Gijang County in Busan is set to diversify its seaweed farming structure, which has primarily focused on kelp and wakame, by actively pursuing the cultivation of sea lettuce.
The initiative aims to secure a new farming variety that can provide additional income for fishermen during the summer months, following the winter harvest of kelp and wakame.
With rising sea temperatures and changing marine environments affecting the cultivation conditions for traditional cold-water seaweeds, there is growing interest in whether sea lettuce can establish itself as a viable alternative in the Gijang region.
On September 21, Gijang County announced that the Fisheries Resources Research Center has been selected for the '2027 Research and Teaching Fishery Project' led by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute.
The research project focuses on developing and applying sea lettuce farming technology suitable for the Gijang sea area. A total of 190 million won, including 133 million won from the national government and 57 million won from the county, will be invested over three years from 2027 to 2029.
The decision to focus on sea lettuce was heavily influenced by feedback from the fishing community.
A member of the research and development team at the Fisheries Resources Research Center stated, “Kelp and wakame are primarily farmed in winter, with harvests concluding around January to April. Fishermen expressed a desire for seaweeds that could be cultivated beyond this period.”
Sea lettuce is a warm-water seaweed that can grow at relatively higher temperatures than kelp or wakame, allowing for harvests around July and August, according to the research center.
The team member added, “While kelp and wakame thrive in cold water, sea lettuce can grow well at higher temperatures, making it a relatively heat-resistant variety.”
Currently, there are no farms in the Gijang area actively cultivating sea lettuce. The research center has conducted indoor cultivation and some marine trials to confirm its potential, but standardized farming techniques ready for immediate application in the fishing industry have yet to be established.
The development team emphasized, “Based on previous trials, we believe there is potential, and this time we aim to apply various farming methods to verify whether stable production can be achieved in the open sea.”
There appears to be significant demand in the field. According to the research center, among approximately 260 hectares of aquaculture farms in Gijang-eup, about 60 hectares have shown considerable interest in sea lettuce farming.
If fishermen can produce sea lettuce in addition to their existing kelp and wakame harvests, there is substantial potential to expand their income using current farming facilities and labor.
However, for sea lettuce to translate into actual income for fishermen, economic viability and securing sales channels are seen as prerequisites.
The price of sea lettuce is estimated to be around 5,000 to 7,000 won per kilogram based on wet weight, but this is not the official market price currently established in Gijang.
A representative noted, “Since sea lettuce is not yet being farmed separately in Gijang, there is no confirmed price. Fishermen have indicated that if they sell naturally produced sea lettuce, they could expect to receive around 5,000 to 7,000 won per kilogram based on past experiences.”
Thus, future research will focus on verifying the economic viability of sea lettuce production, considering factors such as yield, labor, and farming costs.
Securing sales channels post-production is also crucial. Sea lettuce is not only used for food but also serves as a raw material for functional ingredients in cosmetics.
With sea lettuce farming already relatively active in Jeonnam and some production occurring in Jeju, Gijang County plans to prioritize edible sales once farming technology is established, while also exploring potential collaborations with processing and cosmetics companies.
A representative stated, “The first step is to establish stable farming technology. If actual farming becomes feasible and fishermen are interested in commercialization, we plan to look into cosmetic companies and raw material utilization, as well as conduct demand surveys among fishermen.”
The research center will conduct step-by-step research from artificial seed production to farming technology development and field trials. If the technology is established, connecting seed supply with technology transfer to fishermen will be a critical milestone for the project's success.
A representative from the research center remarked, “As sea temperatures continue to rise, it may become difficult to cultivate kelp and wakame, prompting fishermen to seek alternative varieties. There is also a demand in the field to explore various species, and we aim to thoroughly verify new farming possibilities suitable for Gijang through this research.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.