Kelp Blue has harvested more than 200 tonnes of kelp this year from its offshore site near Lüderitz.
The company holds a 15-year commercial licence to cultivate giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) across 6,400 hectares.
Founder and CEO Daniel Hooft said the harvest method focuses on long-term sustainability by trimming only the canopy of the kelp.
“We trim only the canopy of our underwater forests to ensure healthy regrowth, capture carbon, and boost marine biodiversity,†said Hooft.
He noted that the planted kelp forests have already shown significant ecological improvements.
“This happens incredibly quickly. We have seen three- to fourfold biodiversity increases in our farms within five months of planting,†he said.
According to Hooft, the kelp zones are being used by fish as nurseries, with seasonal spikes in hake and sardine eDNA indicating the forests are functioning as hatcheries.
“This increases an individual fish egg’s chance of survival by one hundred times,†he said, adding that various marine species are returning to the area in greater numbers.
“We see mola mola cruising our forests to hoover up jellyfish. The dolphins are thriving in this new hunting ground, which also gives them shelter against the occasional squad of dolphin-killer orcas,†said Hooft.
The kelp forests also appear to support shark populations. “Mermaids’ purse counts are up drastically, showing we are increasing the shark population by providing attachment points for egg sacs,†he said.
The harvested kelp is processed into a biostimulant called Stimblue+, which supports regenerative agriculture.
“At Kelp Blue, we convert the biomass into Stimblue+, a kelp extract that boosts farmers’ crop yields and quality while improving soil health,†said Hooft.
He added that, through the Kelp Forest Foundation, the company quantifies ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and job creation, while working towards the conservation and restoration of the world’s kelp forests.
The company also runs a marine education initiative based in Lüderitz. “With the Lüderitz Blue School, we are raising a new generation of ocean custodians and leaders,†said Hooft.
