ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how farmers respond to changes in environmental and socio-economic conditions through intricate and flexible management practices including: altering species, planting location and timing throughout the year; varying farm maintenance practices; adjusting propagule, float and rope use to optimise production; and shifting production patterns to manage the risk of ice-ice disease. It highlights how many farmers deliberately make farm management decisions to reduce the risk of loss of seaweed, often willing to accept the trade-off of lower yields. It also discusses issues of propagule ‘quality’, responses to sea space shortages, geographic diversification strategies and differences between individual farmers. The chapter is designed to be read alongside Chapter 6. Together the two chapters show how farm performance and management decisions are closely linked to socio-economic factors and, as a result, must be considered in assessing the performance of seaweed farming systems.
