HQ Seaweed cultivates kombu on its own buoy platform with ropes.
The first harvest of seaweed cultivated in the mussel farming areas of the Vigo estuary will reach the market in spring. Eighty years after Afonso Ozores Saavedra built and installed the province’s first mussel raft in Arousa, Vigo native Sergio García, leading HQ Seaweed, will market 18 tons of edible seaweed grown in the Cangas and Redondela areas. This is an experimental project aimed at producing the native macroalga kombu or sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) in mussel raft farming zones.
This week, the system was tested in preparation for seeding in the Vigo estuary. Unlike the floating reef-like structures that shape the iconic image of the world’s leading mussel-producing region, these plantations use a buoy-and-rope system. The cultivation platforms follow a long-line model—an inline rope system of their own design. “It has surface buoys and ropes where the seedlings are placed underwater. It will be our sea garden, and we’ll care for it over six months until harvest in spring,” explains Sergio García as he conducts preliminary tests in A Illa. “We’re excited. This project marks a milestone in the diversification of Galicia’s aquaculture sector, opening new business opportunities in the seaweed market, which is rapidly growing worldwide,” the entrepreneur highlights. Both the system and the raw material come from the Rías Baixas, so the seaweed will carry a designation of origin and will be processed at the company’s headquarters in the port of Vigo.
They have chosen the kombu species, “because it is in high demand by the Japanese for broths and ramen.” “It is already present along our coasts, but it doesn’t reproduce naturally in large quantities, which makes it unviable for harvesting,” explains Sergio García. It is a brown seaweed, sometimes green or reddish, also known as sea belt due to its shape and length.
It is ideal for recipes like dashi, which is a Japanese broth, but also works well as a side, in stews, and sauces. “Lately, there has been a high demand for this variety. It is well known for its nutritional properties, and its growing demand in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical sectors is making its cultivation a sustainable economic alternative,” he adds. This young entrepreneur also highlights “the potential environmental benefit, as the species acts as a biological filter, improving water quality and helping to mitigate the eutrophication of the Vigo estuary.” HQ Seaweed is a pioneering company in this cultivation system in Spain, launching after obtaining authorization from the Consellería do Mar to grow it in the Cangas farming zone and Redondela B, both within the Vigo estuary. “This is the beginning of a strong relationship between cultivated seaweed and Galicia, and our goal is to expand the project to many more plots in the coming years,” the founder adds.
The plan has great economic potential “and also reinforces Galicia’s commitment to sustainability and innovation in the aquaculture sector.” “We are proud to be the first to carry out this initiative in the Vigo estuary and we’re grateful to the Consellería do Mar for trusting in our vision,” García explains. The location is strategic in terms of all quality parameters, and there is high anticipation. “We are the southernmost producer in Europe, which will allow us to achieve greater productivity. The project has sparked genuine excitement across the continent since it was announced,” says the Vigo-based entrepreneur.
An investment of two million euros and the creation of new jobs
HQ Seaweed has been harvesting other types of wild seaweed in the Rías Baixas since 2016, such as wakame, sea spaghetti, kombu, and codium. They are worldwide distributors of edible seaweed in dehydrated, salted, frozen, and fresh wild forms. They export about fifty tons in bulk annually across Europe and have just opened new markets with their brand Capitán Alga in the United Kingdom and Germany.
The company’s edible seaweed cultivation will create new jobs, says Sergio García. Initially, three positions for cultivation, harvesting, and processing tasks. Additionally, foreign capital has come in “from an international company because the launch of our project has generated great excitement.” “We are very excited and proud because many years of work and effort have gone into making this project a reality,” he notes. A few months ago they obtained the occupancy license, “but it has also been a time during which we have gained a lot of knowledge, and we are especially happy that the company operates thanks to Galician seaweed and that we can provide jobs to local people while promoting a local resource.”
The investment amounts to two million euros to launch the cultivation and keep it in production for the next five years. There will be about nine tons per farming zone of this native macroalga. The installation in Redondela is located inside the San Simón inlet, an area of calm waters where other species such as seagrass thrive, supporting the breeding of cuttlefish and cephalopods.