Nets, South Korea

In this archipelago of over 200 big and small, inhabited and uninhabited islands in the southeast Korean peninsula, aquaculture, algae culture in particular, is the main activity. Before, algae solely came from harvesting but today algae for consumption are grown in large quantities. Koreans, together with the Chinese and the Japanese are some of the biggest consumers of algae in the world. In 2006, Korean algae production reached 65.000 tons (wet weight). Some species are dried and sold in the form of leaves and used to wrap sushi and others are used in soups or sauces. These algae are real “sea vegetables” and are an important source of protein and vitamins. Algae culture can easily be considered as a means of sustainable development. This activity requires clean water and does not destroy the marine environment in which the crops are grown. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) now encourages algae culture throughout the world as an effective way of fighting food insecurity and poverty. There are also innumerable researches going on in order to produce algae fuel.