Stronger regulations needed for rockweed harvesting
We are writing in response to the Oct. 15 letter by Jake Patryn, Acadian Seaplants’ director of operations in Maine (“Rockweed industry backs sustainability”), who argued that rockweed harvesting is sustainable. As scientists who have reviewed published studies of the ecological effects of rockweed harvesting, we disagree with his statement that “Rockweed recovers quickly post-harvest, with no evidence that it grows back differently or has a long-term negative impact on habitat.”
Wild rockweed reaches heights of at least 3 to 6 feet in the intertidal zone, providing a vital marine habitat for fish, shorebirds and other wildlife. It can survive after harvesting if the holdfast anchoring it in place is undamaged, but it grows back slowly at the rate of only a few inches per year. Several scientific studies show that rockweed grows back bushier and shorter after a single harvest. Importantly, hardly any studies have investigated possible long-term effects of repeated harvesting on rockweed and the species that use this habitat.
Patryn stated that the rockweed industry supports stronger regulations, including “sector management, harvest quotas and closed areas.” We agree that stronger regulations are needed to protect this ecologically and commercially important seaweed habitat. Further background is available at http://rockweedforest.org.
David Porter, Ph.D.
Brooklin
Allison Snow, Ph.D.
Brooklin/Northampton, Mass.
Dr. Ken Ross (1937 – March 6, 2024). Founding board member. Plaintiff in the landmark Ross v Acadian Seaplants case, which resulted in landowners having the legal right to deny rockweed harvesters access to the rockweed on their intertidal property. We remember Ken with gratitude and affection.
