Seaweed group holds first conference

THE Scottish Seaweed Industry Association is to hold its first conference in November. A broad range of subjects will be covered, from cultivation to building market opportunities, and from standards to funding the industry’s development.

Speakers at the one-day event in Oban include Alex Adrian from Crown Estate Scotland (sponsor of the conference), Fiona Richmond of Scotland Food and Drink, Fiona Houston of Mara Seaweed, and Olavur Gregersen of Ocean Rainforest.

Professor Vyacheslav Sova of the Russian Academy of Science will talk about transforming seaweed into products for human and animal consumption, or into food ingredients.

And Shona Hutchison of DuPont Nutrition & Health will look at seaweed harvesting around the world.

Mike Bland of Marine Scotland will address licensing issues, while Andy MacLeod of Argyll and Bute Council will explain environmental health considerations in setting up an operation handling, packaging or processing seaweed.

The conference takes place in the Corran Halls, Oban, on November 16, from 10am to

5pm.