State decides against seaweed harvest.

Byline: Winston Ross The Register-Guard

FLORENCE - Oregon officials have decided not to allow commercial seaweed harvesting along the state's sensitive coast - for now.

Naturalist James Jungwirth has been collecting seaweed from the coast with an "experimental" permit for the past five years. He had applied to have the permit renewed, which prompted a discussion at the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation about whether to allow commercial harvesting for him and other residents.

Jungwirth, of Williams in Southern Oregon, argued that seaweed has an array of health benefits. The nori often used to wrap sushi is rich in protein, for example, and kelp fronds contain potassium. He also said seaweed harvesting in Oregon could emerge as a cottage industry, providing jobs and income to struggling coastal communities.

Jungwirth said he'll use the permit he has to harvest seaweed in California.

"I'm disappointed," he said. "I'm hoping they're willing to go forward with the necessary research to look further into this."

Seaweed is harvested commercially in 35 countries worldwide, bringing in an estimated $5 billion to $6 billion in sales for medicine, as gelling and thickening agents or in cosmetics and fertilizer, according to a report prepared by Laurel Hillmann, coastal resource planner.

But some conservationist groups worried that there's not enough research yet on the impacts of seaweed harvesting on the rocky intertidal areas that are home to myriad species that thrive on sea plants.

There was a study attached to Jungwirth's experimental permit, but that's only the "first step" needed to understand what level of harvest the coast can sustain, Hillmann said.

"There is still no scientific information on the potential impact of commercial seaweed harvest on Oregon's nearshore ecosystems, and on the cumulative impacts of long-term harvest or multiple-harvester situations," Hillmann said.