March 2, 2023 — A bill introduced in Congress this week calls for a federal study on the possibilities of coastal seaweed farming, and creating a new seaweed farming fund to “reduce cost barriers for indigenous communities, emboldening them to participate in coastal seaweed farming,” according to sponsors Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., and Mary Peltola, D-Alaska.
The Coastal Seaweed Farm Act would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture to produce a joint study “evaluating the benefits and impacts of coastal seaweed farming and devise necessary metrics and regulations,” according to a statement Wednesday from Huffman and Peltola.
“Coastal seaweed farming has tremendous potential to serve as a sustainable replacement in food products, fertilizer, and animal feed; and it comes with a myriad of benefits for coastal communities – supporting local economies, providing food security, and regenerating marine ecosystems,” said Huffman.
“We also want to ensure equity in this field so that indigenous people can continue benefiting from the industry – so our bill creates a grant program to reduce cost barriers for native communities, many of whom have farmed seaweed for thousands of years.”
“Alaska and our Indigenous cultures have been leading the way in mariculture and responsible ocean harvesting for thousands of years,” said Peltola. “This act recognizes Alaska’s unique environment and the crucial relationships between our coastal and near-coastal communities, Tribal organizations, and Alaska Native Corporations, all of which are part of this sector.”