Much of the material presented here originally appeared in “The ABC of Eucheuma Seaplant Value Chains” by Iain C. Neish (SuriaLink Monograph No. 1-0104 - ISBN 983 2893 03 8). That monograph is now out of print and it is being supplanted by the present HB2 series of SEAPlant.net monographs.

SEAPlant.net Foundation (SPNF) began as an initiative of IFC – Advisory Services under the PENSA I program that ended its five year term in June, 2008. During jointly funded work involving the PENSA program and GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH.)  it became clear that an integrated, ongoing and readily accessible body of information was necessary to facilitate and catalyze the development of seaweed farming as a component of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) in the BIMP-EAGA region in particular and in the Coral Triangle in general. GTZ therefore joined with SPNF to develop “A Practical Guide to Quality Assurance, Governance Systems and Good Practices for Tropical Seaweed-to-Carrageenan Value Chains with focus on developing harmonization and transparency in the BIMP-EAGA region of ASEAN in the Coral Triangle” (SEAPlant.net Monograph no. HB2D 1108 V1 GTZ). The practical guide is provided as a tool for negotiating the tangled web of rules, regulations, standards, tests and other requirements that increasingly make life complicated for industry stakeholders whether they be seaweed farmers, processors or end-users.

One of the objectives of the Practical Guide is to bring about the development of harmonized Laboratory Test Procedures (LTP) for seaweed farming within the region. The present document is a draft that we hope will ultimately lead to LTP. This a “living document” that is being updated periodically. We heartily welcome suggestions and guidance from the users of the present monograph and the Practical Guide.