International stakeholder perspectives on implementing multiuse and integration of seaweed aquaculture with other sea uses

Elea Juell-Skielse¹, Jean-Baptiste Thomas¹, Sereno Diederichsen², Claire Hodson³, Dawn Kotowicz³, Ivana Lukic⁴, Almeida Guissamulo⁵, Josselin Guyot-Téphany⁶, Jen McCann³, Céline Rebours⁷, Brice Trouillet⁶, J.P. Walsh³, Fredrik Gröndahl¹

¹Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (Sweden)

²Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil)

³University of Rhode Island (USA)

⁴S.pro Sustainable Projects (Germany)

⁵Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique)

⁶University of Nantes (France)

⁷Møreforsking (Norway)

Coastal areas are busy and complex spaces featuring multitudes of human activities, often characterised by rich and diverse ecosystems, and usually subject of overlapping laws, regulations and decision-making systems. Through a management approach that aims to foster synergies between human activities at sea, the concept of multiuse has recently been gaining attraction. Proposing a systematic and participative approach to identifying needs and tailoring strategies of multiuse of marine space, the concept has the potential to enhance sustainable marine space management by ensuring societal benefits, while also mitigating future conflicts revolving around marine resource use and spatial claims.

The present MULTIFRAME project has developed a multiuse assessment approach as a tool to facilitate multiuse for a number of cases (in France, Norway, Brazil, Mozambique, Rhode Island (USA) and Sweden) and seeks to document the development of multiuse in different world regions. Interviews conducted in the late Spring of 2022 across all cases sought to shed light on perceived potential of the concept, with a focus on synergies and challenges of implementation. Notably, the integration of seaweed farming in multiuse constellations is explored in Norway and Sweden. Key highlights include multiuse scenarios, prevalent stakeholder attitudes toward seaweed multiuse scenarios, the global transferability of seaweed centred multiuse solutions, as well as hurdles and possibilities related to practical multiuse development in all case study countries.