From the described activities of seaweed cultivation in the Faroe Islands, a number of potential impacts have been identified and addressed according to their expected significance. The impacts treated are from potential changes in the natural conditions of light, oxygen concentrations, nutrient and carbon dioxide availability, potential changes in hydrography as well as in the natural seaweed communities. Further, potential disturbance from noise and on seabed communities, potential pollution from emissions, discharges as well as release of organic material have been addressed.
As the suggested baseline programme developed for the Faroe Islands aligns with the recommendations from the KELPPRO project (Hancke et al., 2021), and which has been supported by the review by Norderhaug et al. (2021), the significance of the potential impacts rely on the size of the seaweed cultivation activities. As such, the overall conclusion in Norway was that with farms increasing in numbers or considerably in size there would be an increasing need to include studies and monitoring of environmental effects on the seafloor, potential spread of species and of genetic material, and screening for kelp disease, to ensure a sustainable growth of a kelp cultivation industry.
In addition, and as mentioned by Hancke et al. (2021), the environmental components impacted from seaweed cultivation that are estimated to have long term, irreversible and regional effects should be prioritised over those seen to have short term, reversible and local effects in monitoring programs.
Therefore, it is recommended that efforts in the Faroe Islands should be made towards mapping the biodiversity of the natural seaweed communities and in understanding the population genetics of the seaweed species most suitable for farming, to be able to detect potential changes to natural communities over time. This is an important step towards safeguarding the natural genetic pool and diversity of Faroe Island habitats and for ensuring long-term ecosystem resilience. Given the irreversible risk posed by the possible introduction of alien species and the potential for genetic contaminations, establishing a baseline is crucial for long-term sustainable seaweed cultivation. It is essential to implement such a program before embarking on large-scale seaweed cultivation to prevent potential alteration of the natural biodiversity.
Following these recommendations will contribute to ensure a sustainable and resilient development of seaweed cultivation for the Faroe Islands.