National Workshop for Developing a Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Seaweed Biosecurity and Protection to Support the Sustainable Development of the Seaweed Sector

Le résumé fourni par la source

Seaweed cultivation is rapidly expanding globally. With a growing awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability and the recognition that both cultivated and wild seaweeds are experiencing significant losses through climate change-related impacts, it is critical that key stakeholders are brought together to create a sustainable way forward to safeguard the industry. The FAO’s Progressive Management Pathway for Seaweed Biosecurity (PMP/AB-Seaweed)1 provides a framework to safeguard the industry, which can be integrated with the Philippines' National Seaweed Management Plan. The PMP/AB-Seaweed workshop was held face-to-face in Calicoan Island, Eastern Samar, the Philippines, over 3 days, 30 September–2 October 2025, at the Balay Pacifico Hotel. The workshop, which involved presentations and interactive sessions, was attended by 31 participants (22 female and 9 male) (see Annexes 1 and 2 for the full programme and participant list, respectively). The workshop focused on the main commercially grown seaweed species in the Philippines, including Kappaphycus alvarezii, K. striatus and Eucheuma denticulatum, key pest and disease challenges faced by the industry, and practical solutions that will help the industry minimise losses. The workshop also enabled discussions in relation to other seaweed species that could potentially be commercialised and how wild seaweed stocks could be protected and restored in the Philippines, since they are crucial as the sources of potentially climate-resilient cultivars of the future. This workshop built upon the extensive knowledge gained through programmes, such as GlobalSeaweedSTAR (2017-22), GlobalSeaweed-SUPERSTAR (2023-26), and GlobalSeaweed-PROTECT (2025-28) and through the presentations and discussions brought together the extensive experience and expertise from all the stakeholders present to assist the Philippines in building a PMP/AB-Seaweed into its National Seaweed Management Plan. This workshop was organised under the leadership of the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the University of the Philippines Diliman – The Marine Science Institute (UPD-MSI), in conjunction with the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and the Natural History Museum (NHM). Gratitude is expressed to the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) fund (Ref: UKRI275) for supporting this event and to all the participants who contributed so wholeheartedly to this workshop.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.