Farming seaweed in Bali

Seaweed is one of the products farmed in Bali and Lombok. Two substances are obtained from the seaweed, carrageenan which is used in cosmetics and agar which is a vegetable gel. On the islands across the Badung Strait, that is Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan and parts of mainland Bali’s south coast, seaweed farming is part of the local economy.

In order to farm seaweed you need clean ocean water, which is not subject to strong currents, hence the seaweed farms being protected by a reef. A relatively fragile products, the farmed seaweed had remain covered in water at low tide, must not be subjected to extreme fluctutations in water temperature or salinity.

Locals is remote areas on Bali and Lombok used to rely on salt production, which meant the laborious task of filling wooden containers with ocdean water and waiting for the water to evaporate. Seaweed farming is more lucrative and is a huge boost to these areas. A kilo of dried seaweed may be sold for 1,500-4,000rp depending on the type.

Seaweed farm use bamboo frames with strings criss-crossing it to hold the seaweed shoots. These are harvested after 45 days.