Kelp is on the way: As new Puget Sound aquaculture industry blooms, Vashon locals urge caution

Two kelp farms are looking to brave some uncharted water off of Vashon Island. Some believe seaweed aquaculture could help restore critical habitat for shellfish and native seaweed species, on top of pioneering a sustainable agriculture business.

But an environmental watchdog and Vashon neighborhood group see this new industry as an entangling threat to whales. As farms navigate the nascent permitting process, these groups are asking for more scrutiny toward an untested local industry.

M

ike Spranger is a man with a kelp plan.

Last year, while scoping out the Puget Sound floor underneath his and his business partner's proposed new seaweed farm off of Vashon Island, Spranger was optimistic.

“As you can see, there are no houses on the shoreline; [there's a] real steep bluff right here. I didn’t have to contend with any homeowners — beachfront people — that didn't want to see buoys out in the water.”

When Soundside reported on the farm last year, Spranger hoped he could get his first kelp crop in the water by winter 2023. He saw responding to the growing, worldwide demand for kelp products — with a crop native to Pacific Northwest waters — as a smart business move.

But that timeline is unlikely now. The kelp farm faces local opposition amid the county’s review process.

"Part of the process after the permits are issued is that people can appeal that ruling, which a local group did," Spranger said. "In some respects, it wasn't a surprise. Seaweed farming is a relatively new thing, particularly here on the West Coast."

Amy Carey is the executive director Sound Action, a regional environmental watchdog group. It’s one of several groups that have taken issue with Spranger's farm.

When Spranger secured a crucial permit from King County to build his farm, Sound Action appealed the county’s decision. The group cited concerns about whales getting entangled in the longlines used to grow kelp, and the potential for kelp to block sunlight from algae on the seafloor.

Carey clarified that Sound Action doesn't have a blanket opposition to kelp aquaculture in the area, and is working to ensure the permitting process is thorough.

"We did everything we could to try to have the agency take that closer look and make sure that they were evaluating [the permit] properly," Carey said. "That didn't happen. And so, we were reluctantly forced to appeal to try to correct that and ensure protection for the southern residents and the humpbacks that are there with frequency."

When Sound Action appealed the permit for Spranger's farm, the issue went to the state's Shoreline Hearings Board. In May, the board heard arguments from Spranger and Carey that included a deluge of documents, exhibits, and expert testimony over seven days.

On Aug. 29, they announced their decision.

"In a few words, they decided on Mike Spranger's side on all 14 legal issues raised by Sound Action," said Leslie Brown, who covered the hearing for the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber.

The hearing and its decision were a first for kelp as the state's seaweed industry is finding its early footing.

Meg Chadsey is a carbon specialist with Washington Sea Grant, a University of Washington-affiliated marine research organization. She’s one of the first people prospective seaweed farmers talk to when looking to learn more about aquaculture in the region.

Chadsey attended most of the hearing to listen to the arguments over kelp shading out sunlight from algae and the potential for whale entanglement — two issues that don't have a kelp-specific track record in Puget Sound.

"My opinion...is that shading is not a real risk at that site," she said. "And that is based on both the farm design [and] how far out it is — the fact that it's anchored beyond a depth where macroalgae might be growing on the bottom."

Regarding whale entanglements, Chadsey said that experts on both sides of the hearing presented and considered all of the available information on entanglement risk.

"Everybody involved really understands and considers the difference between the type of gear that would be installed at this site for growing seaweed and the type of gear that has entangled marine mammals, whales, humpbacks, orcas in the past. It's not the same type of gear," Chadsey said.

This hearing is a first step in testing and measuring the safety of seaweed aquaculture, which she said is a benefit to making sure aquaculture is done safely and correctly.

"Our information isn't perfect," she added. "We don't have a lot of actual case studies that we can consider."

She pointed to collaborations between farms and local research institutions like the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, which is working to restore native bull kelp ecosystems.

"[They're] really interested in assessing some of these risks and potential benefits of seaweed farming, and haven't yet had an opportunity to do so because there's really very few places where you can look before and after... so this is such an opportunity to fill in some of these information gaps so that our decisions can be based more on real data," she said.

Seeking professional kelp

Mike Spranger isn't the only one looking to start a farm off of Vashon Island — he isn't even the only Mike.

Mike Kollins, founder of Vashon Kelp Forest, is proposing a 10-acre plot on the northwest side of Vashon Island near a preserve called Fern Cove. Kollins will look to grow bull kelp, in contrast to Spranger's plans for a 10-acre plot of sugar kelp. Both are seaweeds native to Puget Sound.

Both farms have drawn pushback from Sound Action, in addition to a Vashon neighborhood group called the Fern Cove Preservation Alliance.

For Sound Action's part, Amy Carey said the organization will continue bringing scrutiny to both of the proposed farms off Vashon Island. The decision "was not unexpected," and Carey said Sound Action will be looking at action they can take after a second farm permit — given to Mike Kollins' farm — was recently approved by King County.

The Fern Cove Preservation Alliance has already submitted an appeal to Kollins' recent permit.

Even with Mike Spranger's permit hearing decided in his favor, his company, Pacific Sea Farms, needs a final lease from the Department of Natural Resources for the land on the floor of the proposed plot. Despite recent setbacks, Spranger is still optimistic he can begin growing kelp starting in November.