Abstract
The Asian invasive brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida was found for the first time in the Republic of Ireland in Kilmore Quay in Co. Wexford in July 2016. As this brown kelp is of considerable economic importance and is cultivated in Asia as well as in Europe, it opens up the discussion if this invasive species is socially acceptable to be cultivated in the Republic of Ireland for food and other purposes. This paper briefly examines the global economic importance, cultivation aspects compared to the European native equivalents such as Alaria esculenta and Saccharina latissima, cultivation yield, economic considerations and the ecological impact of the spread of Undaria into non-native areas. Based on the information and facts presented, it is concluded that Undaria from a physical, social and economic point of view can be cultivated in Ireland.
Highlights
Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar is a brown seaweed of the family Alariaceae Setchell & N.L.Gardner, a kelp indigenous to the Pacific where it is harvested from the wild as well as being cultivated in large quantities for human food applications
French authorities limit the farming of U. pinnatifida in those areas where it has been cultivated for a long time or where it forms dense stands, and farming is always under strict control to prevent potential ecological impacts and further spread
Marine invasive macroalgae can establish in communities because they are better competitors than native species; in order to remain, the competitive advantage must be persistent over time
Summary
Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar is a brown seaweed of the family Alariaceae Setchell & N.L.Gardner, a kelp indigenous to the Pacific where it is harvested from the wild as well as being cultivated in large quantities for human food applications. In NW Europe, there is a similar type of kelp from the same family Alariaceae, i.e. Alaria esculenta (L.) Greville for which the author coined the phrase BAtlantic Wakame^ in the late 1990s. After performing large-scale cultivation and hybridisation experiments in 1999 (Kraan et al 2000), it was evident that Alaria and Undaria were very similar in taste and cooking applications. Seaweed use and applications is a growing market in Europe and cultivation will be a key aspect of that market in order to control quality and quantity (Yamanaka and Akiyama 1993; Schiener et al 2015). The domestic and European market will increase considerably as the benefits of seaweed as nutritious and health food become more widely known (Holdt and Kraan 2011)
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