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Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Irish seaweed exporters are making it big in Japan

Poll: One woman’s story of spotting an export opportunity after the disaster at Fukushima – but are exports the way forward for Irish SMEs?

WHEN ROSARIA PISERIA first came to Ireland in 2001, it was off the back of being dropped as a distributor of Irish seaweed in Italy.

She had sold Irish seaweed as an agricultural fertiliser to Italian farmers, and also as a sea vegetable to the restaurant industry.

Not one to take defeat lying down, she moved to Ireland to start her own seaweed company.

She started Algaran Seaweed in 2004 from the Aran islands, after researching the local crop. Now based in Donegal, she has seen her company expand into new markets, far from Irish shores.

Fukushima 

“In the beginning it was not that easy to sell Irish seaweed, because it was much more expensive. Labour costs were much higher than in Japan”, she told TheJournal.ie.

But after tragedy struck in the form of the meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan, opportunity also knocked for Algaran.

The nuclear plant polluted a lot of the seaweed producing grounds nearby, rendering their crop useless, she said.

“It polluted the sea shore very heavily. Close by there were major producers of seaweed, but now it is gone.”

The five-person team working at Algaran now sees Japan as its main export market. Irish seaweed exported by Algaran is now eaten in Japan with sushi. Like many SMEs, the export angle has proved lucrative when skills and circumstances align.

For the moment, Algaran’s export product is a drop in the ocean. As Piseria says, one village in Japan will make short work of 20 tons of seaweed.

The company produces twenty tons per year, but if Japan relaxes import duties on foreign seaweed, Piseria thinks that could grow to as much as 200 tons, delivering another ten jobs to the rural community.

“In a while the market will be freed and we hope to get permission to harvest – the potential of the Irish coast is very high.”

In addition to Japan, Algaran exports to Germany and Italy, where the west coast of Ireland’s reputation as some of the cleanest waters in the world is a major selling point.

Should Irish companies focus on export markets rather than restricting themselves to selling at home?


Poll Results:

Yes (1543)
Don't know/it depends (228)
No (84)

Do you know of an Irish company with a great export story? Tell us about it in the comments.

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16 Comments
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    Mute Pokey2013
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:34 AM

    Good for her! This really is a no brainer as an industry for the west of Ireland.

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    Mute Ciaran Farrell
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:07 AM

    It should be but this government through an uduras na gaeltachta company called arramara are trying to corner the market from erris hd to loop hd by applying for a license which would stop cottage industries from cutting seaweed in west mayo, Galway and Clare thus giving a monopoly. At the same time they are negotiating the sale of arramara teo to a private Canadian company. Think they’re holding out for a suitable price. 30 pieces of silver perhaps?Absolute disgrace and the deal being done quietly. This will shut down countless cottage industries and is getting little or no coverage.

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:13 AM

    Another scam being played out on us Ciaran.

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    Mute Ciaran Farrell
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:52 AM

    It is indeed. The worst part of it is that in many villages on our western seaboard there are so few opportunities to ” turn a pound” that this will be devastating and nobody is shouting stop ( or at least nobody with influence on kildare st.). This is Minister Ring’s heartland yet he is strangely quiet for a lad who loved the soapbox when in opposition.

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    Mute Thors Big Hammer
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:42 AM

    Fair play to this woman and her drive to to be successful.

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    Mute Brendan Harlowe
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    Jun 9th 2014, 12:14 PM

    I think she flew in actually .

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:55 AM

    It is not an either/or choice. To grow your business all markets should be explored. The Irish home market is tiny and many of our indigenous industries would simply fold without overseas sales.

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:14 AM

    Why would/should any business limit themselves to a single market?

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    Mute Dee4
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:14 AM

    well done to the lady, there are increasing warnings not to consume anything from the Pacific. Japan and even the West Coast of the US should be great markets for her

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:12 AM

    We don’t eat enough of it ourselves.

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:38 AM

    Maybe someone could tell us where ‘sea vegetables’ are on sale in locally? I can get dried product in the Asia Market in Drury Street and very nice it is too. Try this site for lots of info http://www.seaweed.ie/uses_ireland/irishseaweedfood.php

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    Mute Michelle Blessing
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    Jun 9th 2014, 11:54 AM

    What a shame we are exporting to a country that carries out horrific atrocities against dolphins and whales in Taiji.

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    Mute Frank
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:36 AM

    Japan still has a market for glow in the dark seaweed.

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    Mute J. Dunn
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:37 AM

    Do you have a link for that, Frank?

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    Mute Frank
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:46 AM
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