UPDATE: Seaweed harvesting application linked to west coast petition now marked ‘withdrawn’

The foreshore application that prompted a viral petition opposing large-scale seaweed harvesting along the west coast — including concerns in Mayo — has now been marked “withdrawn” on the Government’s website.

The application, referenced as FS006108 and originally submitted by Arramara Teoranta, was updated on the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment website on February 11, 2026, with its status now listed as withdrawn.

The file had been widely shared online in recent days and formed the basis of a petition which gathered thousands of signatures calling on Minister Darragh O’Brien to block what was described as a major harvesting plan affecting multiple bays along the western seaboard, including areas off the Mayo coast.

No active foreshore application covering Mayo

With FS006108 now formally withdrawn, there are no active foreshore applications covering the Mayo coastline under that reference.

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The only current seaweed harvesting applications by Arramara Teoranta are being processed through the Marine Area Regulatory Authority (MARA). These consist of five separate Maritime Usage Licence applications, all relating to bays in County Galway (Conamara).

No applications are currently listed for bays in Mayo, according to the MARA applications portal.

Background to confusion

The original FS006108 application dated back to 2014 and pre-dated changes in marine planning legislation, including the introduction of the Maritime Area Planning Act and the establishment of MARA in 2023.

In recent days, Arramara Teoranta stated to the Mayo News that the earlier application never progressed and that revised applications were submitted to MARA in October 2024 covering five bays in Connemara only.

"This application never progressed because the relevant Minister (Damian English TD) suspended the licensing process in 2015,” declared Jim Keogh, Director of Arramara Teoranta. “Arramara Teo made revised applications to MARA to harvest Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus Vesiculosus from five bays in Conamara in October 2024.”

The update to the Government website appears to formally reflect that the earlier foreshore application is no longer live.

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The online petition that initially referenced the FS006108 foreshore application has also now been amended. The description has been updated following the clarification around the status of the 2014 application, with revised wording reflecting the current regulatory position and the MARA applications in County Galway.

While the petition remains live and continues to raise environmental concerns about large-scale seaweed harvesting along the west coast, the modification acknowledges that the original foreshore application cited is no longer active.

Ongoing regulatory process

MARA is responsible for assessing maritime usage licence applications under the current legislative framework. Any proposed harvesting in Galway bays will be subject to that authority’s statutory process.

For Mayo coastal communities, the latest update clarifies that no active application currently covers Mayo waters, following the withdrawal of the original foreshore file.