Known as nori in Japan, the seaweed locally known as gamet is considered a “black gold” in the Philippines. It thrives along the inter-tidal zones of Claveria, Sta. Praxedes, Sta. Ana, and Calayan towns of Cagayan.

In the town of Sta. Praxedes, gamet gathering is a traditional source of livelihood for locals that has been passed from one generation to another.

Gatherers can have as much as 1.5 to 3 kilograms for an hour or even up to 10 kilos during peak season. The seaweed is dried, either in a natural way or through mechanical dryer, and sold at P500 per kilo.

Gamet is a red, papery sea vegetable known for its nutritive values which contains a high percentage of protein, iodine, and vitamins A, B, and C making it one of the most promising seaweed species for culture with great revenue potential in the local and international markets.

Locals gather ‘gamet’ along the shore of Sta Praxedes, Cagayan. (Photo courtesy of Jed Paje)

Potentials of seaweed

Gamet or porphyra is a promising species of seaweed, the gathering of which can be promoted and developed into an important industry in the Philippines, according to Dr. Evelyn C. Ame, a researcher-scientist of BFAR who has been working on the seaweed development for the last decade.

“It can provide a good alternative source of livelihood to the people in the coastal communities in the Philippines particularly in areas where cold spells are experienced,” she said.

The presence of natural populations of Porphyra in the northern Philippines and the parallel physical characteristics of the environment in other countries where it is grown commercially are indications that it can be cultured locally, she said, as today’s Porphyra are grown naturally in the wild.

“It is probably the most valuable among all the economically important seaweed species present in the Philippines aside from Eucheuma,” Ame said.

Gamet in Asian cuisines

Aside from being used as an ingredient for sushi, gamet is also a vital ingredient in soups. It is also used for industrial purposes in other acountries including Thailand and Vietnam. It is also utilized as a medicine in China. 

In the Philippines, fresh gamet can be prepared as salad, soup, or as a garnish while dried gamet is often cooked as an omelet, mixed with salads, or used as ingredients in various menus. Some also use it as wrap rolls for local sushi versions.

These are the reasons why gamet commands high prices in the national and even international markets.

Conservation efforts

Realizing its significant contribution to the town folks’ livelihood and the economy, the local government unit established various programs for its promotion, conservation, and development. 

With its lucrative potential, the local government and the gatherers recently came up with an institutionalized policy for gamet conservation and management. This policy includes proper way of gathering and storing the product. It also includes initiatives for the protection of the habitat.

In 2008, Mayor Esterlina Aguinaldo, staged the first-ever ‘Gamet Festival’ to promote the seaweed’s importance to the lives and culture of Sta Paraxedes. The festival has been sustained up to this time. 

With the support of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Aguinaldo’s quest for a sustainable gamet industry in the town was realized. With the constant capacity building and technology transfer activities, gatherers now produce quality gamet sheets that are export potential. 

Other agencies such as the National Nutrition Council, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Provincial Government of Cagayan also extended their services to the community of gatherers to further improve their products for wider market opportunities. 

Gathering techniques

Gatherers just pick and collect gamet seaweeds spread along rocks. Scraping the seaweeds is discouraged to conserve its holdfast - a stalked organ by which an alga or other simple aquatic plant or animal is attached to a substrate, thereby allowing new growth of the seaweeds.

In the past, gatherers used sharp pointed objects to scrape the thallus or base of the seaweed. But this method was corrected as it is found to be destructive to the gamet’s natural habitat and it is also labor intensive.

Some of the seaweed-based menus developed during the Gamet Cooking Contest in Sta Praxedes, Cagayan. (Photo courtesy of NNC Region 2) 

Now, with the presence of a local ordinance on the protection and conservation of seaweeds, future generations are assured of a sustainable gamet source.

Recently, BFAR and LGU Sta. Praxedes launched a coffee table book featuring gamet-based recipes. The recipes were winners during the ‘Gamet Cooking Contest’ held during the Gamet festival. (OTB/GVB/PIA-2)