The pioneering Greenwave Aotearoa project has concluded its successful three-year pilot to trial native seaweed cultivation in the Hauraki Gulf and can ultimately answer the question — how do you grow it?
The initiative, co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund and EnviroStrat, aimed to pave the way for a new seaweed farming industry in New Zealand.
EnviroStrat project manager Rebecca Barclay-Cameron said the pilot proved that the brown kelp Ecklonia radiata can be farmed and that there was more success in areas that are multitrophic — where two or more species are grown together — in this case mussels.
“Greenwave Aotearoa’s regenerative ocean farming pilot has laid the foundation for a new aquaculture industry, demonstrating that seaweed aquaculture is not only feasible but holds significant promise for New Zealand’s economic and environmental future.”