KAILUA, Hawaii — A Hawaii company hopes to build an underwater farm that can produce large quantities of edible seaweed.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Sunday that Kampachi Farms LLC is working to establish a farm to grow limu more than a mile off Kaiwi Point near Kailua on Hawaii Island.
Limu is an ingredient in poke, a traditional Hawaiian dish of diced raw fish.
Kampachi Farms is seeking state and federal permits to test growth of four native limu species on submerged lines by supplying the plants with nutrientrich water from depths between 600 and 2,000 feet (183 and 610 meters.)
An official says the operation 33 feet (10 meters) below the surface could potentially farm limu in quantities large enough for use as animal feed and biofuel.