I love seaweed. I love its taste, its dense nutritional value and the benefits of growing it: Some seaweed captures up to 4x more carbon dioxide than trees, it serves as a natural defence to stormy waters and also a nursery for baby fish.

Yet, seaweed is also offering another benefit to local communities in the UK. Coastal towns, such as Scarborough and Grimsby, have long relied on fishing as a crucial source of employment and a cornerstone of their local economies. However, the rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, and changing marine ecosystems have significantly depleted fish populations, forcing many British fishermen to face the reality of dwindling catches and uncertain futures. As key species migrate to cooler waters or struggle to survive in their traditional habitats, traditional fishing grounds have become increasingly unproductive, leaving fishing communities grappling with the loss of their livelihoods. The heartbreaking decline of fishing jobs in Scarborough and Grimsby serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for concerted efforts to address the complex challenges posed by climate change and safeguard the livelihoods of those who depend on the seas for their sustenance.

Maybe growing seaweed can be the solution; offering ocean-based jobs as well as an alternative source of omega and also reduce the impact of climate change?