Arramara Teoranta is a state-owned body with Údarás na Gaeltachta
holding 100% of the company shares since 2006. Prior to this the Department
of Marine and Natural Resources owned 82% of the company shares and
ISP Alginates, one of the world's major alginate producers, with plants
in Scotland and California owned the other 18%.
Arramara was founded in 1947 in order to utilise the large resource
of seaweed available on the West Coast of Ireland. This area has many
sheltered bays and inlets, where the risk of pollution is very low due
to the absence of heavy industry, intensive farming, or busy shipping
lanes. The Atlantic swell flushes out these bays and replenishes the
stock of nutrients that act as feed for the seaweed plant.
Initially the seaweed was supplied to the alginate industry, but the
increase in demand for seaweed meal in recent years has opened up markets
in the agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture industries.
Arramara's production facility is based in Kilkieran, Connemara, Co.Galway.
Arramara directly employs 20 people in the factory with another 250
harvesters working in the industry on a part time basis.
In 2001, a new investment plan was approved by the Government and Arramara
has implemented a re-development programme to improve the efficiency
and quality of output from the company. The old factory was demolished
and a new modernised factory was built in its place.
The type of seaweed used is Ascophyllum nodosum, which is commonly
known as bladder wrack. It is brown seaweed which grows to about 3-4
ft in length.
Traditionally the main use of seaweed was as a fertiliser. This was
documented in the film The Field and the famous quote from Bull McCabe.
