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Major milestone for Ocean Rainforest in California

4 minutes ago

1 min read

A significant step forward has been taken for offshore seaweed farming in California as the California Coastal Commission has unanimously approved the consistency certification for Ocean Rainforest’s proposed 2,000-acre offshore giant kelp farm in federal waters off Ventura County.

The approval marks the final major regulatory milestone for the project and paves the way for the transition from demonstration-scale cultivation to commercial-scale offshore kelp farming.

Once fully developed, the farm is expected to produce approximately 6,000 wet tons of native giant kelp annually. The project is intended to support the development of a domestic seaweed supply chain while helping meet growing demand for sustainable seaweed-based products, particularly within the agricultural sector.

“This approval is a major milestone for Ocean Rainforest and gives us the foundation to take offshore kelp cultivation in California from demonstration to commercial scale. But the permit alone is not enough. Our success will depend on building a viable value chain where cultivation grows alongside market demand for sustainable seaweed products,” says Ólavur Gregersen, Co-founder and CEO of Ocean Rainforest.

The approval follows years of research, regulatory work, stakeholder engagement and collaboration. It represents an important milestone not only for Ocean Rainforest, but also for the continued development of sustainable seaweed cultivation and the blue economy in California.

Read the full announcement at https://lnkd.in/eGRmFK52

(Myndir 📸 OceanRainforest.fo)