title: Seaweeds: an opportunity for wealth and sustainable livelihood for coastal communities.
abstract: The European, Canadian, and Latin American seaweed industries rely on the sustainable harvesting of natural resources. As several countries wish to increase their activity, the harvest should be managed according to integrated and participatory governance regimes to ensure production within a long-term perspective. Development of regulations and directives enabling the sustainable exploitation of natural resources must therefore be brought to the national and international political agenda in order to ensure environmental, social, and economic values in the coastal areas around the world. In Europe, Portugal requires an appraisal of seaweed management plans while Norway and Canada have developed and implemented coastal management plans including well-established and sustainable exploitation of their natural seaweed resources. Whereas, in Latin America, different scenarios of seaweed exploitation can be observed; each country is however in need of long-term and ecosystem-based management plans to ensure that exploitation is sustainable. These plans are required particularly in Peru and Brazil, while Chile has succeeded in establishing a sustainable seaweed-harvesting plan for most of the economically important seaweeds. Furthermore, in both Europe and Latin America, seaweed aquaculture is at its infancy and development will have to overcome numerous challenges at different levels (i.e., technology, biology, policy). Thus, there is a need for regulations and establishment of "best practices" for seaweed harvesting, management, and cultivation. Trained human resources will also be required to provide information and education to the communities involved, to enable seaweed utilization to become a profitable business and provide better income opportunities to coastal communities.
authors.affiliation: Bioforsk, Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Frederik A. Dahlsvei 20, 1430 Ås, Norway ; Arctic Agriculture and Land Use Division, Bioforsk, NO-8049 Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rebours
authors.affiliation: Department of Oceanography and Limnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Via Costeira, Praia de Mãe Luiza, s/n, Natal, RN 59014-002 Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marinho-Soriano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, 22860 Ensenada, BC Mexico.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Zertuche-González
authors.affiliation: Aquaculture Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Rod. Admar Gonzaga 1346, Itacorubi, Florianópolis, SC Brazil.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile.
authors.forename: Julio A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vásquez
authors.affiliation: PSW SA, Av. Paul Poblet Parcela D19 Lote 1, Lurín, Lima 16, Peru.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kradolfer
authors.affiliation: Soriano SA, JC Evans 40, 9105 Gaiman, Chubut Argentina.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.affiliation: Acadian Seaplants Limited, 30 Brown Ave., Dartmouth, NS B3B-1X8 Canada.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ugarte
authors.affiliation: ALGAPlus Lda, Travessa Alexandre da Conceição 3830-196, Ílhavo, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: Nordland Research Institute, Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bay-Larsen
authors.affiliation: Nordland Research Institute, Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Grete
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hovelsrud
authors.affiliation: Bioforsk, Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Frederik A. Dahlsvei 20, 1430 Ås, Norway.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rødven
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Resources, CINVESTAV-IPN, Km 6 Carretera Ant. Progreso, 97310 Mérida, Yucatán Mexico.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robledo
keywords: Coastal management; Latin America; Marine resources; Seaweed industry