Mayo TD meets Minister Dooley over seaweed harvesting rights

Mayo TD Keira Keogh has raised concerns about protecting traditional seaweed harvesting rights along the county’s coastline following a meeting with Minister of State Timmy Dooley.

Deputy Keogh said coastal communities in areas such as Clew Bay must not be sidelined as interest grows from private companies seeking licences to harvest seaweed.

“Around the coastline of this country, seaweed harvesting rights are established and understood within local coastal communities,” she said. “Mayo and Clew Bay are no different. The tradition of seaweed cutting by locals must be protected.”

She said that in some cases these rights are formally recorded on property folios, while in others they exist as traditional rights passed down through generations of families who have harvested seaweed from local shorelines for decades.

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Deputy Keogh pointed to previous advocacy on the issue by Seán Kyne, who highlighted that existing seaweed harvesting rights must be respected and cannot be displaced by licensing agreements.

“Where legally recognised harvesting rights exist, those rights must be fully respected,” Senator Kyne said. “The State can’t give permissions that undermine or override long-standing rights that families and communities have relied on for generations.”

Deputy Keogh has called on the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA), the State agency responsible for licensing seaweed harvesting, to take account of this legal advice when considering applications.

Following discussions with Minister Dooley, she said the Government has committed to working towards a solution that respects traditional rights along the Mayo coastline.

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“There is naturally growing concern among the coastal community in Clew Bay about private operators and companies looking for licences to harvest seaweed in areas where local families have traditionally had these rights for generations,” she said.

“These harvests provide income to locals who have harvested this seaweed for years, and these rights should not be transferred to a commercial company.”

Deputy Keogh said it is essential that any regulatory framework recognises these long-established rights and protects the livelihoods of coastal communities in Mayo who rely on them.