“This is a very beneficial venture,” he said, adding that many local farmers are interested.
He said the Industrial Technology Research Institute should teach local farmers how to cultivate seaweed. Local farmers are ready to meet with the project proponents, he added.
On Oct. 9, representatives from ITRI conducted an initial feasibility study and surveyed potential agricultural areas for seaweed production.
Isidoro Cabrera, agriculture consultant and Saipan Sabalu Market Association vice president, noted that currently, the Northern Marianas does not own the three miles out from the islands’ shorelines.
Moreover, he said, the Division of Environmental Quality, the Division on Fish and Wildlife and Coastal Resources Management will have to look first into the project’s feasibility.
“It’s a very attractive industry but we need more information from the proponents,” he added.
A new industry is badly needed by the local economy, he added.
