Patagonian seaweed: from wild harvest to sustainable cultivation

Nieuwsbericht | 17-04-2025 | 20:54

Increasing cultivation of seaweed

Cultivation of seaweed has been increasing for the past years. This has resulted in 96% of the world wide seaweed production being cultivated as opposed to wild growing.  The remaining 4% is from seaweed collected in the wild (FAO 2022). In Latin America we see, however, that seaweed production has significantly decreased over the past two decades, more specifically in Chile and Argentina. Despite this decrease, due to harsh circumstances of fishermen mainly, this region is one of the largest seaweed producers of the world (FAO 2018).

This also puts large pressure on the natural kelp forests as the demand is still increasing. Overexploitation of the natural resources and the increasing awareness of the importance of natural (seaweed) habitats increases the urge to develop sustainable cultivation of seaweed.

 Seaweed can be classified by size into microalgae and macroalgae and by colour into green, brown, and red varieties. In terms of extraction, seaweed can be found floating freely on and near shore, cultivated encaged near the shore or in open waters, or attached to natural or artificial substrates in different marine and coastal environments.

Significant potential

Production of seaweed can help food production, improve livelihoods and is seen as one of the least environmental impacting aquaculture practices to date. There is potential to scale up ,  and shortage of the technical knowledge and understanding makes Latam a very interesting region for collaboration. This is because in The Netherlands, and in a lesser extent Europe, does have the knowledge, but largely lack the market. By collaboration between the two regions the position of both can be enhanced, resulting in a more sustainable seaweed sector on a global scale.

With Dutch experts from Wageningen Marine Research and local stakeholders both from Argentina and Chile, we began a project that aims to research the potential of large scale sustainable production of seaweed in Latam with respect to indigenous people and identification of native species both application possibilities (e.g. food and cattle feed) as well as local seaweed species of interest; while identifying the potential utilization and application of produced seaweed (e.g. food and cattle feed), knowledge gaps and other shortages on knowledge level in order to develop such production.

After the first steps in Chile during 2023 with al innovation Mission, the steering group identified Argentina’s coasts as having significant potential for seaweed cultivation. With an extensive shoreline favourable to various forms of aquaculture and a diverse range of marine ecosystems, Argentina hosts a rich variety of seaweed species. However, in recent decades, the sector has nearly disappeared, primarily due to international competition, which has led to uncompetitive pricing compared to countries in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, with the global transformation of this sector and the renewed interest in seaweed production for human and animal nutrition, cosmetics, medical applications, and the development of biomaterials and biofuels, stakeholders now recognize an opportunity to revitalize the industry.

In February 2025, we facilitated a mission to Argentina, focusing on analysing the various marine systems in Argentina that are associated with seaweed species, their potential, and exploring the role local communities can play in this sector. The objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the industry and foster future collaborations to sustainably (re)develop it.

Mission development:

The mission was carried out in Patagonia, an extensive area with over 3500 km of sea coast along the Atlantic Ocean. Focusing on 2 provinces, Santa Cruz and Chubut, the group was welcomed and guided by a group of experts from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National Patagonian Center (CENPAT-CONICET), the National Technological University - Chubut Regional and the National University of Patagonia, which strengthened bilateral technical exchange and collaborations between knowledge institutions.

The mission also included visits, meetings and discussions with local authorities, NGO’s, entrepreneurs from the seaweed and fishing industries,  including both SME’s and large companies, operating at different scales and with varied production goals. Additionally, one day was dedicated to exchanges with families engaged in artisanal fishing and seaweed harvesting, offering firsthand perspectives on their experiences, challenges, and contributions to the sector.

More information

A key aspect of the mission was to assess the impact of the seaweed sector on the local community and the several ways in which residents engage with this activity. It offered a comprehensive overview of the current state of the seaweed sector in Argentina and its potential for development. Based on the preliminary findings, opportunities for future collaborations will be assessed to support the sustainable growth of the sector, fostering its integration with local communities and key stakeholders in industry and research.

Would you like to know more about the work done by the LVVN Office in Argentina and the ongoing projects the LAN team is involved in? You can visit the country page of Argentina at the website Agroberichtenbuitenland.nl of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. You can also send an email to the LAN team in Buenos Aires: bue-lvvn@minbuza.nl.