By looking beyond raw seaweed production, Sabah could turn its coastal resources into a new engine for local industry, innovation and community development.

Seaweed is emerging as an important resource in the global blue economy. Once regarded mainly as a traditional coastal crop, it is now attracting attention for its potential applications in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, animal feed, agricultural bio-stimulants and biodegradable materials.

For Sabah, where seaweed farming has long supported coastal communities, particularly in the east coast districts, this presents an opportunity to rethink the industry's future.

ASEAN's growing seaweed industry

According to FAO production statistics for 2024, Indonesia produced approximately 9.92 million tonnes of seaweed, ranking second globally, while the Philippines produced about 1.46 million tonnes. Malaysia recorded approximately 220,300 tonnes, placing it among the world's leading seaweed-producing countries.

These figures challenge claims that Malaysia has fallen outside the global top 20. The country remains a significant producer, with Sabah accounting for the bulk of its seaweed cultivation.

However, production volume alone does not determine industrial competitiveness.

Indonesia's seaweed output reportedly reached 11.65 million tonnes in 2025. Its government is also pursuing a more integrated development strategy for 2026–2030, covering cultivation, seed quality, processing, investment and exports.

The Philippines, meanwhile, recorded a preliminary production figure of approximately 1.38 million tonnes in 2025, a decline of 5.5 per cent from the previous year. Its experience highlights the challenges of maintaining productivity and quality despite having an established seaweed industry.

The regional competition is therefore shifting from simply producing more seaweed to building stronger industrial value chains.

Sabah's untapped potential

Sabah remains Malaysia's principal seaweed-producing state. Semporna is a major cultivation centre, alongside areas such as Kunak, Lahad Datu and Tawau.

Its advantages include suitable tropical waters, established farming communities and generations of local cultivation experience.

Yet the industry continues to face challenges involving seed quality, inconsistent yields, post-harvest handling, processing capacity and market access. Much of the production remains concentrated in raw materials, leaving farmers exposed to international price fluctuations.

The real issue is not whether Sabah has sufficient natural resources. It is whether the state can turn those resources into a stable, competitive and higher-value industry.

From carrageenan to the marine bioeconomy

Seaweed's commercial potential extends well beyond carrageenan, a hydrocolloid widely used in food processing, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Different species offer different applications. Gracilaria, for instance, is used to produce agar, while certain red seaweeds are being studied as livestock feed additives to reduce methane emissions. Seaweed extracts also have potential applications in agricultural bio-stimulants and biodegradable materials.

Research on Asparagopsis taxiformis has shown substantial reductions in cattle methane emissions under specific experimental feeding conditions. However, further work is needed to establish its effectiveness, safety and commercial viability in different farming systems.

Seaweed's carbon sequestration potential also deserves attention, although carbon absorbed during growth should not automatically be counted as permanent carbon removal. Long-term storage must be demonstrated and independently verified.

For Sabah, the more immediate priority should be developing food, feed, agricultural and cosmetic applications before moving into more technologically demanding sectors such as biomaterials and carbon markets.

Building an integrated industry

Four priorities deserve attention.

First, Sabah should strengthen research into improved seaweed varieties, seed quality and cultivation methods that can withstand rising sea temperatures and changing marine conditions.

Second, local processing and quality certification must be developed. Encouraging investment in extraction, food ingredients and other downstream activities would allow more economic value to remain within Sabah.

Third, technical and vocational education should be linked to the industry. Farmers, women, young people and small businesses need training in cultivation, quality control, processing, digital marketing and entrepreneurship.

Fourth, seaweed farms could become part of a wider coastal monitoring network, helping researchers and local authorities observe changes in water quality and marine ecosystems.

 The 'Village + Industry + Education' approach

Seaweed offers an excellent opportunity to connect local communities, businesses and educational institutions.

Under a Village + Industry + Education approach, coastal communities provide local knowledge and production experience; businesses develop processing and market opportunities; while schools, universities and research institutions contribute scientific knowledge, technical skills and innovation.

This should not reduce schools to suppliers of labour. Instead, education should become an active partner in local economic development, enabling young people to understand marine resources, develop entrepreneurial skills and create new products and services.

Such an approach could be particularly valuable in Semporna, Kunak and Tawau, where seaweed cultivation can serve as a practical platform for community-based learning and enterprise development.

 Beyond the race for production rankings

Malaysia does not need to make a return to third place in global production its only ambition.

The greater opportunity is to build a Sabah-based marine bioeconomy in which scientific research supports local businesses, education strengthens community capabilities, and industrial development creates sustainable livelihoods.

The future of Sabah's seaweed industry will not be determined simply by how much seaweed it can harvest, but by how much knowledge, technology, employment and economic value it can generate from it.

Sabah needs more than seaweed farms. It needs a complete seaweed value chain that grows with its coastal communities.