IRELAND'S abundance of
seaweed could be harvested to create a nutritional,
therapeutic and sustainable boost to the economy.
That's according to North and West MEP Jim Higgins
who has urged the Ministers for the Environment and
Enterprise to examine ways the potential benefits of
Ireland's natural seaweed can be maximised.
"NUI Galway has identified 580 different species of
seaweed along the Irish coast so far, a natural
resource that has nutritional and therapeutic
qualities.
"Seaweed was once a key food source for coastal
communities and is now used as a food additive, in
food dyes, in food emulsifiers, stabilisers and
thickeners. Its benefits extend to the health and
beauty sector as a natural antioxidant and in the
treatment of TB, arthritis, colds and flu. Beauty
spas also provide seaweed baths as detoxifying,
relaxing treatments due to the high mineral content
of seaweed," said Mr Higgins.
"However, only a small portion of Ireland's seaweed
is actually harvested and since algae can be farmed
on land or at sea the potential for expansion is
huge.
"Internationally, seaweed is a prized resource with
almost all of the world's commercial produce coming
from China, Japan and Korea. It is time Ireland
increased its presence in the seaweed market." |
