Author Topic: Legalities and useage of sea weed? (Read 2371 times)

jono · « **on:** November 29, 2009, 08:25:56 »

Hi all,
Living in rainy Portsmouth I have access to a lot of sea weed, especially at the moment after the recent weather.
I have heard that because of the minerals etc it contains it is good to put on your soil. Does anyone know if this is true? and whether you just put it on top or maybe soak it in the water butt to get the minerals into the water????? And is it legal to remove it from the beech?
Many thanks in advance for your time!
Jono ;D ;D

MICK FORD · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2009, 09:12:38 »

sea weed is great stuff get as much as you can lay on the soil or dig in
unlike horse/cow dung there is no weed seeds in sea weed ;D

its ok to take sea weed so long as you do not pull up growing weed off rocks
etc
mick
sunny devon

asbean · « **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2009, 11:52:13 »

We live in Winchester and often go to Hengistbury Head where there is an abundance of seaweed, it's good to get it when it's just washed up, so it's not covered with fresh dog turds etc, we carted a lot of bags back in the summer, and put it on the asparagus. No one has ever questioned what we were doing.

Borlotti · « **Reply #3 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:02:43 »

My Gran lived near Hengistbury Head, if that is in Southbourne, and used to love walking there and going on the little train.

asbean · « **Reply #4 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:04:09 »

Still there, trundling along the road!!! :) :) :) :)

cleo · « **Reply #5 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:10:33 »

I`d love to be near seaweed :'(.

As to the legality???-I guess it`s no different to me gathering leaves from the roadside -I don`t own them but who is going to complain?

jono · « **Reply #6 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:16:24 »

Thanks for the replies, I thought there was a law that stated anything washed up on the shoee including drift wood etc was property of the queen, just didn't want a jobs worth policeman having a go at me!!
I'll be collecting some soon then!! :D

cleo · « **Reply #7 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:23:15 »

was property of the queen

We have considered one`s answer.

Charles may want some `cast orf` and Philp does like his cask of brandy-but one is not offended should one of one`s loyal subjects wish to take a little weed

And one does mean seaweed-one cannot be responsible for one`s grandchildren

asbean · « **Reply #8 on:** November 29, 2009, 12:59:54 »

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Unwashed · « **Reply #9 on:** November 29, 2009, 13:29:41 »

It's an interesting question.

You have a common law right to collect seaweed floating in the sea, but if it's sitting on the beach you don't generally have a right to collect it, though that right does exist in some places. Best advice is to find who owns the bit of beach you're going to collect it from and ask for permission. It's often the local council. It's important to get permission because if the seaweed is protecting the beach it can be illegal to remove it.

Seaweed harvesting was a traditional local industry in the Essex village where I grew up. The seaweed was burnt in pits for the potash.

Seaweed ownership isn't like flotsam and jetsam because seaweed is natural and flotsam and jetsam are 'goods'.

saddad · « **Reply #10 on:** November 29, 2009, 13:31:58 »

Welcome to A4A Mick... :)

Baccy Man · « **Reply #11 on:** November 29, 2009, 13:53:03 »

It is ok to take dead seaweed as long as you have permission to transport from the foreshore. You get that permission from the council although it is very rare people bother getting the necessary permission.
You would need permission from the harbour master to take living seaweed and you will need to discuss the quantity and reason for removal.

BarriedaleNick · « **Reply #12 on:** November 29, 2009, 13:57:36 »

When I was in Pompey some of the fishermen found a load of sea - "weed" in their nets but it was of an entirely different nature!!!
They also disposed of it by burning!!

MICK FORD · « **Reply #13 on:** November 29, 2009, 18:26:05 »

Quote from: saddad on November 29, 2009, 13:31:58

Welcome to A4A Mick... :)

thank you have been about some time , reading the forum :-Xbut there has to be a first post :)

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #14 on:** November 29, 2009, 19:29:51 »

Mention of Hengistbury Head takes me back a bit. My Grandfather lived nearby, and when I was in the infants' school we used to stay at Black House at the end of the spit, and walk along to there. Access to the house was via the fishermens' rowing boats, and there was no electricity then, just gas lighting. There was a jetty under the cliff, and a concrete access road, which had great holes knocked in it every winter by boulders falling from the cliff.

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #15 on:** November 30, 2009, 10:47:42 »

I've wondered about the salt that seaweed would add and how detrimental that might be to the soil. Do you hose off the weed before adding it or just count on the rain washing it through?

1066 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 30, 2009, 10:56:48 »

Hi, I was always under the impression that if it was above the high tide mark then you could take it. But then I'm not sure about ownership of the land (foreshore trusts etc) but I guess as long as you are not pulling up and taking trailer loads away no-one will mind. I find going out after a storm or heavy seas the best time for collecting

Besides One has spoken (aka Cleo) so as a subject you have One's permission ;D

GrannieAnnie I asked a similar question a while back and the general concensus was not to bother, but I generally do if putting it directly onto beds that will be planted up soon after

Unwashed · « **Reply #17 on:** November 30, 2009, 11:42:52 »

1066, the position is that the seaweed belongs to whoever has the collection rights for the bit of the shore that it's sitting on. The collection rights don't necessarily belong to whoever owns (or owns the lease on) the shore, because they could have been sold separately, and you might also have a common law right to the seaweed. Ownership of the land usually changes at the mean high water mark - that's a bit lower than the actual high water mark.

1066 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 30, 2009, 12:44:11 »

Unwashed - thanks for the further explanation

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #19 on:** November 30, 2009, 20:06:44 »

Below mean high tide level the shore normally belongs to the crown. Which effectively means nobody owns it.

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Author Topic: Legalities and useage of sea weed? (Read 2371 times)