CRFM to Showcase Innovative Work on Sargassum-Derived Plant-Growth

BELMOPAN, Belize – The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) has said that the innovative work being done under the New Zealand-funded Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project to develop a plant growth enhancer or bio-stimulant from Sargassum, will be showcased during the upcoming Caribbean Week pf Agriculture (CWA).

Sargassum seaweed in the Caribbean (File photo)The 18th edition of the CWA will be held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines from October 7-11 under the theme “Climate Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future”.

The opening  ceremony will be addressed by the country’s Prime Minster Dr. Ralph Gonsalves as well as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett.

The CRFM said that the work being done under the project in collaboration with the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research (PFR), fits well within the CWA theme.

“The Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project has the potential to make a substantial impact towards the attainment of the CARICOM vision to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25% by 2025, called ‘Vision 25 by 2025,” said CRFM .executive director, Milton Haughton.

“This is because a sargassum-derived fertilizer produced within the Caribbean could ease the financial burden caused by the increasing costs for imported fertilizers. This, in turn, could boost agricultural production for farmers and producers by making their operations more cost-effective.”

Haughton said using sargassum in this way mitigates the impacts of the inundations, which include the release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which is emitted as the Sargassum decomposes in coastal waters.

“The Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, therefore, helps the Caribbean to adapt and build resilience to climate change, which is one of the key factors fueling the Sargassum blooms,” he added.

The CRFM and PFR are working together to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of sargassum influxes in affected Caribbean countries through the creation of inclusive value chains for sargassum.

“Together with our partners in the Caribbean, we have worked hard to test the efficacy and safety of the bio-stimulant we are developing from Sargassum. Our trials and thorough testing for heavy metal contamination, has ensured confidence that the product we are developing will not only bring benefits through increased yields but also healthy, more resilient production systems,” said Mrs. Sophie Jones-Williams, the program manager  at International Development, Plant & Food Research, New Zealand.

Since its inception in 2020, the project has ensured that regional partners are involved in this initiative.

The CRFM and PFR have been working in collaboration with researchers at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the University of Belize; the governments of Barbados, Belize, and Jamaica; as well as the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) of the Dominican Republic, and the private sector, to ensure that the project taps into the best expertise available in the region.

Based on the successful outcome of prior scientific studies and greenhouse trials for a sargassum-derived liquid bio-stimulant, the partners commenced field trials earlier this year.

The CRFM and PFR are also working to engage institutional and private sector partners to commercialize and upscale production, based on the successful outcome of the testing and trial phases which are due to conclude by year-end.

The CRFM said that during the CWA, together with the PFR, they will partner to host the sargassum seminar On Supporting Climate Smart Fisheries, Aquaculture through Product Innovation.

The purpose of this hybrid event on October 9 is to showcase the innovative work being done to develop a fertilizer and compost from sargassum seaweed using the principles of the circular economy and the precautionary approach, to ensure safety across the value chain, the CRFM added.