Seaweed Harvesting and Aquaculture: An Overview of the Past 70 years

In the past decades seaweeds consumption changed from traditional uses such as food and fertilizer to other biotechnological applications, boosting a growing economic activity. Therefore, since the end of the Second World War, seaweeds’ aquaculture has been replacing the traditional harvest, accounting for 99.5% of the available biomass in 2020. Nevertheless, in different parts of the globe, this change has happened at different pace. On the other hand, commercial aquaculture only covers a little more than fifteen species, the ones that are economically viable. Asia, notably China, dominates the seaweeds cultivation with over 97.5% and 70% of the market share, respectively. Europe and America are still engaged in the harvesting of wild seaweeds, but this traditional activity has some sustainability implications for the resource. As to Portugal, the activity is still emergent, consistent with little interest among the population in consuming seaweeds. The ongoing investment in research and in the development of pilot scale farming projects in Europe, America, and parts of Africa, however, are enhancing commercial seaweed aquaculture. We expect that these innovative approaches may soon raise the attractiveness of seaweeds aquaculture outside Asia.