Country Life: A taste of New Zealand's emerging seaweed industry

New Zealand is home to over 1000 different types of seaweed - in Wellington's waters alone there are believed to be over 900 different types.

From the top of the North Island - Te Ika-a-Māui to the bottom of the South Island - Te Waipounamu, water temperatures differ by about 7 degrees Celsius providing for a wide range of seaweeds along Aotearoa's biodiverse and rich coastlines.

It something which will likely serve as well as more is discovered about this underwater resource.

Seaweed is the common name used to describe a wide range of marine plants and algae that grow in water bodies.

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Seaweed aquaculture is an emerging global industry estimated to be worth over $14 billion dollars US in 2019.

"Seaweed is an emerging industry in Aotearoa," explained Hayley Fraser-Mackenzie from Pacific Harvest.

The B-corp has been producing edible seaweed products for over 20 years.

"There's lots of different things that seaweed can be used for - bio-stimulants, nutraceuticals, there's even bioplastics. It's absolutely fascinating all the different applications," she told Country Life.

Fraser-Mackenzie is most interested in its value as a "highly nutritious food" which she said is more nutrient dense and sustainable than extractive crops.

"They're just phenomenal in terms of what they offer from a nutritional perspective," she said.

"What is less known is seaweeds also offer a range of other minerals and nutrients. This is because a seaweed doesn't have a root structure ... they use the whole surface area [to absorb nutrients]. They're like uber-absorbers."

Pacific Harvest's range is more artisanal and mostly wild harvested seaweeds from New Zealand and some which are imported - seaweed is commonly farmed in parts of Asia.

"We have to source seaweed that are food grade seaweeds."

She said wild harvesting allowed them to be more sustainable and ensure they do not damage the reproductive system.

Pacific Harvest's seaweeds are also air dried to maximise their nutritional value as seaweed's are very heat sensitive.

At a tasting session in Wellington organised as part of Aotearoa's first ever seaweed festival, Fraser-Mackenzie talks attendees through the nutritional value of their products.

There are little jars of dried seaweed flakes in all colours and textures - from the soft, dewy greens of seaweed to the rosey pink of the now dried red seaweed dulse.

Seaweeds come in three main colour types, Fraser-Mackenzie explains - red, green, and brown.

Each grows in different environments and provides different nutritional benefits.

"The greens have higher chlorophyll, and they are in the shallower waters where the light is stronger. The browns come the next level down, a little bit deeper - they offer much more iodine. And the reds tend to be slightly deeper, and they will have different properties again - more protein, more kerogen or agar."

For example, sea lettuce, a green variety, is a good a source of iodine, iron, magnesium, b12. It's also a good source of fibre and aminos. Others like nori, a red seaweed, have high protein.

Most seaweeds are also rich in iodine which supports thyroid health, helping regulate our hormones and digestion.

"You don't need to eat a lot of seaweeds because the mineral richness is high. The trick is to have little bits often," Fraser-Mackenzie told Country Life.

The seaweed tasting session allowed attendees to gain new insights into this often-overlooked marine treasure.

It's exactly what festival organiser Zoe Studd, from Love Rimurimu, was hoping for.

She said seaweed didn't have a "great PR image", but the week-long festival held earlier this month which aimed to celebrate it had received a "fantastic response".

Love Rimurimu, is a project initiated by Mountains to Sea Wellington as an education programme but which grew into a restoration project.

It aims to regenerate Wellington's underwater giant kelp forests which are in decline here and abroad.

Learn more:

• Learn more about Pacific Harvest here.
• You can also find out more about Love Rimurimu's restoration efforts and the festival here.

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