The HQ Seaweed project has been submitted since 2021 | This week, the company received a visit from Galp Costa Brava

The company HQ Seaweed, dedicated to the purchase and packaging of seaweed for trade within Spain and internationally, has its offices in San Adrián, Vilaboa, although three months ago it moved its production plant to the Port of Vigo. It is still awaiting authorization from the Xunta for the use of the water surface area in the Moaña zone for its seaweed cultivation project, which was submitted in 2021. The company’s manager, Sergio García, says the problem lies with the Coastal Law, which is preventing the occupation of water surfaces throughout Galicia, but he assures they have not given up on the project.

Meanwhile, the company continues to supply itself with seaweed through the Permex license granted to harvest directly from the beaches of A Borna, in Moaña; and Barra, in Cangas; as well as Baiona, A Illa, and O Grove. They mainly supply sea spaghetti, one of the seven varieties they market under their brand “Capitán Alga”, along with codium, one of the most sought-after by chefs; sea lettuce, gracilana, wakame, dulse, and sweet or sugar kombu (Saccharina latissima), which is the species they want to cultivate in the project, as stated in 2021. The plan was to carry out cultivation in the batea polygons Redondela B and Cangas D (both in Moaña) with eight lines of 72 meters in length, arranged in four double rows. Currently, the company reports harvesting about 1,000 kilos per year of sea spaghetti between Barra and A Borna. The company’s “Capitán Alga” website provides extensive information about seaweed, including recipes for cooking with these varieties, which it sells dried, powdered, canned, salted, and also as seaweed salt.

This week, the company—benefiting from European aid managed by the Local Fisheries Action Group (GALP) Ría de Vigo-A Guarda—received a delegation from GALP Costa Brava during the first of three days spent in Galicia to learn about projects related to seaweed and the processing of fishery products. The delegation included representatives from the fishermen’s guilds of Port de la Selva (secretary), Llançà (chief skipper), Roses (researcher), L´Escala (chief skipper), Palamós (manager), and Cadaqués (member). Also participating were the Territorial Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds of Girona (secretary), a researcher from the Institute of Agro-Food Research and Technology (IRTA), the Councillor for Tourism and Economic Promotion of L´Escala, and the manager and secretary of GALP Costa Brava. From the GALPs of Ría de Pontevedra, Ría de Arousa, and Ría de Vigo-A Guarda, their managers and presidents took part.

On the first day of the visit to the Galp Ría de Vigo-A Guarda, they also visited the Anfaco-Cecopesca Canning Museum and, after visiting the company HQ Seaweed, they went to the Vilaboa Fishing Guild to learn about the project to improve the seaweed management system through composting with new organic materials in their process. The day ended in Baiona, at the town hall, where they enjoyed a seaweed-based menu and visited the Navigation Museum in the town.

The plan was to visit the Galp Ría de Pontevedra on Thursday and yesterday the Galp Ría de Arousa.