Seaweed Harvesting

Seaweed is a fully renewable natural resource in Ireland. Since the 18th century over 800 species of seaweed from Irish waters have been identified. Ireland is one of the least densely populated countries in Europe and the West Coast of Ireland is the least densely populated parts of Ireland. There is no major industry on the West Coast, therefore our waters are some of the most unpolluted on earth.

Here at VOYA our expert harvesting team check the tide levels of the Atlantic Ocean weeks in advance to strategically plan which type of seaweed to harvest based on tides and weather conditions. They only use sustainable harvesting practices, which simply means that the seaweed is selected by eye and harvested by hand. No machinery is used so as not to harm the delicate seabed or marine life. Only a small portion of the seaweed is cut at a time to ensure it grows back within 6 – 24 months. The harvesters like farmers move on to different parts of the reef to allow it to fully grow back and replenish, thus creating sustainable harvesting.

Seaweed harvesting at high and very low tides can be dangerous and sometimes the search for seaweed will have to be abandoned for this reason. It is the nature of dealing with a raw natural beauty product.