Seaweed farms coming up on land as ocean getting hotter

On-land seaweed is grown in a large tank called a bioreactor. Courtesy of Pulmuone

As fisheries disasters caused by climate change occur frequently, the government will conduct research and development to cultivate seaweed on land rather than in the sea.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on July 9 that it decided to start research and development to develop seaweed farming technology on land from next year and applied for a budget of 35 billion won over five years. The Ministry of Science and ICT, which is reviewing the budget plan, is also said to be positive about the research and development.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the surface water temperature in Korean waters has risen by about 1.36 degrees over the past 55 years, raising concerns about damage to the aquaculture industry. In particular, since 2010, abnormal high temperatures in summer and low temperatures in winter have occurred repeatedly. As a result, the number of days per year with water temperatures between 5 and 15 degrees Celsius, the adequate temperature of seaweed growing season, is predicted to decrease from around 150 days per year to less than 100 days in most waters by 2100.

The ministry emphasized that it was promoting year-round production on land as it believed that climate change would reduce seaweed productivity and quality. On-land seaweed aquaculture is recognized for its ability to prevent infection by Pythium porphyrae and its output per unit area is 100 times higher than offshore aquaculture.

Accordingly, it plans to develop seaweed seeds that can grow well on land by utilizing abandoned aquaculture farms on land and test the farming. An official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said, “Farmers also want to secure stable supply by cultivating seaweed where they can control the external environment."

The food industry is also actively developing on-land seaweed farming technology. Pulmuone began developing land-based aquaculture technology in 2021 and conducted joint research on seaweed farming with North Jeolla Province the following year, and succeeded in growing and harvesting seaweed in large tanks and commercializing some of it. In May, Pulmuone launched a menu utilizing seaweed harvested through on-land aquaculture at a vegan restaurant. Last year, Daesang started research on developing land-based seaweed farming technology and plans to invest 2 billion won in the project.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.