The government issued five seaweed harvesting licences Tuesday — two more than last year, some with increased quotas — and allocated a stretch of the Qualicum First Nation Reserve to the harvest.
According to a news release issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, the three existing licence-holders (Stormy Shores, Pacific Seaplants and Island Seaweeds) will now be able to harvest a maximum of 500 tonnes each from the Deep Bay/Bowser area. Last year’s quota was 300 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the ministry is offering Qualicum First Nation and Island Scallops licences to harvest 250 tonnes of seaweed each for the area fronting the Qualicum First Nation Reserve.
QFN chief Michael Recalma and Island Scallops CEO Rob Saunders did not return phone calls from The NEWS by press time Wednesday.
In 2007, the government started a pilot project issuing licences to harvest seaweed off the coast of Deep Bay. Harvesters are after a foreign red algae known as Mazzaella japonica, rich in carrageenans and used as a thickener and stabilizer in products like ice cream and toothpaste. The market value for carrageenans is estimated at $700 million worldwide, but it’s largely an untapped industry in B.C. While some are eager to cash in on what could be a booming resource, others fear removing large amounts of seaweed from the coast could threaten the environment.
The announcement comes after a study conducted by Vancouver Island University’s Deep Bay Marine Field Station on the 2014-15 seaweed harvest was made public and came out in favour of the harvesters.
The government release said “the beach-cast seaweed harvest decisions are based on thorough field observations that include a May 2015 VIU research study that determined the harvest did not have a detectable effect on the amount of Mazzaella japonica deposited on the beaches in the study area.”
But retired Bowser scientist Ian Birtwell said it’s “almost inconceivable to take something away that’s used as a fertilizer to the environment without having an impact.”
In 2013, Birtwell led and released a 36-page biological review critical of the seaweed harvest in Deep Bay.
“One small study undertaken during a brief period of the harvest is insufficient to draw a strong conclusion,” he told The NEWS.
“One of the fundamental issues is the assessment of where this seaweed goes and what it contributes in terms of nutrients… unless one knows how it is used it’s impossible to say this amount is available, and this amount can be used and this amount can be taken away.”
Furthermore, Birtwell said seaweed decays on the beach for months after the harvest season.
“It provides nutrients for a host of animals so there’s a system there and I fail to see how conclusively one can derive a decision that there’s no impact,” he said.
The government also announced it will allocate an additional $50,000 to VIU to continue studying and monitoring the seaweed harvest.
“That’s outstanding,” said regional district director Bill Veenhof, who represents Deep Bay/Bowser. “It’s truly good news that they’re continuing the study and I’m pleased for Qualicum First Nation.”
Stormy Shores owner Jason Rose said he was happy to hear the government issued his company another harvesting licence for the upcoming season, this time with an increased quota. Rose said the increase is likely attributed to the results of VIU’s study.
The government confirmed it received five applications to harvest seaweed for the upcoming season, all which were granted.
VIU Marine Station manager Brian Kingzett, who spearheaded the seaweed study, said he’s pleased to hear the ministry will continue funding research into the seaweed harvest.
“We are pretty pleased to bring more on the ground local science to these issues,” said Kingzett. “That was one of the reasons the Deep Bay station was built — to provide more local marine science on local issues. With this invasive seaweed we don’t think we understand the entire story yet but we are getting closer.”
A 1.75 kilometre stretch of the Qualicum First Nation Reserve foreshore will be allocated to the harvest. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, “preliminary observations have shown that Mazzaella japonica occurs in this area during fall and winter storms in sufficient quantities for commercial harvesting” though that area was not included in their recent study.
The seaweed harvesting licences permit harvesting between September 15, 2015 and February 15, 2016.
