Kwale county government is seeking to boost seaweed farming operated by coastal communities along the shores of the Indian Ocean to enhance sustainable livelihoods.
The various species of red, brown and green seaweeds are cultivated by fishing communities for both domestic and industrial use offering profitable opportunities.
Maritime industry stakeholders contend that seaweed, known as ‘climate-smart algae’ plays an important role in the marine ecosystem as it absorbs significant amounts of carbon and reduces ocean acidification. However global warming is reducing the quality of seaweed in the ocean.
The weeds are celebrated as ‘wonder plants of the sea’ and offer a renewable source of food, energy, chemicals and medicines with a wide range of industries. agricultural, biomedicine and personal care applications.
Seaweed farming is practiced in seaside villages of Kibuyuni, Mwazaro, Mkwiro, Mtimbwani, Gazi, Nyumba Sita, Tumbe, Funzi, Changai, and Jimbo, where it is a primary source of income.
Coastal communities dive underwater to harvest the seaweeds and sell them either dried and fresh, which fetches them between Sh 40 to Sh 60 per kilogram.
Roman Shera, the County Executive Committee Member In-Charge of Agriculture and Fisheries says the devolved government is seeking to unlock seaweed’s potential for food sustainability.
Shera says the devolved government is seeking to enhance seaweed farming, through collaboration with farmers and key stakeholders to improve production and value addition.
He says the local fisherfolk are being encouraged to venture into seaweed farming in order to increase their incomes.
The County Executive for Agriculture and Fisheries says Kwale has been the pioneer county in seaweed farming and is blessed with a rich coastal environment conducive to seaweed farming and cultivation.
Shera says seaweed farming is ‘Kwale’s untapped treasure’ and that efforts are underway to harness the potential of seaweed by integrating it with fisheries.
He called on the local fisherfolk communities to explore seaweed farming which he hailed as an untapped, climate-friendly resource.
“We have been assisting local seaweed farmers, many of whom are women and we intend to intensify efforts to bolster seaweed farming and empower coastal communities,” he said.
Shera was speaking at a restorative seaweed aquaculture for livelihood diversification and environmental benefits training forum for coastal communities with focus on supporting seaweed farming, a promising sector with both local and export potential.
He says seaweed has been gaining global recognition as a wonder plant of the ocean that supports marine biodiversity by acting as breeding and feeding grounds.
Shera, however, noted that the people are unaware of seaweed’s commercial and ecological value and underscored the need to raise awareness of its uses and benefits in terms of food, nutrition and environmental health.
The County Executive says extracts from dried seaweed can be used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, as well as soil fertilizer.
He says seaweed also has the potential as animal feed and a packaging replacement for plastics that pollute the marine ecosystem.
Nancy Gitonga, CEO of the African Women Development Program, highlighted the importance of equipping seaweed farmers with knowledge and skills to boost the burgeoning seaweed industry.
She says seaweed farming can be a renewable resource for coastal communities, offering them a more stable income compared to the fluctuating fisheries markets that are increasingly affected by climate change.
Ms Gitonga called for more support to the local struggling fishing communities with alternative, sustainable livelihoods through seaweed farming initiatives.
The CEO of the African Women Development Program says through accelerating restorative aquaculture her organization is supporting fishing communities to take more control of the seaweed production value chain.
Nancy says seaweed can clear and purify the sea and increase oxygen content making the environment fresher and greener besides generating new income streams for coastal communities.
“We are seeking to empower local coastal communities to adopt seaweed farming to boost livelihoods and create jobs, ” she said.
Celestine Rono, Director of Corporate Services, Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency, assured farmers that her Organization is ready to collaborate with the County to secure international markets for their produce.
“Through branding, product development, and packaging, we can link the sewed farmers to the global markets through strategic partnerships,” she said.
Celestine says they envision a situation where sea farms are operated by local coastal communities with local processing and selling products to high value markets thus boosting incomes and fostering growth.
Seaweed farming has been identified as a good prospect for social and economic development of coastal areas of Kwale and Kilifi counties.
Marinda Bakari, a seaweed farmer in Kibuyuni fishing village, welcomed the efforts by the County and other stakeholders to boost Kwale’s nascent seaweed industry.
Bakari says with proper interventions seaweed farming could be a viable and lucrative venture in addition to the fisheries sector.
“To augment our incomes and self-sufficiency from the more sporadic and unreliable fishing sector we need modern seaweed cultivation equipment and relevant technology for seaweed farming and processing,” he said.
By Hussein Abdullahi
