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<p>Seaweed aquaculture is an expanding industry with potential to benefit the climate, food security, and local economies. However, as the industry expands, there is a need to assess potential negative ecological effects and ensure they are properly mitigated. In this report, we examine the state of knowledge on potential negative ecological effects of seaweed aquaculture, drawing from peer-reviewed literature and global regulatory practices. Using British Columbia (BC), Canada, as a case study,&#xa0;we assess the risks from these effects and the suitability of the existing regulatory framework for avoiding them. To contextualize the BC example, we also considered the adequacy of seaweed aquaculture regulations in Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa. This global comparison reveals a lack of seaweed-specific policies, weak biosecurity measures, and limited cross-agency collaboration. In BC and elsewhere, seaweed aquaculture regulation is largely indirect, relying on customised license conditions based on tangential legislation rather than on sector-specific, enforceable regulations. This results in inconsistent data, unclear management objectives, and limited indicators of ecological impact. All jurisdictions we examined would benefit from specific seaweed aquaculture policy, seaweed-specific regulations with clear monitoring requirements, improved regulatory coordination, and stronger biosecurity measures. Baseline environmental assessments and ecosystem monitoring would help ensure healthy, resilient coastal ecosystems as the industry develops. These findings provide globally relevant guidance for managing the potential negative ecological effects of this growing industry. Our case study offers a transferable framework for identifying local regulatory gaps in other jurisdictions and developing policy to support sustainable seaweed aquaculture.</p>

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Ecological risks and emergent governance needs in seaweed aquaculture

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月26日

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  • Isabel R. Gregr,
  • Rebecca G. Martone,
  • John D. Driscoll,
  • Edward J. Gregr

摘要

Seaweed aquaculture is an expanding industry with potential to benefit the climate, food security, and local economies. However, as the industry expands, there is a need to assess potential negative ecological effects and ensure they are properly mitigated. In this report, we examine the state of knowledge on potential negative ecological effects of seaweed aquaculture, drawing from peer-reviewed literature and global regulatory practices. Using British Columbia (BC), Canada, as a case study, we assess the risks from these effects and the suitability of the existing regulatory framework for avoiding them. To contextualize the BC example, we also considered the adequacy of seaweed aquaculture regulations in Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa. This global comparison reveals a lack of seaweed-specific policies, weak biosecurity measures, and limited cross-agency collaboration. In BC and elsewhere, seaweed aquaculture regulation is largely indirect, relying on customised license conditions based on tangential legislation rather than on sector-specific, enforceable regulations. This results in inconsistent data, unclear management objectives, and limited indicators of ecological impact. All jurisdictions we examined would benefit from specific seaweed aquaculture policy, seaweed-specific regulations with clear monitoring requirements, improved regulatory coordination, and stronger biosecurity measures. Baseline environmental assessments and ecosystem monitoring would help ensure healthy, resilient coastal ecosystems as the industry develops. These findings provide globally relevant guidance for managing the potential negative ecological effects of this growing industry. Our case study offers a transferable framework for identifying local regulatory gaps in other jurisdictions and developing policy to support sustainable seaweed aquaculture.