Compte rendu in extenso des débats

Jeudi 11 mai 2023 - Strasbourg

12.4. Vers un secteur des algues de l’Union fort et durable (B9-0233/2023)

Oral explanations of vote

  Mick Wallace (The Left). – Madam President, production of algae in Europe in 2019 accounted for less than 1% of global production. So the EU algae sector has huge potential. The algae strategy is especially important for my own Member State, Ireland. Ireland is one of the top three countries in the EU in terms of turnover, employment and numbers of algae companies. There are some fantastic seaweed companies in Ireland: Pure Ocean Algae in Cork, Wild Irish Seaweed in Clare, and Mary Meyler’s Ocean Leaves in Killinick in Wexford, which produces seaweed fertilisers and plant—care products.

But it’s also crucial that the algae sector develops in such a way that it does not affect the balance of marine ecosystems and that it avoids repeating the same environmental mistakes that were previously made on land. We need to establish what the limit of the resource is for each type of algae and we need solid information on sustainable levels of exploitation.

  Clare Daly (The Left). – Madam President, they were neglected almost everywhere else while cherished in Asia, but algae are now seen by some as a sort of cure-all, the magic panacea for climate problems. It is true that there are very many opportunities from algae which should be developed in terms of food and feed, medicine, packaging, carbon sequestration and even biofuels.

But the statistics speak for themselves in terms of this potential: worldwide, algae production has increased by almost 75% in the last decade. However, 99.5% of seaweed farming is concentrated in just nine East and South-East Asian countries. It is cruelly underdeveloped in countries like my own, and that absolutely must be encouraged.

But we should also learn the lessons from Asia. Algae are already suffering from the impact of climate change. Species are having difficulty adapting to the warmer waters. There are many ecological risks associated with intensive exploitation of algae, which yet remain unknown, both in terms of the environment and biodiversity. So we have to be pragmatic, we have to focus on these issues, but I voted for the report.

  President. – That concludes the item.