Ecologically and economically sustainable seaweed harvesting in Greenland is facilitated by 1) the establishment of an environmental monitoring program to ensure optimization of yield and minimizing environmental damage of harvest; 2) optimization of quality; and 3) identification of sales channels and branding of products in relation to the particular qualities of Arctic / Greenland seaweed, the Arctic environment, for example, Inuit traditions and traditional recipes/anecdotes (storytelling).

This project seeks to tighten the loop from sustainable harvesting to possible marketing by including expertise from studies of Greenland’s seaweed forests and environmental studies of seaweed forest harvesting in Norway, experience of harvesting and drying seaweed in Greenland and expertise and experience in relation to creating jobs and earnings based on seaweed in Greenland.

The overall aim is to develop and implement an environmental monitoring program which examines the effects of seaweed harvesting in relation to the efficiency of various harvesting methods and thus ensure both optimization of yield and minimization of the damage of harvest. This program can further provide the basis for certification of sustainability. Furthermore, the project aims to ensure seaweed products’ high quality by checking for optimum drying method compared to flavour, texture and preservation of beneficial ingredients. In conclusion, the project aims to disseminate these results and identify marketing channels in order to make recommendations for harvesting and drying of seaweed, as well as for opening a sustainable business of high-quality seaweed products from Greenland.

The project facilitated ecologically and economically sustainable seaweed harvesting in Greenland and established an environmental monitoring programme to optimize yield and minimize the environmental damage of harvest. In addition, it identified opportunities for branding and marketing of high-quality Arctic seaweed products.

Applicant: Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland

Countries: Denmark, Greenland, Norway

Project start 2016, expected to be finalized in 2019.

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