Ayr company sets out plan for harvesting kelp

It has been proposed that the harvested seaweed would be processed in Mallaig

A company has proposed harvesting tonnes of wild kelp in commercial operations on Scotland's west coast.

Ayr-based Marine Biopolymers Ltd would extract natural polymers from the seaweed for uses in foods and pharmaceuticals.

It has published a scoping report as part of its work towards applying for one or more five-year licences.

Under the plan, the amount harvested would rise over the years from about 1,300 to 30,000 tonnes wet weight.

The kelp would be processed at a plant in Mallaig in the west Highlands.

In the report, the company said it would avoid sensitive marine environments, and areas of seabed would not be re-harvested within a given time period to allow the seaweed to recover.