Aird Fada Seaweed Farm
Our community owned 6 hectare seaweed farm, installed in 2021, is located at Aird Fada in the cool, crystal clear waters of beautiful Loch Scridain in the South West corner of Mull.
We harvest annually in the spring and sell in bulk to a wide range of buyers who make use of our seaweed in many fantastic ways:
- Foodstuffs – Seaweed has been a staple ingredient in the far east for centuries. The west is now catching on fast! It is great to eat on its own, as an ingredient or as a flavour enhancer.
- Sustainable packaging solutions – Using seaweed in packaging helps the waste. management process as it is biodegradable and the packaging can be naturally decomposed
- Livestock feed ingredient – As well as being a great source of carbohydrate and fibre seaweed contains many beneficial minerals and proteins. Vitally it also reduces methane output.
- Soil regeneration – Seaweed has been used for centuries as a nutrient rich natural fertiliser.
- Cosmetics - Mineral-rich seaweed extracts can be found in skin moisturizing agents, facial cleansing products, masks, make-up removers, bath additives and many other cosmetic applications.
Seaweed farming is a growing global industry and nutrient-rich seaweed is in high demand for a multitude of uses from culinary, to horticultural, agricultural and bio-plastics to cosmetics and clothing. Growing seaweed helps to contribute to reducing our carbon emissions as it sequesters greenhouse gases, acting as a carbon sink. Seaweed also benefits the local marine environment, cleaning the water, while farming seaweed leaves wild stocks alone.
Farmed seaweed grows from seeds embedded in lines attached to the farm infrastructure. Our first 6km of seeded line, harvested in spring 2022, produced an estimated 60 tonnes of sugar kelp - obviously enjoying the conditions in Loch Scridain!
We have been supported in this venture by many collaborators, including SAMS (the Scottish Association of Marine Science), HIE (Highlands and Islands Enterprise), Argyll and Bute Council, Argyll Aquaculture Ltd, and Inverlussa Marine Services on Mull.
We are also very grateful for the financial support of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
