Seaweed farm Mediterranean

[megan_cassel]

Hello!
I have been interested in the possibility of starting a farm for years, but will be based in Southern Europe. 
I know Greenwave claims that they support farmers all over the world, however their model is based off of cold water kelp species grown in Alaska and Maine. 
Wondering if knowledgeable folk could give me their thoughts if this type of business is realistic or not in Southern Europe / the warm Mediterranean sea.
Looking forward to your feedback! Thank you! 
Megan

[kendall_barbery]

@megan_cassel Hi @megan_cassel. You are correct. GreenWave's programming currently focuses on ocean farming in temperate kelp-growing regions, primarily across coasts in North America, but we also support organizations and farmers in other geographies. The model of multi-species (seaweed and bivalve) cultivation is adaptable to other regions and contexts. Whether ocean farming is suitable for a particular area and what can be farmed is site specific and depends upon a number of factors (environmental, social, market, etc). The general guidance for site assessment and planning offered in the "Getting Started" courses on this Hub may be a useful framework for starting to evaluate the suitability of ocean farming in your region.
Here are some other seaweed-centric resources that may be of use:

• The European Algae Biomass Association is a great starting point for prospective farmers/companies aiming to produce seaweed in the EU
• EU4Algae launched a platform for macro and micro-algae stakeholders across the EU, and hosts several working groups, including one for macroalgae
• Horizon Europe is a research and innovation grant program through the European Commission. Within the past several years, they have funded a number of initiatives looking at the feasibility and scalability of seaweed and ocean farming, including in the Mediterranean region.
• Seaweed for Europe produced a Licensing Toolkit , but it looks like France is the only EU country in the Med. region that is included.
• Phyconomy has a searchable database where you can explore seaweed companies, what they are growing and harvesting, and where.
• The Nature Conservancy and other international NGOs (such as World Wildlife Foundation) have best practice manuals that may cover the types of seaweed and shellfish that are native to the Mediterranean region. You might also be interested in TNC's Global Principles of Restorative Aquaculture, published in 2021.

If there are other folks on here from the Mediterranean region, please feel free to share your insights and recommendations!

[megan_cassel]

@kendall_barbery this is such helpful information!! thank you so much. sounds promising

[megan_cassel]

@kendall_barbery this is such helpful information!! thank you so much. sounds promising