Future looks good for €5m seaweed industry

SEAWEED has the potential to give a healthy makeover worth €5 million to the Irish skincare products industry, a conference in Limerick heard yesterday.

The seaweed skincare industry here represents only a small slice of the multi-billion euro international market which is seeking new raw materials that are natural and sustainable.

The conference, organised by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), was told Ireland is perfectly poised to seize upon this opportunity with 520 species of seaweed around its shores.