Session 1

From 2017 to the present day, little has changed concerning the cultivation of the Kappaphycus alvarezii in Brazil. This seaweed was legally introduced in Brazil in 1998, in the State of São Paulo. Subsequently, the cultivation was authorized in Rio de Janeiro, and in 1998 the first commercial farm was implemented. Although the farming has been environmentally successful in these two states, there is currently no commercial-scale cultivation. The biggest news since 2017 was the release of commercial cultivation on the coast of the Santa Catarina State. This state is the only one where aquaculture areas are already legalized, facilitating the implementation of commercial farms. However, some production bottlenecks still need to be resolved. One is associated with winter in southern Brazil since low temperatures prevent the cultivation at sea. Tank cultivation can be one alternative, using the infrastructure and effluents of other marine organisms, such as shrimp. Another significant challenge is the seedlings drying in a region with high rainfall. Low-cost dryers are being prototyped, and the use of fruit and seed drying greenhouses is being considered. Although the commercial license has been approved, there is still much work to implement the activity sustainably and responsibly.