Page 15 - FAO Aquaculture News, May 2021 - No. 63

40
Million wet tonnes

35 1,2

30 0,7

25 0,2

1962
1964
1952
1960
1954
1956
1958
1970
1950
1966
1968
20 -0,3

15

Wild collection
Cultivation
10

Figure 1: World seaweed production, 1950–2019
5
0
1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016 2019

Wild collection Cultivation Total

A good example is the recently published Seaweed FIGURE 2 – World seaweed aquaculture production by major
Manifesto, initiated by Lloyd’s Register Foundation with species groups, 1970–1990.
6
the active support of the Sustainable Ocean Business Figure 2: World seaweed aquaculture production by major species groups, 1970–1990

Action Platform of the United Nations Global Compact. 3 000
The Manifesto aims at increasing global interest in the 2 464
responsible development of the seaweed industry through Thousand wet tones 2 500 2 381
a closer collaboration among development agencies, 2 000 1 974
governments, academia and the private sector. Thousand wet tonnes 1 500
Global Aquaculture Updates
The existence of vast marine areas suitable for seaweed 1 000 1 184
farming makes champions of seaweeds envision a 748 500 574 469 556 457
7
forthcoming “Seaweed Revolution”. However, if revolution 500 267 368 292 408 172 294
means exponential growth, then it appears that global 1 121 17 125
0
seaweed production has been in a revolution, powered 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990
by cultivation, since 1950 until at least the mid-2010s Laminaria/Saccharina Kappaphycus/Eucheuma Porphyra/Pyropia Undaria
(Figure 1).

in the late 1980s (Figure 2). China and the Democratic
FIGURE 1 – World seaweed production, 1950–2019. People’s Republic of Korea contributed to, respectively,
55 percent and 42 percent of the growth.
40
1.2
35 The cultivation of Porphyra/Pyropia (aka zicai in China; nori
0.7
30 0.2 in Japan; and gim in the Republic of Korea) and Undaria
Million wet tonnes -0.3 the Republic of Korea), mainly for human consumption,
25 (aka qundaicai in China; wakame in Japan; and miyeok in
20 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970
15 Wild collection Cultivation also had a multifold increase during the period (Figure 2).
Japan contributed to most of the increase in Porphyra/
10
Pyropia cultivation, whereas the Undaria expansion was
5
primarily led by the Republic of Korea.
0
1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016 2019 The cultivation of seaweed species for the extraction of
carrageenan (carrageenan seaweeds in short) increased
Wild collection Cultivation Total
from virtually nothing to nearly 300 000 tonnes during
1970–1990 (Figure 2). This reflects the cultivation of
1950–1970 fast-growing tropical species (Kappaphycus/Eucheuma)
According to FAO statistics, world seaweed production in countries with lower labour cost (primarily the
was a little over half million (wet) tonnes in 1950, primarily Philippines) replacing wild collection of cold-water species
from wild collection. While the wild production doubled (e.g. Chondrus crispus) in developed regions (primarily
during 1950–1970, the production from cultivation grew Canada) as the main source of carrageenan seaweeds.
over 30-fold and exceeded the wild production in 1970
(Figure 1). This primarily reflects the expansion of Japanese 1990-2019
8
kelp (Laminaria [now Saccharina] japonica) cultivation in The world cultivation production of kelp (Laminaria/
China, from 51 000 tonnes in 1958 to 716 000 tonnes Saccharina spp.) continued to increase over the past three
in 1970. The big leap forward was supported by the decades to 12.3 million tonnes (USD 4.6 billion) in 2019
Chinese government’s promotion of kelp production (Figure 3). China remained the primary contributor to the
and consumption as a way to fight iodine deficiency and growth, whereas the production in the Republic of Korea
triggered by technical breakthroughs, such as success in increased from 8 000 tonnes to 663 000 tonnes between
hatchery-reared summer seedlings and the development 1990 and 2019. Besides increasing demand from its growing
9
of longline cultivation systems. population, the industrial use of kelp to produce alginate
and other biochemical products (for example mannitol,
1970–1990 sorbitol, fucoidan, fucoxanthin and phlorotannin) was one
The “kelp revolution” continued during 1970–1990, with of the main driving forces behind the expansion of kelp
the global cultivation production increasing from less than cultivation in China during this period. The use of seaweeds
800 000 tonnes in the early 1970s to nearly 3 million tonnes as feed for cultivating high-value aquatic animal species
(primarily abalones) has also created substantial demand
6. https://unglobalcompact.org/library/5743 for kelp and other seaweeds. On the supply side, continuing
7. https://seaweedrevolution.live.ft.com/ efforts in improving kelp seedlings have not only increased
8. To avoid unnecessary confusion, this article follows nomenclatures
adopted in FAO statistics and indicates more updated taxonomic names.
9. FAO 2004–2021.Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme.
Laminaria japonica. Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme. 10. Valderrama, D., Cai, J., Hishamunda, N. & Ridler, N., eds. 2013.
Text by Chen, J. In: FAO Fisheries Division [online]. Rome. Updated. Social and economic dimensions of carrageenan seaweed farming.
[Cited 20 March 2021]. Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 580. Rome, FAO. 204 pp.

14 FAO AQUACULTURE NEWS – Nº. 63 ■ MAY 2021