Seaweed aquaculture as a sustainable actor in Danish coastal waters
Author
Hansen, Rasmus Garder Paltholm
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2026
Abstract
Seaweed farming has been highlighted as a way to use Danish coastal waters more sustainably. It can provide renewable biomass, offer ecosystem services (for example by absorbing nutrients), and create new economic opportunities for coastal communities. Despite this potential, the seaweed aquaculture sector in Denmark remains small and only modestly developed. This thesis investigates how seaweed farming can be better supported so it can contribute more actively to a sustainable transition of Danish coastal waters. The focus is on the governance conditions – that is, the systems of rules, institutions and decision-making – that shape how the sector operates. The study uses qualitative methods: semi-structured interviews with representatives from the Danish seaweed sector are combined with an examination and analysis of the relevant legal and governance framework. The findings are brought together in an analysis that identifies the main barriers to the sector’s development and explores possible opportunities for future growth. The analysis shows that the most significant obstacles to Danish seaweed aquaculture are institutional and governance-related rather than technological or ecological. The current governance framework is characterized by a complicated and partly inadequate legal basis, a complex landscape of authorities, and limited recognition of seaweed aquaculture in both formal policy discussions and informal debate about Danish maritime industries. These conditions restrict the sector’s ability to contribute to the sustainable development of coastal waters. Based on these results, the thesis presents a set of governance-oriented recommendations, including stronger stakeholder participation, improved coordination and interaction between institutions and authorities, increased visibility and representation of the sector, and drawing on international governance initiatives for inspiration. In addition, it outlines qualitative approaches for evaluating whether such governance measures are effective at local and national levels. Overall, the thesis concludes that the future development of Danish seaweed aquaculture depends less on new technological innovations than on governance structures that can integrate sustainability, stakeholder participation and appropriate regulation into the management of Danish coastal waters.
Tangopdræt er blevet fremhævet som en mulighed for at bruge de danske kystvande mere bæredygtigt. Det kan både levere fornybar biomasse, yde økosystemtjenester (som f.eks. at optage næringsstoffer) og skabe nye erhvervsmuligheder for lokalsamfund. Alligevel er tangsektoren i Danmark stadig lille og relativt uudviklet. Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan tangopdræt kan få bedre rammer, så det kan spille en større rolle i den bæredygtige omstilling af danske kystvande. Fokus er på de styrings- og reguleringsforhold (governance), som præger sektoren. Specialet bygger på kvalitative metoder: semistrukturerede interviews med aktører i den danske tangbranche kombineret med en gennemgang og analyse af relevante love, regler og styringsdokumenter. Resultaterne samles i en analyse, der både udpeger de vigtigste barrierer for udviklingen og peger på mulige veje frem. Analysen viser, at de største hindringer for dansk tangopdræt ikke primært handler om teknologi eller miljøforhold, men om institutionelle og governance-relaterede forhold. Den nuværende regulering er præget af et kompliceret og delvist mangelfuldt lovgrundlag, et uoverskueligt system af myndigheder og en begrænset plads til tangopdræt i den offentlige og politiske debat om danske maritime erhverv. Disse forhold svækker sektorens mulighed for at bidrage til en bæredygtig udvikling af kystvande. På baggrund af resultaterne fremsætter specialet en række anbefalinger, som er rettet mod governance: blandt andet stærkere inddragelse af interessenter, bedre samarbejde mellem institutioner og myndigheder, større synlighed og repræsentation for sektoren samt at hente inspiration fra internationale styringsinitiativer. Derudover skitseres kvalitative metoder til at vurdere, om sådanne tiltag virker, både lokalt og nationalt. Overordnet konkluderer specialet, at fremtiden for dansk tangopdræt i højere grad afhænger af, hvordan kystvande styres og reguleres, end af nye teknologiske løsninger. Centrale elementer er governance-strukturer, der kan integrere bæredygtighed, inddragelse af berørte parter og hensigtsmæssig regulering i forvaltningen af danske kystområder.
[This abstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]