Marine Industries Global Market Analysis - Marine Institute

90 MARINE INDUSTRIES GLOBAL MARKET ANALYSIS
15.4 CHALLENGES
The cultivation of seaweeds in Asia is fairly low-technology. Attached plants are
placed in the sea and there is a high labour content in the operation. Several attempts
have been made in various western countries to introduce high technology to the
cultivation of detached plants grown in tanks on land to reduce labour content but
none of these has become commercially viable to date. 60
In Asia low labour costs married to simple and intelligent maricultural techniques
have proved very successful.The labour intensiveness of seaweed mariculture and the
absence of a ready market have been the main reasons why it has not developed to
any great extent in the west. Political instability in such Asian countries might be the
only way Europe could export to Asia.The Asian market expects high standards and
without experience in these markets it might be difficult to achieve penetration.
15.5 THE LONG-TERM – 2010 ONWARDS
There is likely to be a long-term growth in demand for seaweed and seaweed products.
The ultimate development of seaweed cultivation is probably in the growth of
genetically-improved strains with all environmental factors being controlled using
biotechnological techniques.
The production of low volume-high value species with potential in the cosmetics,
biopharma and neutraceutical areas will provide increasing business opportunities to
the sector in Ireland. Specific initiatives in R/D will however be required to optimize
cultivation methodology, to evaluate and to screen for bioactive compounds in the
biomedicine and biotechnology areas.
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