Background
Photo credit: James Da Costa
The First Custodians
Bull Kelp has ongoing significance to Tasmanian Aboriginal communities, with uses ranging from clothing and diet to domestic tools such as water vessels.
Commercial Harvest
Bull Kelp has been harvested commercially in Tasmania since the 1970s. The fishery was first assessed in 2005 and has since undergone several assessments under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. Bull Kelp is harvested from beach-cast wrack and processed for products, such as liquid fertilizers, garden mulch, and alginate (a gelatinous salt derived from brown algae), which are sold both domestically and internationally.
