Over The Horizon

Harvesting Seaweed

The people of Kiribati are harvesting the sea in a new way, with seaweed-growing trials started in the 1980s paying off for the country's lagoon islands.

Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies Director Dr Ueantabo Neemia-Mackenzie visited Kiribati to investigate the social impact of its expanding seaweed industry. He said the industry was already the second largest cash crop on some islands and in some cases earned double the income of copra, the islands' traditional crop.

"In Christmas Island I spoke to a widow who was making US$300-400 a fortnight growing seaweed. That's compared to the average wage of $100 a fortnight in Tarawa (the main atoll)."

In terms of the future of Kiribati, seaweed was there to stay, he said. People were quickly adapting to it as one of the major economic activities.

One of the most significant benefits of seaweed production was that providing more time for couples to be alone together.

"The attaching of seedlines to the sea stakes is usually done by couples and many couples talked about that as positive time together, whereas copra cutting involves men going into the bush alone to cut nuts and they are not involved with the rest of the family."

Seaweed production fitted easily into people's social activities. Neemia-Mackenzie said the harmony between cultivation and island lifestyle would ensure the industry had a good future in Kiribati.

"From the point of view of long-term sustainability, if it doesn't fit in with island life it won't survive, or it will affect other areas of island life negatively. Instead it fits in well with people's work and recreational patterns."

The seaweed, Eucheuma, is grown for its component chemical, carrageena, which is used as a food stabiliser.

Kiribati is the only Pacific nation to produce Eucheuma on a commercial basis, the main producers being Indonesia and the Philippines. Its main market is Europe. The Atoll Seaweed Company was established in 1991 to market the seaweed and during its first year it exported more than 1,000 tonnes. Production has continued to increase since then.

Tamara Ross is a Staff Writer for the University of Canterbury Public Relations Office.