California officials approve largest U.S. kelp farm plan

The California Coastal Commission has voted to allow a plan for the largest kelp farm in the United States to proceed. Located approximately six miles off the coast of Ventura County, the project is led by Ocean Rainforest, a company based in the Faroe Islands.

The farm intends to cultivate giant kelp across roughly three square miles of federal waters. The harvested kelp will be processed in Ventura to create products designed to improve soil and plant health for California’s avocado and strawberry industries. At full capacity, the operation could harvest up to 6,000 tons of kelp over a decade.

The project aligns with federal efforts by the Trump administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to expand commercial aquaculture in the Pacific Ocean. While the initiative aims to bolster the U.S. seaweed industry, some environmentalists have raised concerns regarding increased boat traffic and the potential for seaweed growing lines to tangle whales.