Social license to operate for seaweed farming in the UK

Seaweed farming is gaining global and UK recognition as a means to generate environmental, economic, and social benefits. Prior research has determined that social license to operate (SLO) is pivotal to establishing socially sustainable seaweed farming in developed nations. This project, funded by WWF-UK, engaged with coastal community stakeholders, seaweed farmers, governmental and regulatory agencies, and broader civil society to explore the factors that influence SLO for seaweed farming across the UK.

It includes case studies where seaweed farming is already present (Argyll and Bute in Scotland, Pembrokeshire in Wales, Dorset in England), and where there is potential for seaweed farming, but there are no historical or current aquaculture operations (Suffolk, England). Our results characterise the factors perceived by key stakeholders and communities of place and interest, that influence SLO for seaweed farming in the UK.

Our project website provides a brief overview of the key findings: Click here to view.

Access to our full results and further resources can be found below. Please feel free to read, share, and use*!

- A 2-page PDF brief on the key results of our study – Developing Social License to Operate for UK Seaweed Farming: D3 Developing social license to operate for UK seaweed farming 2023

- A guide to the characteristics and measures that are associated with establishing Social License to Operate for seaweed cultivation in the UK: D1 Guide for Social License to Operate for Seaweed cultivation in the UK 2023

- Supplementary data for the guide above, including a brief literature review: D1 Supplemental materials 2023

*If using our work in a presentation/ research/ reports etc we would kindly ask that you reference it, we’ve provided a suggestion below:

Billing, Suzannah-Lynn, Ferguson, Laura, Franco, Sofia, Hughes, Adam, Gupta, Mollie, Hart, Piers, Rostan, Julie (2023). A guide to the characteristics and measures that are associated with establishing social license to operate for seaweed cultivation in the UK. WWF-UK Funded project, 2021-2023, conducted by the Scottish Association for Marine Science.