Lowes, ‘and they were greatly concerned at the harvesting that they were witnessing.’

On Tuesday, Mr Lowes said that harvesting by Irish firm BioAtlantis had now ceased.

‘Our concern is that future harvesting will resume without any licensing or environmental controls,’ said Mr Lowes, ‘that is why we reported this situation to the foreshore section of the Department.’

A spokesperson for the company, BioAtlantis, issued a statement. ‘BioAtlantis,’ he said, ‘applied for a licence to hand harvest Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed in Kenmare Bay on June 27th 2022. However, we do not know when the application will be processed. 

The seaweed is currently harvested by hand in an environmentally friendly manner, in line with traditional methods. 

‘Ascophyllum nodosum has been harvested sustainably using this approach for over 100 years in Ireland and is an ongoing practice on the west coast of Ireland.’ 

According to the spokesperson, a study commissioned by the Marine Institute shows that ascophyllum nodosum grows back 11 to 17 months after hand harvesting in Ireland. 

However, when left unharvested, seaweed gets washed ashore due to storm damage, where it decays, releasing emissions. 

‘By harvesting the seaweed sustainably by hand,’ he said, ‘it ensures that this renewable resource is utilised in technologies that provide societal benefits, including mitigating the effects of climate change. 

‘BioAtlantis wish to work with local hand harvesters in Kerry and Cork and cultivate their interest in supplying us and to demonstrate how the seaweed can be hand harvested sustainably,’ he said.

The spokesperson added: ‘At present, we are not engaged in harvesting activities in the area.’