The project “Laamu Atoll Mariculture” was approved by the Director General of FAO on December 30, 1994. Originally, the objective of the Laamu Atoll Mariculture Project was to rehabilitate the sea cucumber industry. The implementing arrangement was for the Oceanographic Society of Maldives (OSM) to do the necessary research while additional technical assistance would come from the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture (MOFA) through the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The Project was funded by FAO Technical Cooperation Programme funds (TCP) with a total budget of US$ 131,000. However, in February, 1995, the Cooperation Programme agreement was amended to include a “Seaweed component” whereby the culture of Eucheuma cottonii was integrated in this project. This component was allocated US$ 36,000 within the original total approved budget. The consultant was finally selected in January, 1996 hence, the start of the “Seaweed component” was February 1996.
The Oceanographic Society of Maldives ( OSM) intended to resume Eucheuma culture referred to be viable in the Maldives. It cited the study conducted at Goiyaadhoo Island in Baa atoll in 1987–88. In this study, the imported commercial seaweed Eucheuma demonstrated its ability to adapt to the Maldivian reef flat environment, as well as maintain growth rates and carrageenan quality comparable to, and even slightly better than, Eucheuma grown in the Philippines. However, the above information was not backed up by statistical data. There was also no indication as to why the project was terminated.
In November, 1995, the OSM again tried to plant Eucheuma at the Laamu atoll. The seedlings were obtained from the Philippines through the assistance of GENU, a subsidiary of Kopenhagen Pektin Fabrik (KPF) of Denmark in the Philippines. According to the Director of OSM, the Eucheuma grew very well during the first month, from 20 kg to 60 kg after one month. However, the following month, the Eucheuma were attacked by fish grazers. All the seedlings were lost. In December, 1995, another shipment was received from the Philippines (about 20 kg). The seedlings were stored in the seawater near the airport at Male before being brought to Laamu and planted near the causeway, south of the airport, on Kadhdhoo island. Three bags were planted in the deep water near Gamu island.
The OSM have reportedly also evaluated other aspects of seaweed culture such as environmental, technical, social, and have reportedly economic factors. They confirmed that seaweed got high marks in technical feasibility, social acceptability, environmental suitability, and marketability.
The consultant left Cebu City, Philippines on February 12, 1996. He was briefed at the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok, and in Male by the Director of the Oceanographic Society of Maldives and by the Director of Fisheries (MOFA). He proceeded together with the Director of OSM on February 22 to Laamu Atol, Gamu Island. The proposed laboratory complex for the Sea cucumber Project is at Gamu Island where the consultant visited the test station where some seedlings of Eucheuma were planted. These were the remnants of the 20 kg seedlings shipped from the Philippines last December, 1995. The plants were badly covered by mudflakes, thin and showing symptoms of “Ice-ice” disease. The test station is not conveniently located. It is near the causeway, where the water current is very slow due to the physical obstruction. The plants were also unattended (perhaps for almost two months) as shown by the thickness of the sediments covering the thalli. The consultant decided to salvage the plants by transferring them to the channel near the sea cucumber laboratory site on Gamu Island and placing them in net-bags which he had brought from the Philippines. He was able to recover about 4 kg of the seedstocks. The following day he recovered 1 kg more from the test site in deep water in Thundee. The propagules were thin but still alive. He added these propagules to the ones recovered the previous day, hence 10 bags with a total weight of about 5 kg of mixed variety of Eucheuma cottonii and spinosum. The consultant has high hopes that these plants will recover and grow normally in the next two weeks. The consultant inspected the laboratory building for the sea cucumber project as well as the different cages in the water containing various sizes and number of sea cucumber. He inspected the eastern periphery of the Laamu Atoll starting from Gamu Island up to the northernmost island of Dhambidoo as well as westward until the island of Maavah. He also did an extensive survey of the reef flat north of Gamu Island, which is the reef flat that he recommends to be developed into a Pilot Eucheuma farm.
The terms of reference of the consultant (Annex 1) included provision of assistance in the selection and if necessary, advice on the installation of agar processing machinery. There is no reported indication of commercial availability of agarophytes either wild or cultivated in the Maldives. During the survey of the Laamu Atoll, the consultant did not observe the presence of agarophhytes such as Gracilaria, Gelidiella, or Gelidium in commercial quantity.
