Seaweed Review Steering Group: update

During the parliamentary scrutiny of the Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019, Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, announced a review to gather evidence to help ensure existing seaweed harvesting activity and future proposals are sustainable and Scotland’s marine environment is protected.

A seaweed review steering group has been established and will advise on all aspects of the review. To ensure a broad range of interests are represented, membership includes organisations from various sectors representing conservation, science, enterprise, biotechnology, fisheries and the seaweed industry association. The remit of this group is to steer. The steering group will inform and advise to help ensure the review reflects the views of stakeholders and shares information, knowledge and expertise relevant to the review.

The first meeting of the seaweed review steering group was held on 16 May 2019. It established the terms of reference and outline work programme to be taken forward.

The second meeting of the seaweed review steering group was held on the 26th September 2019. The main area of focus was the current seaweed regulatory and legislative framework,  current harvesting methods and species around Scotland and the scenario mapping research  proposal.

This research is a Scottish Government and Crown Estate jointly funded  exercise to understand the key areas of growth potential for the seaweed sector and the wider economic and social impacts of possible growth scenarios. It commenced in February and was due to report in July. However, it has been delayed due to  the Covid-19 and the subsequent challenges this has placed on resources.  It is currently forecast to complete by the end of the year.

A third meeting of the Steering Group was also delayed due COVID-19. Officials are now in the process of organising the third meeting (via online video conferencing). 

Previous meeting notes.