CONSERVATION groups have welcomed a new guide to help with the development of Scotland’s “exciting” seaweed farming sector.
The document sets out how communities can take part in the application process for new seaweed farms. The Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (Sift) published the guide to help the rapidly expanding industry – with applications lodged for farms covering more than 2,000,000 square metres of Scottish waters since 2018. But there have been concerns that local communities have not always been adequately involved in the planning process for the farms.
Charles Millar, executive director of Sift, said: “Scotland’s seaweed farming industry could have an exciting future, but it must involve appropriate regulation, with local people at the heart of decision-making, and the profits and employment generated staying in our communities.”
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