NFA says Manus’ Liuliu Island seaweed farming project progressing well

A SEAWEED farming project on Liuliu Island in Rambutso, Manus, is working well with farmers producing large quantities, says National Fisheries Authority (NFA) deputy managing director Noan Pakop.
Under the Liuliu Seaweed Cooperative Society and private farmers, the island has now produced 115 bags of dried seaweed and an estimated yield of 200 to 300 bags yet to be harvested from the sea.
Since the inception of the project last year, the Liuliu community now have two seaweed driers with plans to expand the seaweed farming concept to the rest of the other outer islands in Manus with Liuliu being the main distribution hub. “Out of the trials that we have carried out in Manus, the Liuliu project seems to be doing well in terms of growing seaweed in large quantities,” he said.
“That has now become the distribution point to distribute to other areas of Manus.
“As the interest grows, we are already creating the volume, the next stage now is to look at the markets .
“For marketing, we will be identifying the private sector to come in.”
Chairman of the Liuliu Seaweed cooperative society Peter Muli said funding support was needed to ensure that the project continued.
He said the cooperative was also interested in obtaining an export licence so that they could export their product to regional and other world markets.
In Milne Bay, where seaweed farming is also taking place, value adding is also taking place with seaweed used to make lotions, soaps and oils.