In Japan, efforts are being made to restore seaweed colonies for environmental benefits, with a specific focus on combating climate change. These initiatives involve strategies to absorb and capture carbon dioxide (CO2) in seaweed and seagrass, aiming to not only reduce carbon footprints but also enhance fisheries resources and seawater quality. This environmental endeavor includes the trading of blue carbon credits, a system that has been adopted in Japan to incentivize and support projects that contribute to carbon offsetting and marine ecosystem restoration.
One notable project is the collaboration between the Japan Blue Economy (JBE) Association and Nippon Steel Corp. with the Mashike fisheries cooperative association in Hokkaido. Through innovative methods like burying iron slag along coastal areas to supply iron to the sea for the growth of "konbu" kelp, the local seaweed populations have seen significant growth, leading to benefits such as increased marine biodiversity and economic gains for local communities. The success of this project has inspired similar initiatives in over 50 locations nationwide, showcasing the potential of seaweed restoration in mitigating carbon footprints and promoting sustainable practices in Japan.
Furthermore, the evaluation of the impacts of blue carbon, the CO2 absorbed by oceanic ecosystems through aquatic plants like seaweed and seagrass, remains a topic of interest and development globally. While traditional methods focus on assessing carbon storage in trees, the unique nature of seaweed and seagrass as temporary carbon containers presents challenges in standardizing measurement techniques and accounting for their contributions to carbon sequestration. However, Japan is taking a proactive approach by proposing innovative methods to estimate the national extent of seaweed colonies and quantify CO2 absorption associated with different types of aquatic plants, with plans to lead the international community in establishing criteria for measuring and reporting blue carbon footprints.