Description/achievement of initiative
The use of aquatic plant seaweed macro algae for various biotech products including preventive medicine, pharmaceuticals, neutraceutical, food, marine energy, seaweed biofuel is becoming popular. A nature-based complex approach will make sea farming profitable. Seaweed farming along with other suitable life will bring multiple nature- based solutions to problems being faced by fish farmers or hydro energy technology professionals. We proposed voluntary commitment for the Ocean Conference under TRL4 to TR6 to deploy and trial scale up pilot in different sea of the world. Progress has been made in this coordination, 1 of the pilot is about to take for Langkawi.
Implementation methodologies
The project involve project involves deployment of scale up pilot of integrated technology for the water resources exploration (Inland, coastal, sea and ocean), co-utilization for marine renewable energy, food (seaweed, mussel, and fish), and incorporation of feed ecological requirements at downstream and their application at upstream, need for various marine biotech products (textile, seaweed bioplastic, seaweed solar etc.). The project develops a technology platform for the large scale offshore aquaculture plantation, exploration and management of water resources through pilot/production farming in selected regional sea sites using NEXUS approach for co-production of macroalage, energy, fish aquaculture, seafood and a range of marine biotech materials for industrial and agriculture use ( fertilizer, animal feed etc. ). Marine science and technology company will play role of goal keeper under SDG 17 to bring in various organisation that will contribute to the Pilot that will be deployed and tried. Partners are from maritime and aquaculture cluster that include industry, cooperation, SME and community, regulatory bodies, environmentalist, site permit authorities, local fabricators for pilot project that involve scale up data collection related to technology, fitness, market research, risk and reliability, cost defectiveness, investor relations for production and farming. It will provide cooperation with UN bodies to positively impact life for developing nations and needy communities.
Water is life and everything is more or less made from water. Community near water resources are exposed and vulnerable to very high risk and lack marine technology required to make the best use of water resources. The end user are those who are interested in farming in water ( sea, ocean, inland), marine biotech raw materials industries (plastic, pulp, garment, animal feed and fertilizer, battery, solar, gelatin, dye, ) cosmetic, marine biofuel feedstock, nutrition and food security (marine food and nutraceutical), health (marine medicine and pharmaceutical), marine bioremediation, GHG capture for climate change mitigation and adaptation etc. (SDG12, SDG3, SDG6, SDG7). Study on verification of market situation the information would be useful to further validate issue related to current demand and supply, investor requirement, business plan and investment for production farming. The new system would be available to licenced to many. Offshore aquaculture technology development will create technological job for local fabrication industries. The offshore aquaculture technology will create economic and trade for seaweed and ocean cultivation industries. It will create new business in term of large-scale production of seaweed and local fabrication industry for manufacture of member system components (SDG9).
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
The project is a socio-economic, integrated, environmental, technical, circular, economy-friendly model that adapts offshore technology for sustainable and reliable aquaculture activities as well as exploration of ocean resources for human and environmental good. The project will reduce barriers for floating structures usage in sea farming and contribute to quest for new jobs, food and energy production, water security, resilient ocean ecology and coral reef health and boost new marine biotech materials.
Seaweed farming has become one of the natural resources, which are economically important for many marine biotech products, including medicine and pharmaceutical.cosmetics, food and neutracetical, hydrocolloids and other high-value chemicals, fertilizers, and as biomass for energy generation. There will be continuous growth in this field. Bulk of engineering works are done, commercial work will attract investment and add value that will enable the technology to reach end user. The macroalgae grow in temperate and tropical region, coastal and deep water. In the future, with increasing demand, macroalgae will be required to be harvested less from natural populations in favour of farming of particular high value species and the use of high technology farming system.
The project will elevate the quality of life of coastal and land inhabitant in term of health, food security and pollution control (SDG3, SDG15). The project would provide opportunity for the system to be used anywhere seaweed can grow, FAO and other institution will use the system for food security program (SDG1, SDG2). There is possibility for goverment to call for farming to developed local coastal fisherman community quality of life (SDG11). Local inshore fishermen will be engaged through their association to cultivate the seaweed in their allocated plots on a contract basis if possible. The company will provide a team of managers and supervisors and all the necessary equipment, tools and seedlings to make it easy for contract farmers to join the system. In addition, the participants will give the necessary training in seaweed cultivation with allowance to live by before the first crop is harvested (SDG4). This will help overcome any initial apprehension on their part by being involved in a new project. The costs of these provisions will be recovered in stages from the seaweed purchased from these contract farmers. All farmers will be given a buy-back guarantee for their produce, as there is a ready buyer who has committed to the purchase.
Coordination mechanisms/governance structure
We have collected a wide of range of data that provide confident nature-based solution ready for implementation. We have done the first principle work, risk analysis, lab trial, biochemical, and material and prototype sea trial. We have also tried an integrated farming (fish, seaweed and wave energy) to collect relevant data useful for scale up. We have conducted research with industry and international universities under the frontier of knowledge in this area.
A pilot is now about to take up in Tuba in Langkawi. Langkawi is UNESCO Geopark designated Island, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah, is a district and an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah state, which is adjacent to the Thai border. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Langkawi Island (Pulau Langkawi), with a population of some 64,792; the only other inhabited island being nearby Tuba Island ( 5000 population). Langkawi is also an administrative district with the town of Kuah as largest town. Langkawi is a duty-free island. Site visit and water cruise of Tuba Island confirmed as one fhe best water body to do marine sea farming trial that will deliver required data for production farming that will later benefit 64, 000 people. This include circular economy benefit that that will evolved form conversation of seaweed to various biotech materials from seaweed can solve various environmental problems. By growing seaweed, there will be systematic marine bio-remediation, carbon sequestration, acidification reduction, and disaster risk reduction for coastal protection. We also have a vision for improvement of life quality for needy community through hybrid and urban/rural, blue/green, river/coastal farmer systems with energy housing, education and transportation facilities. Coordination include organisation of funding sources and investments for ecosystem rehabilitation measures, feasibility study for the project scope, development of the terms of reference to the support staff and experts
cost-benefit analysis of the economic development trends, technologies for water purification, desalination, using the nature based solutions
arrangement of potential partners, competent in ecosystem services, arrangement of the training and capacity building for technical staff, analysis of water services value chain and trading, taxes, tariff, utility bills and fees at the municipal level, provide advisory in arranging circular economy
provide policy advisory in banning the plastic pollution and toxines, provide advisory for wastewater treatment.
Partner(s)
University of Greenwich
Bureau Veritas Technip
Global Ocean Farming LLP
University of Naple
WEFSECH OceanNexus Sdn Bhd
Yayasan Tunku Kasim
Alam Sekitar Malaysia Sdn Bhd