Seaweed aquaculture in British Columbia is gaining momentum as a sustainable industry capable of delivering economic, ecological, and climate benefits, but a new regulatory review warns that fragmented oversight could leave the sector vulnerable to ecological risks. Seaweed requires no fertilisers, pesticides, or artificial inputs, and can be used in products ranging from food to bioplastics, offering coastal First Nations communities in particular a promising new economic avenue. However, researchers found that four government agencies — including B.C.'s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Transport Canada — share overlapping and indirect responsibilities for the industry, with none holding a clear mandate to manage its ecological impacts, leaving offshore waters beyond 12 nautical miles entirely unregulated. The researchers are calling on provincial and federal governments to develop unified legislation, in close collaboration with First Nations, to ensure the industry fulfils its potential without repeating the environmental mistakes of conventional agriculture.