Help coastal communities build sustainable livelihoods by transitioning from fishing to sustainable seaweed farming.
Across East Africa, fishing is a primary source of income for many coastal communities. At the same time, aquaculture is expanding and often promoted as the next step for those seeking to diversify or increase earnings.
But this pathway is not without challenges. Fish farming can introduce new financial risks, environmental pressures and welfare concerns, particularly for those entering it for the first time.
Seaweed farming offers a different path
It provides stable income, requires minimal inputs and avoids many of the welfare and environmental challenges associated with farming sentient aquatic animals. For communities already dependent on the sea, it builds on existing knowledge while reducing pressure on wild fish stocks.
In the right contexts, seaweed farming can support a gradual shift away from extractive and animal-based systems toward more resilient, lower-impact livelihoods.
We are working with partners in countries like Kenya and Tanzania to support this transition. This includes identifying where seaweed farming is viable, working with communities to build capacity and strengthening the case for investing in seaweed as a first-choice livelihood option.
The Opportunity
Your support will help us:
Identify high-potential coastal communities where seaweed farming can thrive
Support fishers to transition into seaweed farming
Provide training and support to new and existing seaweed farmers
Build the economic case for seaweed as a viable, scalable livelihood
Work with local partners to grow the sector responsibly
This is not about eliminating all aquaculture or fishing. It is about ensuring that lower-impact, non-animal alternatives are accessible and prioritised where they can succeed.
A relatively small investment now can help shape how coastal livelihoods develop in the years ahead.
Your impact
What your support helps fund:
$25 helps connect with fishing communities exploring seaweed as an alternative
$50 supports training and knowledge sharing for transitioning farmers
$100 funds pilot activities generating real-world data on yield, resilience and income
$500 builds the evidence base needed to scale seaweed farming across coastal regions
Why this matters
Millions of aquatic animals are caught or farmed each year as demand for aquatic foods grow. At the same time, many coastal communities face declining fish stocks and increasing uncertainty.
Seaweed farming offers a way to reduce reliance on both capture fisheries and animal farming while maintaining livelihoods. It creates income without increasing pressure on marine ecosystems or involving sentient animals.
Supporting this work now helps guide the development of coastal economies toward more sustainable and humane foundations.
If you believe in supporting coastal livelihoods that are both sustainable and humane, we invite you to support this work.
About us
Ethical Seafood Research is a non-profit working at the intersection of science and policy to improve aquatic animal welfare and support more sustainable food systems.
We work across Africa and the Middle East with governments, researchers and industry partners to develop practical, evidence-based solutions, with a focus on supporting transitions toward lower-impact livelihoods such as seaweed farming.