Sustainable aquaculture supporting
regenerative agriculture.
Access to fresh and healthy food is essential.
If we are going to feed 9.8 billion people by 2050, we urgently need efficient, effective, climate-resilient solutions that reduce costs and increase yields at a large scale.
Cultivated kelp provides a nature-based solution to climate change and food security. And we are building our business in partnership with coastal First Nations.
As a certified B Corp and registered Benefit Company in British Columbia, we are committed to building a profitable and scalable business that our team members, shareholders and business partners are proud to be a part of.
Our Story
Entrepreneurial spirit prevails when unexpected opportunities emerge.
Bill Collins was developing business cases to attract foreign direct investment on behalf of the
Vancouver Island Economic Development Alliance, one of which was sustainable aquaculture. He mentioned this while catching up with Mike Williamson, who coincidentally was investigating opportunities for his next project. Together, with Tony Ethier, they saw tremendous potential in building a scalable business that enhances the natural environment and provides economic opportunity for Indigenous and coastal communities.
Our team believes that solutions come from the sea.
Seaweeds are plant-like organisms that grow in marine environments, categorized by their pigments, red, green and brown, and there are over 10,000 different species around the world. A recognizable group of brown canopy seaweeds are called kelps, of which there are 30 different species in British Columbia. Like terrestrial forests, underwater kelp forests are critical ecosystems providing shelter and food, capturing carbon and producing oxygen, mitigating acidification and absorbing excess nutrients.
When harvested, seaweeds have a long list of potential uses from whole food, food ingredients, animal and livestock feed, cosmetics, nuetra- and pharmaceuticals, biopackaging, and natural alternatives to synthetic and chemical fertilizers. The demand for seaweed-based products continues to grow by 6% a year, however, like many species, naturally occurring kelp forests are in decline.
The solution is to responsibly grow local seaweeds on low-impact ocean farms.
“We can responsibly cultivate seaweed on low-impact ocean farms, producing the same ecosystem services as naturally occurring kelp, then harvest the cultivated biomass and manufacture products that address the needs of crop and livestock farmers who are working so hard to build a more climate-resilient food system,” says Mike Williamson. “And we can do this in partnership with Indigenous communities.”
It’s sustainable aquaculture supporting regenerative agriculture — a circular system where every touch point makes a positive impact.
Partnerships
Cascadia Seaweed recognizes that we operate on the traditional territories of the coastal First Nations of BC and we appreciate the opportunity to do so.
We work collaboratively with our partners to create mutually beneficial agreements that are based on the needs, interests and capacity of each community.
We have a strong commitment to our partners to offer contract labour and employment opportunities to their members first, and our team aims to procure supplies and equipment from First Nations owned service providers wherever possible.
Participation by coastal First Nations is critical to the long-term success of the seaweed industry in Canada due to their stewardship of the ocean and skills to develop and work in the industry.
Our goal is to empower additional First Nations ownership of the activities along the seaweed value chain.
Ocean's Bounty Crossword Puzzle
by Cascadia Seaweed
Originally created for a group of journalists hosted by Destination Canada on a familiarization tour of greater Victoria of which we were proud participants, this crossword is a fun opportunity to test your seaweed and coastal knowledge!
Share your results on Instagram using the hashtag
#WeAreSeaweed and tagging @CascadiaSeaweed to compare results!
