China, Solomon Islands advance seaweed blue carbon cooperation

A cross-border seaweed blue carbon project between China and the Solomon Islands has developed 2,951 tonnes of carbon sinks, marking a new step in Zhangzhou's international blue carbon cooperation.

Led by the Zhangzhou Municipal Bureau of Ocean and Fisheries in southeast China's Fujian Province, the project was jointly planned with Pacific Trade Invest China and implemented by local enterprises, with technical support from the Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources.

Its results were unveiled at Fujian's 2026 National Ecology Day activities.

The project applies Zhangzhou's carbon-sink development expertise to seaweed aquaculture in the Solomon Islands, creating a model that combines Chinese technology, overseas resources and global markets.

The carbon sinks have been filed with the Zhangzhou Municipal Bureau of Ocean and Fisheries and listed on the Xiamen Property Rights Exchange Center.

The first transaction involved 61 tonnes worth 6,000 yuan (about $890), used for a carbon-neutral project for a single fast-ferry voyage in Pingtan , Fujian.

The project establishes a cross-border system for carbon-sink accounting, traceability and trading, enabling Zhangzhou's experience to be applied to overseas aquaculture areas.

Zhangzhou has pioneered aquaculture carbon-sink development.

In 2023, it launched China's first city-level aquaculture carbon-sink development project, accounting for 244,000 tonnes.

In 2024, it completed China's first cross-border seaweed carbon-sink project with Indonesia, accounting for 878 tonnes.

In the first half of 2026, it established China's first city-level aquaculture carbon-sink resource database.

The latest initiative expands cooperation from carbon-sink trading to seaweed aquaculture, processing and carbon-sink development, further strengthening marine cooperation between Fujian Province and the Solomon Islands.

For more: Blue carbon: A secret weapon in the fight against climate change?