August 4, 2025
Yunus Thailand Staff
On October 24th, Callum Mackenzie, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Yunus Thailand, participated in the impactful webinar workshop ‘Towards a Global Seaweed Protection Strategy’ hosted by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Scottish Association For Marine Science and the University of Malaya under the auspices of the GlobalSeaweed-SUPERSTAR. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for Yunus Thailand being invited as a member of the Expert Advisory Committee. 💡
The online workshop focused on integrating the conservation of wild seaweed ecosystems with sustainable cultivation practices and supporting the development of the forthcoming UN Seaweed Breakthrough, to which Yunus Thailand’s Seaweed Social Business is contributing. Participants from around the world exchanged insights on Marine Protected Areas, coupled with seaweed cultivation practices, and developed a network to support the wider Global Seaweed Protection Strategy. 🤝🏼
Why does this matter? Red, green, and brown seaweeds are essential for marine ecosystem functioning, supporting a huge diversity of organisms, serving as nurseries for fish, and providing numerous other ecosystem services, including being the source of new cultivars for the global seaweed industry. Seaweed farming accounts for 51% of the total global marine and coastal aquaculture production and supports millions of livelihoods, particularly in rural areas. While demand for seaweeds and their products is increasing exponentially, climate change is profoundly impacting both wild and farmed seaweeds, threatening their survival and increasing their vulnerability to pests and diseases due to limited genetic diversity.
Despite their importance, there has been very little effort to protect seaweeds, and statutory conservation for seaweeds is minimal.
The Global Seaweed Protection Strategy aims to:
- 🌊 Safeguard the seaweed industry with a global conservation strategy for the effective conservation of seaweeds
- their habitats and the stocks used for cultivation.
- 🌊 Contribute to the establishment of the UN Seaweed Breakthrough with measurable science-based goals for restoration and protection. Developed achievable goals are set for governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to collectively restore and protect habitats at a scale large enough to ensure the survival of these ecosystems.
Yunus Thailand proudly brings social business perspectives to the seaweed industry, ensuring sustainable development that empowers coastal communities to lift themselves out of poverty through the power of seaweed social business. Together, we can secure a sustainable future for seaweeds and the communities that depend on them. Stay tune for more updates!
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