Project Background

Blue Horizon: Ocean Relief through Seaweed Aquaculture is a project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and officially endorsed by the GEF CEO in July 2022. The project has been allocated USD 6 million for implementation over a four-year period (2024–2028) . The institutional arrangement for the project includes WWF as the GEF Agency; the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) as the Lead Regional Executing Agency (its Secretariat in Bangkok, Thailand hosting the Project Management Unit (PMU), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Philippines and the Department of Fisheries and Surveillance (DFiS) of Viet Nam as the project executing partners in the Philippines and Viet Nam, respectively, and a Project Steering Committee.

The project comprises four components: 1) Regional approach and capacity for seaweed value chains in Southeast Asia; 2) Enabling Environment for Seaweed Aquaculture in the Philippines and Viet Nam; 3) Seaweed Value Chains (production, processing, and marketing); and 4) Knowledge Management, M&E, and IW Learn (regional). The SEAFDEC PMU will specifically carry out Component 1 and 4, which focus on the development of regional plans and principles of responsible seaweed aquaculture, including a toolkit to guide the application of the principles in developing standards of products, environmental protection, and operational safety. The outputs from Components 1 and 4 are expected to foster a harmonized approach across the region. Meanwhile, BFAR (Philippines) and DFiS (Viet Nam) will implement Component 2 and Component 3, which focus on the development of national components of seaweed aquaculture and its value chains.

Under Component 1, SEAFDEC will develop regional plans and principles for responsible aquaculture, including a toolkit to guide the application of these principles in product quality, environmental protection, and operational safety. This will involve creating a Regional Guide for Seaweed Aquaculture in Southeast Asia, to be adopted by the SEAFDEC Governing Council, along with a set of regional principles for responsible and safe seaweed aquaculture as a foundation for developing standards of operational, environmental, and consumer safety (adapted from the Global Seaweed Coalition). Additionally, training and capacity-building activities, coordinated by SEAFDEC/AQD, will support both the plan and implementation of these principles, helping to develop safety standards, update or create codes of practice, and update or develop best management practices. Such a regional approach will enhance the region’s capacity to expand, modernize, and establish a strong role in global seaweed value chains. To support the development and implementation of the outputs under this component, a regional Seaweed Technical Working Group (S-TWG) will be constituted and formally mandated by the SEAFDEC Council. The outputs/deliverables to be supported by the S-TWG include (i) a ‘Guide to Promoting a Sustainable Seaweed Industry in the SEA Region’ and (ii) ‘Regional Principles of Responsible and Safe Seaweed Aquaculture’ with a complementary toolkit.

The S-TWG will have several key functions during project implementation:

  1.  To Provide expertise and integrate the current state of knowledge on seaweed into the regional plans and standards.
  2. To coordinate, develop, validate, and support the regional adoption of the Guide  and Principles.
  3. To represent a platform  for awareness, networking, coordination, and knowledge-exchange among key authorities and organizations focused on seaweed development.
  4. To facilitate regional technical cooperation to address specific and shared concerns.

Component 1

Regional approach and capacity for seaweed value chain in Southeast Asia

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Experts from member states and an expert from the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department (AQD) in the Philippines will compose the membership. Experts from other organizations, particularly those with technical roles in the project, shall be invited to participate in the S-TWG forums. A Gender Action Plan (GAP) will be integrated to ensure inclusive participation, decision-making, and the impact of the S-TWG outputs.

The Project Management Unit (PMU) SEAFDEC together with executing agencies, BFAR (Philippines) and DFiS (Viet Nam) recently organized an online Inception Workshop on 14 August 2025 to bring together all key stakeholders, including SEAFDEC Member Countries, WWF GEF Agency, and SEAFDEC/AQD, to discuss the project’s objectives, components, implementation strategies, and expected outcomes. ​One of the recommended action plans is to establish the Seaweed-Technical Working Group and facilitate a forum for STWG members to discuss the project implementation of Component 1. Therefore, in line with the project’s workplan and to follow up on the recommendation from the Inception Workshop, the project will support the organization of the first meeting of the Seaweed-Technical Working Group.