Page 52 - Bulletin, Vol.83 No.1, April 2024

How did you become passionate about the oceans?

Lloyd's Register is the biggest social business in the world, owned by a charity. When I
worked with them, I discovered the world of algae. The ocean covers 70% of the earth's
surface and contributes less than 3% of our food. According to one theory, homo
sapiens needed EPA and DHA to generate his genetic mutation. These are only found
in algae and fish. It is likely that our dietary history is linked to the consumption of algae
and fish. Evidence has recently been found that nearly 15,000 years ago, humans were
eating seaweed, even inland. The land was colonised from the coast, following the
abundance of seaweed (kelp). The agricultural revolution, which dates back 12,000
years, defines the beginning of our civilisation. In agriculture, we began to produce
cereals to feed animals. For our aquaculture, we bred fish without planning to grow
marine plants. As a result, aquaculture is not very sustainable. Ideally, we would
promote permaculture at sea with integrated systems.

Could seaweed be the universal panacea for our problems?

Almost! Seaweed has many virtues. With only 2% of seaweed planted in the ocean,
billions of people can be fed with protein. With 9%, we could even reverse global
warming as algae stabilizes carbon. Algae produce food rich in proteins, zinc, iodine,
omegas etc. In Japan, seaweed cultivation is highly developed, and positive effects on
cardiovascular disease have been observed. Land animals can also be fed seaweed,
which will improve their immune systems without resorting to antibiotics. It is promising
to note that asparagopsis taxiformis, a small algae, if added at 2% as a feed additive,
could reduce by 99% greenhouse gases resulting from methane emissions from cattle,
i.e. 8% of greenhouse gases on the planet. Seaweed has been used as a fertiliser for
centuries. It is a bio-stimulant that reduces the fragility of plants.

AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 83 No.1, 2024-04 51

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