St David Awards 2023 Business Finalists
We are absolutely delighted to announce we are finalists in the St David Awards 2023 Business Category. The awards are the national awards of Wales and winners will be decided by Mark Drakeford, the first Minister of the Welsh Government and his advisors on 20th April 2023 in Cardiff.
We attended the Senedd a few weeks ago to celebrate being shortlisted for the event with other finalists. Co-Founders Owen and Francois also took part in an interview on the St David Awards, have a read of what they talked about below:
Tell us a bit about Câr Y Môr?
Câr Y Môr is the first Regenerative Ocean Farm in Wales. Our aim is to improve the coastal environment through Regenerative Ocean farming and improve the wellbeing of the local community through job creation, supply of fresh local seafood and environmental restoration. We’re pretty proud to say over the past three years the business has expanded from two small trial sites to a three hectare Regenerative Seaweed and Shellfish Farm with twelve paid employees.
Since registering as a Community Benefit Society on 1st August 2019, our Membership has grown to over 250 members. We are a not-for-profit organisation operating for the benefit of the community.
How does it feel to be nominated for the St David Awards?
I feel honoured and humbled to be nominated for the St David Awards. It is a recognition of the hard work and dedication of our team and our partners who share our vision of creating a positive change in our coastal environment and communities. It’s a huge opportunity for us to raise awareness and inspire others about the potential of seaweed farming as a regenerative and resilient activity.
What’s Câr Y Môr’s biggest achievement?
One of our biggest achievements within Câr Y Môr was establishing Wales' first commercial seaweed and shellfish farm that operates as a Community Benefit Society. We have been able to grow different native seaweed and shellfish species without using any fertilisers, pesticides or fresh water, while improving water quality and biodiversity. We now offer a range of seaweed based products that are nutritious, sustainable and versatile. We have also provided education and training on seaweed farming and its benefits to more than 100 people from different backgrounds and ages.
What challenges have you faced along the way?
Some of the challenges we have faced include securing suitable sites for our Ocean Farm; obtaining licenses and permits from various authorities, dealing with weather conditions and natural hazards, finding reliable markets and customers for our products, raising funds and resources for our operations, overcoming misconceptions and prejudices about seaweed as a food source.
However we have been able to overcome these challenges, with the help and support of our people. The generosity and passion shown by our working team here in Pembrokeshire, our partners and our customers is without a doubt, the reason for our success. We have learned a lot from our experiences and we are always looking for ways to improve and innovate. We are proud of what we have achieved so far and we are excited about the future of seaweed farming in Wales. We believe that seaweed farming can be a win-win solution for people and the planet.