Salmon farmers cultivate seaweed as the vegetarian oyster

It may look like little more than a soggy rubber band, but seaweed could be about to find new favour, and flavour, on the menus of the country's most fashionable restaurants.

Palmaria palmata, or dulse, as it is better known as a vital ingredient of traditional Welsh lava bread, could soon become the latest success in Scotland's booming seafood export industry.

In the deep sea lochs of remote north-west Sutherland, fish farmers and scientists are experimenting with new techniques to cultivate the delicate brown seaweed in sufficient, sustainable quantities to meet demand around the world.

"It may not look that appetising but it tastes fantastic, just like an oyster, and it's even suitable for vegetarians," said Nick Joy, the managing director of Loch Duart.

The seafood company, which supplies about 1 per cent of Scotland's salmon farm exports, is hoping that the cultivation of the "vegetarian oyster" will not only prove a financial success but provide a way of replacing the essential nutrients salmon farms take out of the sea.

"Polyculture is the way forward for many salmon farms," Mr Joy said. "We have been experimenting with seaweed and sea urchins to find ways of making the best use of the sea, which will complement the salmon farming."

Recognised as a delicacy and health supplement throughout mainland Europe, Ireland and Japan, Palmaria has, until now, always been collected from the seashore from wherever it can be found.

But Loch Duart hopes to cultivate the weed beside salmon farm cages to supply some of the country's best restaurants.

From its headquarters in Scourie, north of Ullapool, Loch Duart already supplies salmon to the London restaurants Moshi Moshi, Nobu, the Ivy, Caprice, the Ritz, Quaglinos, Bibendum and Le Pont de la Tour. Its fish can also be found at Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly and British Airways First Class.

The British and mainland European markets had huge potential, Mr Joy said. "We already export salmon to France, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, South Africa and others.

"But the UK is becoming increasingly sophisticated and although Palmaria may be a rarity at the moment, we have had a large amount of interest from our customers which suggests it could soon be a popular sight on many menus."

Loch Duart has been working on the project with scientists from the marine laboratory at Dunstaffnage, near Oban, and hopes to have the first batch of seaweed ready to send to customers within six months. Chris Findlay, a fish biologist at Loch Duart, said: "Environmentally and economically it makes good sense. It is a more balanced approach to managing the aquaculture. It's very early days yet but we hope that in addition to being a good supplementary crop it will also replace many of the nutrients taken out of the water by the salmon.

"The weed grows well around salmon cages and once we can determine the best positions to cultivate the seaweed we will be able to go into full production.

"Palmaria has been known for years as a health supplement but was previously always harvested from the sea shore where it can be found growing naturally.

However, if the commercial cultivation of the seaweed is successful, the company "should be able to offer customers a regular supply, guaranteed to come from a good quality source which has been continually monitored".

But nobody at Loch Duart expects the project to succeed overnight. Mr Joy said: "We are not cost driven and never will be because we will not let the farm go downhill in terms of quality. We believe you can taste the difference.

"To be environmental costs money, you have to do it slowly and carefully so the only option you have is to produce something that tastes better, eats better and is better ... Producing salmon is no different to looking after cows or pigs and seaweed cultivation shouldn't be treated any differently to growing wheat or other land crops.

"Within the next six months we will be able to send some Palmaria away to our clients to test the market and it could be in full production within a couple of years."