Tasmanian company Sea Forest has been named as a finalist for the world’s most prestigious environmental prize overnight, for its seaweed-based livestock feed that drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions from sheep and cattle.
Launched in 2020 by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, the Earthshot Prize is an independent organisation designed to discover and scale innovative solutions to climate change and create optimism surrounding global environmental issues.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he was incredibly proud to see this remarkable level of innovation by a Tasmanian business being recognised on the world stage.
“Sea Forest is among just 15 Earthshot finalists selected from over 1100 nominations worldwide, and it is the first time a Tasmanian company has been short-listed,” the Premier said.
Sea Forest has established commercial-scale manufacturing of its animal feed supplement, SeaFeed, created from the Australian native red seaweed Asparagopsis. The product can cut methane gas emissions from sheep and cattle by up to 90 per cent when consumed as part of an animal’s diet.
“Sea Forest has harnessed the power of Australian seaweed to drive long-term solutions to the challenges of climate change that our farmers and primary industries are facing, and created a high-value economic opportunity in Tasmania,” the Premier said.
“The Tasmanian Liberal Government has been a strong supporter of Sea Forest, investing $540,000 into the project in 2022.
“I would like to congratulate Sea Forest on this great honour as they represent Tasmania and the rest of the nation on the world stage.”
Earthshot Prize finalists are in the running to receive one of five £1 million prizes, equivalent to almost $2 million Australian dollars, at an award ceremony in Singapore later this year.
