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Announcing A New Sustainability Trial

What to Know about Acadian Seaplants’ Mechanical Seaweed Harvester

We care about conservation. Since our very beginnings, Acadian Seaplants has taken precautions to preserve coastal seaweed, not only as a renewable resource for people worldwide but as food, feeding grounds and shelter for a vibrant array of marine animals. With data-driven resource management and sustainable harvesting like our boat-and-rake method, seaweed has thrived in the waters we’ve leased.

Yet like many businesses struggling with the current labour shortages, we’ve had to explore new methods to help us satisfy customers while staying true to our values.

 

With that in mind, we are conducting a trial with a mechanical seaweed harvester in Rockweed Lease 6004 located on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. We have conducted research on both this specific portion of the Nova Scotia shoreline as well as parts of coastal Maine, measuring the effectiveness and sustainability of mechanical harvesting with circular-cutting methods. The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture will supervise this trial and partner with us to ensure the seaweed biomass remains healthy and robust.

 

We will continue to use the boat-and-rake method and work to provide sustainable earnings to our harvesters. If the trial is successful, our mechanical seaweed harvester will only be used to meet demand during workforce shortages. Regardless, our chief concern is fostering robust regrowth of the seaweed stock and maintaining a low eco-footprint across our business operations.

Want to learn more about our trial with the mechanical seaweed harvester? Here’s the full story.

For information and feedback about our trial, please contact us and one of our team members will reach back out to you.