Seaweed farming made legal

A Port Underwood mussel farmer is thrilled the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has decided to legalise the farming of a seaweed for commercial purposes in the Marlborough Sounds.

The ministry said yesterday that people can now legally farm undaria, also known as Japanese kelp, in the Marlborough Sounds, Wellington and Banks Peninsula.

The seaweed was accidentally introduced to New Zealand waters in the 1980s and is widespread around most of the country's eastern and southern coastlines.

It has been considered an unwanted organism and until the middle of last year could only be harvested as part of control programmes or as a byproduct of marine farming.

However, the ministry has now recognised the potential commercial value of the edible seaweed which can be used for fertiliser and fish food. It has decided to legalise the harvesting and farming of it in specific areas including the Marlborough Sounds Coastal Marine Zone 2.

Port Underwood mussel farmer Bruce Hearn welcomed the decision.

"Thank goodness for that. The rules were stupid in the first place when they said you couldn't farm it. In some of our lines, there was at least eight tonnes of undaria so you might as well do something with it," he said.

Mr Hearn said the seaweed was popular in Asian countries as a food source and could potentially be exported.

- The Marlborough Express

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