Communities on Ireland's west coast say they will fight to safeguard their traditional seaweed rights against what they describe as a "corporate takeover "of their livelihoods.
Canadian-owned firm Arramara, formerly an Údarás na Gaeltachta company, has renewed its application to acquire rights to harvest along large areas of the Conamara coast.
Canadian multinational Acadian Seaplants bought Arramara Teoranta for an undisclosed sum in 2014.
An application for planning permission was made to harvest seaweed on an industrial scale from north Mayo to north Clare.
However, the move attracted much controversy and the plans were ultimately shelved.
Now Arramara has put in a revised application to cover multiple bays in Galway as well as an application covering intertidal areas.
Five applications have been made by the seaweed processing company to acquire cutting rights from the State, stretching across bays from Ros a Mhíl to Cloch na Rón along the Conamara shoreline.
These are areas where local people have traditional harvesting rights passed down through generations.
Maidhc Ó Curraoin's family has harvested seaweed for over 100 years.
"People have seaweed harvesting rights along the shoreline in the Conamara Gaeltacht. They have traditional harvesting rights and they don't want to let go of that," he said.
Looking across the bay of Cuan Inbhir Mhóir, Mr Ó Curraoin said seaweed has gone from being seen as a "famine food" in previous generations, to become highly sought after in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as well as being a nutritious animal feed.
He said: "Seaweed is the new gold or the new oil now, and it's been worth money going back the years. Now they want to take this over from the Conamara people to have total control on it.
"But I have a right on my own personal place. I have a right on my folio to harvest seaweed and take seaweed. I'm not going to let that go.
"Why would I, to let somebody else come and take the bite out of my mouth? But that's effectively what's happening."
Watch: 'Seaweed is the new gold'
At a recent packed public meeting in Ros Muc, there was concern that Arramara was applying for licences in locations where people had traditional harvesting rights.
There was uncertainty too amongst some harvesters that their folio rights were not registered properly.
And there was anger at legislation requiring harvesters with generational rights having to apply for a licence in the first place.
Éamonn Mylotte from Carna forcibly outlined his views to a round of applause.
He said: "It's a property title we have on our land and the foreshore, not a licence with permission to cut seaweed.
"And if all our rights go to Arramara and they sell the factory or whatever they have, then we end up with nothing. It's time to bloody cop on. Our rights are there since the foundation of the State."
The issue was raised in the Dáil this week by Sinn Féin's Mairead Farrell. She asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin would the Government work with traditional harvesters as well as those with folio rights to ensure their rights are protected?
The Taoiseach said he understood the concerns of local people with the legislation in place, but that the Government was keen to protect the rights of the people of the region in so far as it can.
The Marine Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) said those with folio rights still need to obtain a licence but the process is designed to respect existing formal and informal rights.
A public consultation process is currently ongoing and MARA said it does not discuss individual applications
Meanwhile, Arramara said it wants to continue working with the harvest community for the benefit of all and to continue to contribute to the local economy.
In a statement to RTÉ News, Arramara Teoranta said it made five applications for a marine usage licence to MARA to harvest Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus Vesiculosus from Cuan Chasla, Cuan Chill Chiaráin, Cuan an Fhir Mhóir, Cuan na Beirtrí Buí and Ceann Mhasa.
The company said its activities generate at least €4 million directly to the local economy.
It said the purpose of the applications is to secure a sufficient supply of seaweed going forward so that the processing plant at Cuan Chill Chiaráin can operate "efficiently and effectively thereby ensuring that the employment of more than 20 people and the contribution to the local economy will continue".
"Arramara wants to continue working with the harvest community for mutual benefit and the benefit to the wider community, but it can only do that with an assured sufficient supply of seaweed into the future," it added.
Mr Ó Curraoin said he does not want Arramara to close and said the former Údaras na Gaeltachta company was good to work for and "kept food on the table for 80 years".
But he said there are other companies in Conamara that are also taking seaweed from the shore and providing jobs for other people.
He said all local harvesters want is fairness and honesty
"I have no problem with getting a licence if it's a thing we need one. But I don't think we do because we have our land ownership rights. But if it was a thing then so be it as long as harvesters are treated fairly and it doesn't fall into the hands of multinationals like the Canadian Arcadia Plants who bought Arramara," he said.
He said harvesters would continue to fight for their rights.
"You just can't come in and stomp on people and trample them and push them into the ground. We have rights too and we're going to stand up for them," he added.
