After five years of research, National Penghu University has perfected the technology to raise high-value sea grape (Caulerpa racemosa), and a commercial site for raising it was inaugurated on Hujing Island in Magong June 22.
The Hujing center was co-established by the university along with the Penghu County government and the Penghu Marine Biology Research Center, sharing resources with the community, stimulating local tourism and increasing income to fishermen in the area.
The rod-shaped seaweed is a lovely transparent jade green. It resembles grapes, and is credited with the ability to lower blood pressure, fight cancer and "enhance beauty." The plant is prized among the Japanese, who pay as much as NT$2,000 (US$62.40) per kilogram for it. Sea grape resembles caviar when eaten, and is thus also known as "green caviar."
At the conference to share its research results, held in Hujing, NPU President Hsiao Hsuan-yuan said sea grape is an expensive, high-end foodstuff, primarily produced in Japan. However, the quality waters around Penghu island have great potential for growing such seaweed. If operations here expand and become more commercial, it should be possible not only to supply domestic demand, but also to export to Japan and mainland China.
At present, the school has cooperated with local growers to set up an experimental sea grape growing station offshore. The station occupies about 660 square meters and is composed of compound growing pools. It also features a dozen-odd fiberglass reinforced panel tanks for propagation. Since the waters around Penghu are free from industrial pollution, it is not necessary to feed the sea grapes, and in 30-40 days, they can be harvested.
Growers are optimistic about the potential of this crop, and estimate that the annual value of the harvest could reach NT$50,000. In the future, as operations are scaled up and more technology is transferred to local fishermen, estimates of the annual production of sea grapes rise to between NT$500 million and NT$1 billion.
(This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times June 23.)